Custard Apple (Annona squamosa)

A highly popular tropical fruit tree cherished across India for producing rounded knobby green fruits with creamy, custardy, white pulp that delivers an intensely sweet, vanilla-custard flavor profile.

Grafted and budded plants adapt exceptionally well to container culture and small terrace gardens due to their naturally small, shrubby growth habit, bearing heavy crops of sweet fruit within just 1 to 2 years!

Description

Custard Apple / Sitaphal (Annona squamosa) grows best in 6–8 hours of direct sunlight and thrives in warm, tropical climates. Water regularly during the early growth stage and flowering period, allowing the soil to dry slightly between watering sessions. It prefers well-drained, sandy or loamy soil and tolerates dry conditions once established. Avoid waterlogging, as excessive moisture can damage the roots. Pruning and proper pollination can help improve fruit production.

Recommended Planting Method for Best Results

For healthy growth and strong establishment, prepare a 2–3 ft deep pit. If available, place a layer of green leaves at the bottom. Mix 1.5 kg bone meal, 1 kg oil cake, 20 kg raw cow or goat dung, and 100 g urea with an equal quantity of soil, then fill the pit and cover it with soil.

Leave the pit for about one month, watering it daily so the mixture decomposes well. After one month, mix the contents again and add 100 g calcium or dolomite. Wait one more week, then plant the sapling.

If you need to plant immediately and cannot wait for the one-month decomposition period, do not add oil cake or calcium/dolomite; use only the soil, manure, bone meal, and urea mixture for planting.