Atemoya Calendar of Cultural Practices

Suggested Calendar of Cultural Practices for Mature Atemoya Trees

From the Horticultural Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida

Month	Plant stage of growth¹	Cultural practices	Comments
January	Dormant	None required	Trees will be losing their leaves
February	Dormant	None required	Trees will continue to lose their leaves or have essentially lost their leaves
March	Bud break new shoot and leaf growth, flowering begins	Remove dead wood, reduce long shoots by 1/3 to 1/2	New shoot and leaf growth may begin to appear
April	Continued bud break, new shoot and leaf growth, flowering continues	Apply NPK fertilizer, begin watering during dry periods	New shoots and leaves begin to appear and/or are actively growing
May	Continued bud break, new shoot and leaf growth, flowering continues, fruit set	Water during dry periods, apply micronutrients	New shoots and leaves growing
June	Shoots and leaves continue to grow, fruit set and fruit development	Water during dry periods, apply micronutrients	Trees growing vigorously
July	Shoots and leaves continue to grow, fruit set and fruit development	Apply fertilizer, water during dry periods	Trees growing vigorously
August	Shoots and leaves continue to grow, fruit development, some fruit may be ready to harvest	Water during dry periods, apply micronutrients	Trees growing vigorously
September	Shoots and leaves continue to grow, fruit development, some fruit may ready to harvest	Water during dry periods, apply micronutrients	Trees growing vigorously
October	Shoot and leaf growth stops, fruit development, some fruit may ready to harvest	Water during dry periods	Tree growth is slowing
November	Shoot and leaf growth stops, trees are dormant, fruit development, some fruit may ready to harvest	Reduce or stop watering	Tree growth has stopped, leaves begin to drop
December	Shoot and leaf growth stops, trees are dormant	Reduce or stop watering	Tree growth has stopped, leaves begin to drop

¹The dormancy of atemoya is caused by cool temperatures and/or dry soil conditions. Dormancy caused by environmental conditions is technically called quiescence.

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Bibliography

Crane, Jonathan H., and Carlos Balerdi. "Atemoya Growing in the Florida Home Landscape." Horticultural Sciences Dept., UF/IFAS Extension, HS64, Original pub. Oct. 1979, Revised Apr. 1994, Oct. 2005, Oct. 2008, and Nov. 2016, Reviewed Dec. 2019, AskIFAS, edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg332. Accessed 29 May 2018, 5 Aug. 2021.

Published 29 Jan. 2014 LR. Last update 5 Aug. 2021 LR