Sitaphal, Annona squamosa (Grafted) - Plant

Enjoy fresh,fragrant and sweet creamy white flesh of Custard apple by growing Custard plant easily at your home. Custard apple is deciduous perennial fruit plant in Annonaceae family. Branches with light brown bark. Leaves are thin, simple, alternate and occur singly. Flowers are Solitary or in short lateral clusters. Fruits are aggregate and soft fruits from the numerous and loosely united pistils of a flower.

Plant Specifications

• Plant Height: 24 inch (61 cm)
• Plant Spread: 4 inch (10 cm)

*above specification are indicative only. actual dimensions may vary by +-10%

• Common Name: Sugar Apple, Custard apple, Sita Phal, Sharifa
• Maximum Reachable Height: 10 to 20 feet (3 to 6 m)
• Flower Colour: Yellow-green
• Bloom Time: Summer, Spring
• Difficulty Level: Easy to grow

Planting and care

There must be adequate moisture in the soil to encourage vegetative growth and blooms that occur on the new branches. The tree should be watered in every 2 to 4 weeks during the period of low growth and every 3 to 5 days while it is flowering and setting fruits. Sugar apple is normally fairly low maintenance and quite easy to grow, as long as a level of basic care is provided throughout the year. Growing sugar apple tree requires weed management. the sugar apple is susceptible to wind damage. Therefore, it should be planted in a location that is sheltered from the wind.

Sitaphal care

Keep the plant in natural indirect bright Light. Poke your finger/plain small stick into the soil to check the moisture. Water when top soil (1-2inches) feels dry to touch. Do not re-pot for min. 2 weeks after receiving it.

• Sunlight: More than 6 hours of direct bright sunlight a day.

Watering

Before water poke your finger/plain small stick into the soil to check the moisture.
Water when top soil (1-2 inches) feels dry to touch.
Water thoroughly in the summer and reduce watering in winter and rainy season.

Soil

The soil should be well drained and fertile, rich in organic content for growing plant.
Grow well in pH range of 6.5 to 7.5

• Temperature: 25 to 41 degrees C
• Fertilizer: During the main growing season (June-July) feed the plant with organic fertilizer.
• Harvest Season: Summer, Spring
• Sitaphal uses: Medicinal Use:

A bark decoction is used to stop diarrhoea, while the root is used in the treatment of dysentery
Sugar-apple is high in energy, an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, a good source of thiamine and vitamin B6
Note- Please consults your health advisor before application or consuming of plants or plant parts

Culinary Use

The ripe fruits are edible
The sweet fruits are used in preserves, drinks, ice cream, puddings etc
Note- Please consults your health advisor before application or consuming of plants or plant parts