How To Grow Custard Apples At Home? Gardener Shares Step-By-Step Guide

Commonly known as custard apple in India, sitaphal is beloved for its sweet and delectable taste. Besides being a popular fruit for consumption, custard apple is also used to make various products such as ice cream, sweets, and sauces. If you’re interested in growing custard apples in your garden, we have got you covered.

Shirish Sharma, a seasoned gardener from Bhopal, shares a comprehensive guide on planting custard apples using seeds obtained from the market. He outlines the following steps for successfully growing custard apple at home:

1. Choose good quality custard apple seeds for planting. Soak the seeds in water for three to four days, changing the water daily.

2. Place the soaked seeds in tissue paper and keep them in an airtight container. After 10-12 days, the seeds will start sprouting.

3. Use a mix of 50 percent vermicompost and 50 percent cocopeat in a small pot. Plant the germinated seeds and water them lightly.

Place the soaked seeds in tissue paper and keep them in an airtight container. After 10-12 days, the seeds will start sprouting.

4. Transfer the plants to larger pots after around 10 days. Opt for a 12 to 18 inch pot with a good drainage system for the mature custard apple plant.

5. For the potting mix, use 20 percent sand/cocopeat, 30 percent vermicompost, and garden soil. Add neem cake on top of the mixture.

6. Initially, place the plant in a semi-shaded area for a few days and gradually shift it to a sunny location. Ensure the custard apple tree receives six to eight hours of sunlight daily.

7. Water the plant regularly and maintain proper care throughout its growth stages.

8. Expect the custard apple tree to bear fruits within two to three years, with optimal fruiting after three to four years.

9. Maintain a nutrient-rich soil mix and supplement the plant with cow dung manure, neem cake powder, and banana peel powder mixture regularly. Use biozyme granules for added nutrition.

10. Occasionally weed the soil to keep it aerated. Prune the plant after two years to control its growth.

So, why wait? With these simple steps, start your custard apple gardening journey today and relish the bountiful rewards of nutritious produce right at home.

Happy gardening!

Edited by Khushi Arora.