The Black Sapote is an Evergreen fruit tree – keeping its leaves all year round.
Black Sapote can get quite large, at about six metres, but we prune them to keep them manageable.
They are very attractive and become quite productive fruit wise, after only a few years.
The fruit is often referred to as Chocolate Pudding Fruit and many become total converts once they have sampled them.
The Black Sapote is related to the Persimmon and we manage them in much the same way.
We have seven here with some in full sun and others in partial shade.
Most are fruiting at present but they can be a little erratic depending on the rain and the warmth.
We often get two crops per year from some trees.
Once established they have deep roots which allow the tree to handle long dry periods. That can be very handy here in the Scenic Rim.
We fertilise our Black Sapote in May and October with our compost and ensure they are always well mulched.
Most of ours are quite mature now and we prune them to keep them manageable and the fruit accessible. We generally prune in January or February when they are not fruiting.
The fruit does not generally ripen on the tree.
We harvest when they are a nice size and let them ripen inside. They actually look a little like they have gone bad when you eat them.
There are some great videos on YouTube on when and how to eat them. We cut them in half and use a spoon to scoop out the fruit which has that look and texture of chocolate pudding. Hence the name.
We don’t do it but we understand they can be grown in very large pots. Most of our local nurseries will have them for sale. I checked and Mitre 10 in Beaudesert have them in stock.
