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How to Grow Abiu

Pouteria caimito

Perennial

Abiu is a tropical fruit tree that needs consistent warmth, humidity, and moisture to thrive. In the UK it must be grown under glass in a heated greenhouse or large conservatory, as it cannot tolerate any frost. Provide rich, free-draining soil, regular watering, and feed monthly during the growing season. Expect fruit from the third or fourth year once the tree is well established.

Yearly Lifecycle

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JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Flowering Fruit Set Harvest

Care Essentials

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser during the growing season. Reduce to every six to eight weeks in winter when growth slows.

Watch For

  • Scale insects
  • Mealybug
  • Red spider mite
  • Root rot from overwatering
  • Sooty mould

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Care Requirements

☀️ Light

Bright light under glass year-round

Bright, indirect to full light under glass. Needs a heated greenhouse or conservatory in the UK with as much light as possible year-round.

💧 Watering

Consistent moisture; never let soil dry out

Water regularly and never let the soil dry out completely. Abiu needs consistent moisture but good drainage to avoid root rot. Reduce slightly in winter.

🌱 Fertilizing

Monthly balanced feed during growing season

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser during the growing season to support the fast growth rate. Reduce to every 6-8 weeks in winter.

✂️ Pruning

Prune to control size; responds well

Prune to control size under glass. Remove crossing or damaged branches. Abiu responds well to pruning and can be kept compact.

❄️ Overwintering

Minimum 15°C; heated greenhouse essential

Maintain minimum 15°C year-round. A heated greenhouse is essential in the UK. Reduce watering slightly but never let the plant go cold or dry.

🍎 Harvesting

Pick when bright yellow and slightly soft

Harvest when the skin turns bright yellow and gives slightly to gentle pressure. Eat fresh within a few days as fruit does not store well.

Growing Tips

Keep it warm

Abiu needs minimum 15 °C year-round. A heated greenhouse or conservatory is essential in the UK.

Consistent moisture is key

Water regularly and never let the soil dry out completely. Mulch the root zone to retain moisture.

Feed for vigour

Feed monthly with a balanced fertiliser during the growing season to support the fast growth rate.

Pick at the right moment

Harvest when the skin turns bright yellow and gives slightly to gentle pressure. Eat fresh within a few days.

Pests & Diseases

Pest Scale Insects

Identification: Small brown or white bumps on stems and leaf undersides, sticky honeydew and sooty mould

Organic treatment:
  • Wipe off with a cloth dipped in soapy water
  • Introduce biological controls such as parasitic wasps under glass
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with plant oil-based insecticide, repeating as needed
Pest Mealybug

Identification: White cottony masses in leaf axils and on stems, sticky honeydew

Organic treatment:
  • Dab with a cotton bud soaked in methylated spirit
  • Introduce Cryptolaemus ladybird as biological control under glass
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with fatty acid or plant oil-based insecticide
Pest Red Spider Mite

Identification: Fine webbing on leaf undersides, stippled yellowing leaves, tiny mites visible with a hand lens

Organic treatment:
  • Increase humidity by misting regularly
  • Introduce predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis under glass
Chemical treatment:
  • Spray with fatty acid-based miticide, ensuring good coverage of leaf undersides
Disease Root Rot Phytophthora spp.

Symptoms: Yellowing and wilting leaves despite moist soil, dark mushy roots, plant collapse

Treatment: Remove from pot, trim rotten roots, repot in fresh free-draining compost. Reduce watering

Prevention: Use well-drained compost and pots with drainage holes. Never let pots sit in water

Disease Sooty Mould

Symptoms: Black powdery coating on leaves and stems, growing on honeydew excreted by sap-sucking insects

Treatment: Wipe off with a damp cloth. Control the underlying pest problem (scale, mealybug, or aphids)

Prevention: Monitor for and control sap-sucking pests promptly

Spacing & Planting

Plant spacing 700 cm
Row spacing 800 cm
Mature height 800 cm
Mature spread 500 cm

Brazilian fruit tree with bright yellow fruit. Creamy translucent flesh like caramel pudding. Fast growing. Needs consistent moisture.

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