Rose apple, Chambakka, or Jambu is a famous tropical fruit variety. Also, its flavor and texture attract most people’s interest. Besides that, it is rich in vitamins, especially vitamin A and C. Thus, it is used to prepare juice, wine, and squash. This article will show the correct way to grow and care for the rose apple tree.
How to grow Rose apple trees?
Generally, the rose apple requires less care compared to many other fruit trees. Also, it bears fruits in all seasons until around 20 years. Further, you can propagate it by sowing seeds or planting stem cuttings. The most common propagation method is seedlings.
The rose apple seeds lose viability quickly. Also, these seeds are poly-embryonic and can produce multiple seedlings after carefully separated young seeds.
When seeds began germination, the outer layer of the seed cracks. Then the roots and main shoot appear from the central part of the seed.
There are few steps, and please follow them to propagate the tree successfully.
Method 1: Rose apple propagations by seed
Step 1: First, collect matured seeds from the ripe rose apple fruit
Step 2: Select the location in your garden that have enough sunlight
Step 3: Then dig the pit that has one-foot length, width, and depth each. (1 ft x1 ft x1 ft)
Step 4: Next, add some manure, organic fertilizer, hummus, and topsoil to the pit before planting
Step 5: Plant some mature seeds in the pit
Step 6: Add 3, 4 cups of the water for every day to the pit until one month
Step 7: After several days, seeds start to propagate, and saplings are visible
Step 8: Continuously add water and an adequate amount of fertilizers until three months
In here, you should cover the pit. Thus, some animals and pets can damage the germinating seed. Also, you can propagate plants in a different place or polythene basket. After three months, you can plant a rose apple tree in a suitable place in your garden. Follow the same steps mentioned above for it.
Method 2: Rose apple propagations by cutting
This method is a bit difficult than the previous method. Hence, plant cuttings require some special conditions to grow successfully. Hence, if you like to propagate rose apple plant using cutting, provide the following parameters and conditions.
Temperature: 80oF-90 oF (27oC-32oC)
Humidity: The moist soil is like a fog to facilitate cutting growth. Also, it prevents dry out the cutting. Therefore high humidity is ideal for cutting propagation.
Shade: half shade is ideal.
Additionally, it is better to use the greenhouse for rose apple cutting reproduction.
The growing season of Rose apple
Rose apple seeds need some wet conditions to grow. Therefore the beginning of the rainy period is the best season to grow red apples. Also, immature leaves and stems can keep healthy in the rainy season. If you plant rose apples in the dry season, the seed germination will be a delay. Also, the immature leaves and stems may be dry because of hot weather.
Generally, May and June is the ideal period for grow rose apple. Also, you can replant saplings in this period. Further, add enough water to the rose apple plant after it bloomed because it encourages the plant to give a high yield and larger fruits.
Additionally, this fruit flourishes in tropical and near-tropical climates. This plant is not successful in frost temperatures. Because the rose apple flowers do not bloom in these areas.
How long does it take to grow a Rose apple tree?
The rose apple or jumbo tree is a slow-growing plant. Usually, it has 20 years life span. Also, it starts bearing fruits 3 to 5 years after planting. But this period can be varied with your care and rose apple variety.
Further, the rose apple tree has an evergreen plant. Its leaves are narrow and elliptic in shape and 4 to 9 inches long. In the beginning, these leaves are a light green color. It turns into a dark green when it mature. Additionally, the flowers of this fruit are creamy-white or greenish-white. Also, there are 4 to 5 flowers together in terminal clusters.
Growing Rose apples indoors
You can grow some specially prepared rose apple varieties indoors. These varieties do not need large space. You can grow them in a pot. Also, the matured indoor rose apple plants can give a good crop.
But to grow rose apples in indoor areas, you should provide favorable conditions to them. Thus, Place plant pot near the window or open area. Because plants need direct sunlight to grow well, further, watering and fertilizing should do properly.
How tall does a Rose apple tree grow?
Rose apple tree size depends on the variety. Generally, most trees grow around 10 to 15 feet. But some rose apple trees can reach approximately 25 feet under preferable environmental conditions. Further, it has wide-spreading branches. These branches overall width is exceeding the height of the tree.
Further, the rose apple is a tropical fruit. It is native to South Asian countries such as Sri Lanka and India. Therefore proper sunlight is an essential factor to grow it well.
Fertilizing methods
It is essential to provide micro and macronutrients to the rose apple plant. Over seven years old, rose apple trees need 1300 to 1600 grams of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and potassium. Hence, it is recommended to use 2.5 Kg to 3.5 Kg urea for a plant per year. Also, you can use organic fertilizers to enrich the soil.
Further, the plant requires magnesium, calcium, and sulphur at the micro-level. Also, it requires carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in large quantities. But these are supplied by air, water, and organic matter.
A main dose of fertilizers should be added by digging a circle just 1 foot away from the plant. Also, you can apply supplement dose by soil drenching. To optimize the fruit crop, you should fertilize the plant 2,3 times per year.
Common Problems When Growing Rose apple
The major problem is pests and diseases. The fruit fly is the major insect that spoils the rose apple fruit. Other than them, myrtle rust or guava rust is the common disease of this fruit. Further, leaf spot, anthracnose, mushroom root rot can infect the rose apple. Also, root rot and sooty mold are common among them.
To prevent these diseases and disorders, you must take some precautions. It is recommended to harvest rose apple fruit as soon as it is ripe. Also, discard the overripe ones.
Further, insufficient sunlight and cool climates are probably problems. Thus, the rose apple plant does not prefer this type of condition.
