Cherimoya & Soursop

Climate

• Soursop comes from steamy tropical lowlands and thrives in hot, humid weather, but prefers warm nights year-round. Cherimoyas come from dry, tropical highlands -- because of this they do well in areas with cool evenings and low humidity. These characteristics make cherimoyas well adapted to the mild coastal areas and some inland valleys of California. Soursop grows well only in extreme southern Florida.

Cultivation

• In the right climate, soursop grows easily in any soil that is not highly alkaline. It grows quickly to a height of 20 feet more more and has a shallow, fibrous root system that is prone to drying out. Cherimoya has more exacting growing requirements than soursop, growing slowly to a height of 15 or 20 feet. It grows well in soils with a pH between 6.5 and 7.6 and needs excellent drainage. In addition, hand pollination is required for a good fruit set on cherimoya trees.

Propagation

• Soursop trees grow fairly true from seed and are often grown from seed. Any seedling can also be used as a rootstock for grafting a particular variety, if desired. Cherimoyas are generally grown as grafted trees, of which there are many named varieties. These are are grafted on to rootstock grown from the seed of any tree. Seeds from both species require three to four weeks to germinate at temperatures of 70 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Harvest

• Cherimoyas have a distinct harvest period in fall, while soursop may have flowers and fruit at any time of year. The main harvest season for soursop in Florida is from June to November. Both can be picked from the tree when they are still firm and allowed to ripen indoors until soft. Cherimoyas are rarely more than 1 to 2 pounds, while soursops can be anywhere from 5 to 10 pounds or more. The quality of the fruit is quite different, as well -- cherimoyas are eaten fresh as a tropical delicacy, while soursop is more commonly processed into drinks and preserves.