How to grow guanabana at home

Guanabana… This melodic-sounding word can be heard more and more often lately. Still would! Indeed, recent research by scientists has proven that the fruits of this plant effectively fight cancer cells. The news is simply amazing, but here the question arises: "Where does guanabana grow and how to get it?" Let's talk about this in more detail.

Tropical plant residence

So the guanabana tree. Where does this miracle grow, which has aroused the genuine interest of many plant breeders? The native land of this tropical plant is Latin America. From Mexico to Argentina, you can find many places where guanabana grows. The inhabitants of these countries are incredibly lucky. However, today this tree is common in other places as well. For example, in India and China.

Guanabana's business card

The plant in question has many names. The most popular of these is the sour cream apple. The fruit received this name for the special consistency of the pulp, similar to sour cream, tender and soft. This plant is also called graviola and annona prickly. It is no less known as sausep. It has an interesting shape: it looks like a melon, only its skin is green, covered with many small thorns. Inaccessible and unfriendly on the outside, the overseas fruit is surprisingly soft on the inside. Its pulp melts in the mouth, and in the heat it also quenches thirst well. According to connoisseurs, the fruit tastes like a mix of ripe strawberries, exotic pineapple and the already familiar citrus fruits. Such a cocktail of sensations from this product deserves to be tasted. It is a pity that we do not have regions where the guanabana fruit grows. However, why not put him in jail? Yes, they forgot to say: inside the fruit are black seeds, similar to persimmon seeds. It is from them that a plant can be grown. By the way, be careful: they are poisonous!

The leaves of this representative of the tropical flora are also attractive. The tree is related to the famous ylang-ylang, which is widely used in modern perfumery. Guanabana does not lag behind him: its leaves have the same pleasant, deodorant smell. And one more nuance: the leaves are located not only on the branches, as is usual for us, but also on the trunk.

Features of the plant and application in cooking

Exotic graviola is sometimes striking in its size. At first it is small, as it grows, it grows up to 30 cm. At the same time, the weight of one fruit can reach 7 kg!

Guanabana is a very healthy fruit. It contains such essential vitamins as B and C. In addition, it contains many essential elements, including magnesium and phosphorus, calcium and iron. And this fruit also contains a lot of folic acid, which helps restore immunity, improves skin and hair condition.

In countries where guanabana grows, it is often used to make sorbets and all kinds of creams. Add to ice cream, make mashed potatoes or make delicious juice. In Indonesia, unripe fruits are used as vegetables.

Therapeutic properties of guanabana

Guanabana has many medicinal properties.It is recommended to be eaten for stomach diseases. It not only normalizes its microflora, but also stabilizes acidity. With guanabana, you will forever forget about heartburn and discomfort after eating.

The exotic fruit can also be used as an antidepressant. It calms the nervous system and promotes good sleep.

Plus, guanabana is an excellent antibiotic. It kills all kinds of germs and viruses.

Guanabana and cancer

As already mentioned, recently scientifically proven information has appeared that the plant in question has anti-cancer properties. It destroys foreign cells without regret, which are the reason for the formation of tumors. 12 types of cancer can defeat a tropical tree, including cancer of the breast, rectum, lungs, etc. Moreover, the use of soursop is more effective than the use of adriamycin - the strongest chemotherapy drug. The most useful is the juice of the plant. In addition, it does not cause any negative effects, such as hair loss after radiation therapy.

How to Grow Guanabana?

The inability to get this fruit from us is explained by the fact that it is very rarely exported. Transportation is quite difficult, as the fruits of this tree are perishable. They are transported unripe, but even then they are suitable for consumption only for 3-4 days. But the plant itself is unpretentious. Therefore, in order to enjoy the fruit, it is not at all necessary to go to the place where guanabana grows. You can grow it at home.

Care rules:

1. A small container or an ordinary decorative tub is suitable for growing it. If in nature a tree can reach a height of 6 meters, then at home this figure, as a rule, does not exceed 3 meters.
2. Despite the fact that the plant tolerates shading well, it is better to place it closer to a window on the sunny side. In summer, the graviola can be taken out on the balcony or in the garden.
3. Guanabana is a deciduous tree. Therefore, it is necessary to sow seeds as early as possible. It is better if you do this in late winter or spring. The fact is that in the fall, the plant will shed its leaves. It is good if the seedlings have time to harden and become covered with bark by this time. Soft, defenseless shoots may not survive the winter.
4. For planting, you need to choose a well-drained soil. Seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm. The most important thing is high temperature (up to 30 degrees). Therefore, it is better to place the pot closer to the battery. You just have to be careful not to overdry the soil. The first shoots usually appear in 15-30 days.
5. Guanabana tolerates both drought and over-watering well, but it is better to keep it in moderation. In winter, the plant is watered less abundantly, and if it has completely thrown off the leaves and remains naked, it is not watered at all until the first buds appear.
6. Pollination can be difficult, but there is a way out too. You will have to produce it manually. In the morning, collect the pollen in an envelope and store it in the refrigerator. In the evening, apply pollen to the pistil by spraying it.
7. With proper care, the tree begins to bear fruit in the third year.

As you can see, guanabana can be added to your “household” as a permanent resident. It will not be difficult to grow this plant at home. And what benefit it will bring you, you can evaluate for yourself.

Guanabana… This melodic-sounding word can be heard more and more often lately. Still would! Indeed, recent research by scientists has proven that the fruits of this plant effectively fight cancer cells. The news is simply amazing, but here the question arises: "Where does guanabana grow and how to get it?" Let's talk about this in more detail.

Tropical plant residence

So the guanabana tree. Where does this miracle grow, which has aroused the genuine interest of many plant breeders? The native land of this tropical plant is Latin America.From Mexico to Argentina, you can find many places where guanabana grows. The inhabitants of these countries are incredibly lucky. However, today this tree is common in other places as well. For example, in India and China.

Guanabana's business card

The plant in question has many names. The most popular of these is the sour cream apple. The fruit received this name for the special consistency of the pulp, similar to sour cream, tender and soft. This plant is also called graviola and annona prickly. It is no less known as sausep. It has an interesting shape: it looks like a melon, only its skin is green, covered with many small thorns. Inaccessible and unfriendly on the outside, the overseas fruit is surprisingly soft on the inside. Its pulp melts in the mouth, and in the heat it also quenches thirst well. According to connoisseurs, the fruit tastes like a mix of ripe strawberries, exotic pineapple and the already familiar citrus fruits. Such a cocktail of sensations from this product deserves to be tasted. It is a pity that we do not have regions where the guanabana fruit grows. However, why not put him in jail? Yes, they forgot to say: inside the fruit are black seeds, similar to persimmon seeds. It is from them that a plant can be grown. By the way, be careful: they are poisonous!

The leaves of this representative of the tropical flora are also attractive. The tree is related to the famous ylang-ylang, which is widely used in modern perfumery. Guanabana does not lag behind him: its leaves have the same pleasant, deodorant smell. And one more nuance: the leaves are located not only on the branches, as is usual for us, but also on the trunk.

Features of the plant and application in cooking

Exotic graviola is sometimes striking in its size. At first it is small, as it grows, it grows up to 30 cm. At the same time, the weight of one fruit can reach 7 kg!

Guanabana is a very healthy fruit. It contains such essential vitamins as B and C. In addition, it contains many essential elements, including magnesium and phosphorus, calcium and iron. And this fruit also contains a lot of folic acid, which helps restore immunity, improves skin and hair condition.

In countries where guanabana grows, it is often used to make sorbets and all kinds of creams. Add to ice cream, make mashed potatoes or make delicious juice. In Indonesia, unripe fruits are used as vegetables.

Therapeutic properties of guanabana

Guanabana has many medicinal properties. It is recommended to be eaten for stomach diseases. It not only normalizes its microflora, but also stabilizes acidity. With guanabana, you will forever forget about heartburn and discomfort after eating.

The exotic fruit can also be used as an antidepressant. It calms the nervous system and promotes good sleep.

Plus, guanabana is an excellent antibiotic. It kills all kinds of germs and viruses.

Guanabana and cancer

As already mentioned, recently scientifically proven information has appeared that the plant in question has anti-cancer properties. It destroys foreign cells without regret, which are the reason for the formation of tumors. 12 types of cancer can defeat a tropical tree, including cancer of the breast, rectum, lungs, etc. Moreover, the use of soursop is more effective than the use of adriamycin - the strongest chemotherapy drug. The most useful is the juice of the plant. In addition, it does not cause any negative effects, such as hair loss after radiation therapy.

How to Grow Guanabana?

The inability to get this fruit from us is explained by the fact that it is very rarely exported. Transportation is quite difficult, as the fruits of this tree are perishable. They are transported unripe, but even then they are suitable for consumption only for 3-4 days.But the plant itself is unpretentious. Therefore, in order to enjoy the fruit, it is not at all necessary to go to the place where guanabana grows. You can grow it at home.

Care rules:

1. A small container or an ordinary decorative tub is suitable for growing it. If in nature a tree can reach a height of 6 meters, then at home this figure, as a rule, does not exceed 3 meters.
2. Despite the fact that the plant tolerates shading well, it is better to place it closer to a window on the sunny side. In summer, the graviola can be taken out on the balcony or in the garden.
3. Guanabana is a deciduous tree. Therefore, it is necessary to sow seeds as early as possible. It is better if you do this in late winter or spring. The fact is that in the fall, the plant will shed its leaves. It is good if the seedlings have time to harden and become covered with bark by this time. Soft, defenseless shoots may not survive the winter.
4. For planting, you need to choose a well-drained soil. Seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm. The most important thing is high temperature (up to 30 degrees). Therefore, it is better to place the pot closer to the battery. You just have to be careful not to overdry the soil. The first shoots usually appear in 15-30 days.
5. Guanabana tolerates both drought and over-watering well, but it is better to keep it in moderation. In winter, the plant is watered less abundantly, and if it has completely thrown off the leaves and remains naked, it is not watered at all until the first buds appear.
6. Pollination can be difficult, but there is a way out too. You will have to produce it manually. In the morning, collect the pollen in an envelope and store it in the refrigerator. In the evening, apply pollen to the pistil by spraying it.
7. With proper care, the tree begins to bear fruit in the third year.

As you can see, guanabana can be added to your “household” as a permanent resident. It will not be difficult to grow this plant at home. And what benefit it will bring you, you can evaluate for yourself.

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2014-07-03 Annona (Annona muricata).

Annona (Guanabana, Sour Cream) is an evergreen tropical plant that has fruits that look like small green melons. Annona fruits have soft thorns located over the entire surface, and the length of the soursop reaches 35 cm, and the weight is 7 kg.

In nature, annona is widespread, practically throughout the entire territory of the American continent, but it is most widespread in Mexico, Venezuela, Argentina, the Bahamas and Bermuda. As a cultivated plant, Annona Muricata is grown in warm regions: Australia, India, China, etc. Guanabana is one of the many varieties of Annona.

Help from Wikipedia

Sour cream apple, or Annóna prickly (lat.Annóna muricáta)- an evergreen tree with wide green leaves, a species of the Annona genus of the Annonaceae family. One of the most valuable tropical fruit trees.

• Name in other languages: eng. soursop; isp. guanábana; port. Graviola
• The soursop tree reaches a height of 7.5–9 m.
• Young shoots are pubescent.
• The leaves are fragrant, smooth, shiny, dark green above and light green below.
• The flowers are single, with short pedicels, grow on the trunk and on the branches, have a conical shape and consist of three inner and three outer petals.

The fruit is a juicy multileaf, smells of turpentine. The fruits of the soursop are the largest of all Annonas, weight can reach from 4.5 to 7 kilograms, and size - from 10 to 35 cm in length and 15 cm in width. The skin of an unripe fruit is dark green; as it ripens, it becomes yellowish, covered with thick thorns. The pulp is creamy white, dense, resembling cotton wool in appearance. "It melts in your mouth like jelly and tastes sour of lemonade, with a slight strawberry flavor." The pulp contains black seeds that are poisonous.

The soursop is found both wild and cultivated in Bermuda and the Bahamas, as well as throughout the Caribbean and from southern Mexico to Peru and Argentina up to 1150 m above sea level. It is also grown in India, Sri Lanka, South China, Australia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Collection and storage of fruits

Annona fruits are harvested as they ripen. The degree of ripening is determined by the color of the fruit - the yellow-green color is a sign of ripening.To keep the fruits intact, they are plucked without waiting for 100% ripeness - when they fall, they hit the ground hard.

Store sour cream apples in the refrigerator - this allows you to keep them for 1 week. The peel, when stored in the refrigerator, turns black, like the peel of bananas, but the pulp remains edible and does not lose its beneficial properties.

Useful properties of annona

The pulp of soursop is used for the preparation of drinks: juices and cocktails, as well as extracts and purees, sherbet and ice cream.

Sour cream juice makes a wonderful low-alcohol drink, vaguely reminiscent of cider (apple wine).

Annona fruit contains many vitamins (C and B group), mineral salts (iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium), carbohydrates, proteins.

The list of diseases for which the fruits, leaves and seeds of annona are shown:

• colon disease;
• dysbiosis;
• liver disease;
• obesity;
• gastritis;
• diabetes;
• dysentery (immature fruits are used);
• kidney disease;
• diseases of the spine and neurological pathologies;
• head lice (seed oil is used);
• skin diseases (crushed leaves are used).

In the folk medicine of Latin America, an infusion of ground annona seeds is used as a powerful emetic.

Alternative medicine has ascribed anti-cancer properties to sour cream, but there is little evidence for this. It is only known that the substances contained in the fruits of the soursop somehow help to kill cancer cells.

Dangerous properties

Scientists in Latin America believe that excessive consumption of soursop fruit contributes to the development of Parkinson's disease.

Also, the healing properties of the drug "Triamazon", which representatives of alternative medicine advertise as a miracle cure for the treatment of cancer, have not been proven, so it must be used with caution, at your own peril and risk.

Features of growing at home

When growing annona at home, you need to know the following:

1. Annona is not an evergreen tree, she sheds leaves for the winter. Only guanabana is evergreen. Therefore, annona seeds should be sown in winter or early spring, so that in winter there are no problems with dropping leaves for immature seedlings.

2. Limit watering, if annona has dropped some of the leaves and do not water at all if the tree is without leaves.

3. Annona seeds should be stored in a cool, dark place, but not refrigerated. Seeds are germinated at an elevated temperature - 25-30 ° C, that is, near the battery. Seeds can be filed to speed up the germination process.

43 years is required for the plant to bear fruit when grown from seed.

Read also:

Growing tropical plants from seeds at home

5. Flowers require pollination. For pollination at home, pollen from flowers must be shaken off into some container and put in the refrigerator. This is done in the morning, and after lunch, this pollen must be carefully applied to the pestle with a brush.

6. Annona is unpretentious to growing conditions - soil composition, irrigation regime and lighting conditions. Diffused light is often more favorable than direct sunlight. Annona is drought tolerant and grows well in poor and alkaline soils.

Recommended species for growing at home:

Annona squamosa - "sugar apple" - one of the best for growing at home. In nature, it grows no higher than 5 meters. In a pot - 2-3 meters maximum.

Annona muricata - Annona Murikata is the most unpretentious and beautiful tree.

"Sour cream apple" is one of the names of an amazing tropical fruit - annona prickly, or guanabana. The plant reaches 7-9 m in height, has glossy dark green leaves with a pronounced aroma. The fruits of the guanabana tree deserve a special description - they are very large, from 3 to 7 kg, their length does not exceed 35 cm.The thin and at the same time tough peel is covered with soft spines, which acquire a light yellow hue during ripening.

Where does the guanabana tree grow and the benefits of graviola fruit

The homeland of these exotic plants is South America: both wild and cultivated trees grow in Mexico, Argentina and Peru, on the islands of the Caribbean. The plant of the Annonov family is also actively grown in India, China and Australia. The trees have earned such popularity due to the unique taste of sour cream apples, the composition of which is rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

In section, the fruits are very similar to the usual apple: the pulp is light and tender, divided into segments with oval black seeds. Annona surpasses its “domestic analogue” by its useful properties.

Guanabana is rich in vitamins B and C, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron). Therefore, it is used to treat and prevent many diseases: problems with the gastrointestinal tract (dysbiosis, dysentery, liver and kidney disease), diabetes and neurological problems.

The product contains fruit acids, among them ascorbic acid useful for immunity. Soursop extract has antiviral effect, increases the body's resistance to malaria. It is used as a base for drugs - antifungal agents.

People who suffer from arthritis, arthrosis and gout will also benefit from the fruits of the exotic graviola tree. Fresh guanabana removes uric acids from the body, which destroy cartilage and connective tissue.

Scientists have also discovered the exotic fruit's anti-carcinogenic properties. Soursop pulp inhibits cancer cells without harming the organs. But it should not be considered a panacea: there is no scientific confirmation of such cases of cure. Specialists in the field of medicine do not advise to engage in such self-medication, despite all the beneficial properties of the fruit.

How guanabana leaves are used and sour cream apples contraindications

In addition to the use of guanabana fruits, its leaves and bark are actively used. The leaves have pronounced sedative properties, relieve vasospasm. A decoction on a similar basis will help with coughs, asthma or hypertension. The crushed leaves of the graviola tree are also used to treat skin conditions.

Scientists believe that excessive consumption of soursop can trigger the development of Parkinson's disease. In people with hypersensitivity to food, guanabana often causes allergic reactions, up to individual intolerance.

The bones of the fruit are very poisonous, a drop of such juice, if it gets into the eyes, causes complete blindness. And by accidentally eating them, a person gets dangerous poisoning. But decoctions and infusions based on crushed seeds are useful if you need to induce severe vomiting.

Guanabana is contraindicated for pregnant women - this will protect them from possible allergic reactions.

How to grow guanabana from seeds at home

Where graviola (or guanabana) trees grow in natural conditions, giving such tasty fruits, the climate is warm and humid. They are unpretentious to the composition of the soil, easily tolerate drought, increased sandiness or alkalinity of the soil. But Annona prickly does not like direct sunlight.

Guanabana can actually be grown from seeds in home greenhouse conditions, the optimal time for germination is winter or early spring. This is due to the fact that annona sheds leaves in the cold season. Fragile seedlings will not be able to adapt to the change of sunny day and may get sick.

Exotic seeds are stored in a cool and dark place (you cannot use a refrigerator for this). If they are removed from the fruit, the future planting material should be given time to dry out.

Before planting, the seeds are scarified, the skin is slightly filed.After they are soaked for 8-10 hours in warm water. To stimulate the germination process, you can add aloe juice in a one-to-one ratio.

Do not forget that annona seeds are poisonous: experienced gardeners work with them only with gloves.

After preparation, guanabana seeds are dipped 1 cm into coconut tablets (you can choose any other substrate, but with similar characteristics) and provide them with greenhouse conditions with good humidity and a temperature of at least 26-30 ° C.

Seeds take a long time to germinate: this process usually takes more than one month.

Taking care of this plant is much easier than growing the first sprout. Not very high air humidity is something that graviola can easily cope with. But the guanabana tree seedling needs systematic watering. When the plant begins to shed its leaves for the winter, the amount of water should be slightly reduced.

Annona will begin to bear fruit no earlier than after three years of growth. After the first flowers of guanaban appear, the tree is helped with pollination. The pollen is shaken off into a separate container and placed in the refrigerator. After 4-6 hours, it is gently applied to the flower pistil with a brush.

The best guanabana species are chosen for cultivation, such as:

"Sugar apple" (Annona squamosa), which does not grow more than 5-6 meters. In home or greenhouse conditions, such a guanabana does not exceed 2-3 meters.

Annona muricata - a beautiful tree with good adaptability to changing conditions.

Each breeding species has its own advantages, but differs slightly from wild plants.

Look at the photo of guanabana varieties below to choose plant seeds for your home or greenhouse:

Ripe fruits fall from the graviola and quickly deteriorate due to impacts on the ground. In hot countries, they are removed from the tree earlier and stored in the refrigerator. The guanabana fruit, known as sour cream apples, can stay cold for up to 7 days. Their skin, like a banana peel, begins to darken gradually, but this does not affect the taste. Fruits do not lose useful vitamins, microelements and fruit acids.

The use of graviola fruits in cooking

The easiest way to enjoy an exotic is to divide it into parts and eat the pulp with a spoon. Residents of countries where wild guanabana grows immediately remove the fruit pits: they are poisonous and cause vomiting.

The use of graviola fruits in cooking is diverse: from sweet desserts to alcoholic beverages. Delicious fruit purees, juices and cocktails are prepared from the pulp. With the addition of sugar and cream, delicious ice cream, sorbet is obtained. The product is often added to baked goods. It can be not only a filling, but also a spice in the form of dried guanabana. Soursop juice is used to make a low-alcohol drink similar to cider.

Unripe soursop fruits in his homeland are heat treated before use. The product is unsweetened, therefore it is served as a side dish for main courses.

The ripe fruit has a pleasant and unusual aroma, which is similar to the smell of pineapple. Due to the rich smell of nectar, it is added to flavor black or green tea.

For tourists, a photo of a universal soursop is a rare and interesting frame:

Despite its name, sour cream has a low calorie content and is rightfully considered a dietary product. But experts do not recommend buying it in a supermarket: they transport only green products, the taste of which is much inferior to a ripe fruit, and the amount of nutrients is much less.

In tropical countries, guanabana waste is also useful in the economy. In addition to the fruits of this tree, bark and roots are used. From them, poison is obtained, with which fish are poisoned on hot continents. Seed oil is the basis of the head lice remedy.

Take a look at the images and you might want to grow this healthy and tasty exotic at home: