Achacha Fruit Tree for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

Planting and Care

by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on April 12, 2022

Planting instructions

Plant your achacha fruit tree in an area with full sunlight. The soil in that location should be rich in organic nutrients and capable of holding moisture while allowing for adequate drainage. While achacha fruit trees don’t grow very quickly, they can grow to a considerable size of 12 feet tall or more. As such, it can be difficult to judge how much space one of these trees needs during the planting process. Although it will take many years for this plant to reach its full size, you should plan ahead and give your achacha tree plenty of adjacent space.

Watering and nutrients

In its native range, the achacha fruit tree thrives where the weather is both warm and humid. As such, you should be prepared to give your tree the water it needs. Young achacha trees should get water multiple times per week, and established trees should get water about once a week.

Since achacha trees are such slow growers, it’s in your best interest to give your tree plenty of fertilizer to encourage growth. Balanced fertilizers and organic amendments are quite helpful, and you can apply them multiple times per growing season.

Pollination

With fruit production being the main goal of growing an achacha tree, pollination is something you’ll need to consider. Achacha trees are self-fertile, meaning that you only need one tree to produce fruit, and they often rely on insect species for their fertilization.

But while a single achacha tree can bear fruit on its own, it’s often best to have multiple trees to allow for cross-pollination. When cross-pollination occurs, achacha trees typically produce more fruits per harvest.

Pruning

The best time to prune an achacha tree is just after the harvest has completed. This typically occurs sometime in the mid to late spring months. After all the fruit is off of the tree, you should use sterile pruning tools to remove any dead or damaged part of the tree. It is also advantageous to prune this species into a specific form that is strong enough to support a potentially large fruit harvest. A broad pyramidal shape with many horizontal branches makes for the best overall form.

Pest, diseases, and animals

One of the best aspects of the achacha tree is that it has good resistance to pests, diseases, and animals. If you choose to grow one, you won’t need to spend too much time worrying about or addressing infestations or another ailment. However, some issues are possible. For instance, fruit flies can occasionally be an annoyance with this tree. Still, many of the most prevalent challenges for an achacha tree are more related to improper watering and growth conditions than disease or insect infestations.

Harvesting

You don’t want to harvest achacha tree fruits too early because they will not ripen once they are off the tree. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to tell when these fruits are ready for harvest. The clearest indication is a deep orange color on the outside of the fruits.

Most achacha trees are ready for harvest in the winter and early spring months. After picking one of these fruits, you can access the edible portion by breaking and removing the outer orange layer and removing the few seeds that are on the inside.

Achieving maximum results

Growing an achacha tree requires some patience. Not only does this plant take a while to grow in general, but it can also take a while for it to begin bearing fruit. Once you are able to harvest those fruits, you can store them at room temperature for several weeks before they go bad.

Another helpful tip is to mulch heavily beneath this plant’s limbs. Thick mulch will prevent weeds from popping up and stealing soil nutrients from your achacha tree. Mulch will also help retain soil moisture and add organic nutrients for your tree to consume.

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