Seethaphal (Custard Apple)
In Hyderabad, Seethaphal floods the markets after monsoons. We even have an entire locality named Sithaphalmandi here!! The tree grows wild in every available space. I like the Seethaphal tree. It is lush green and responds to the seasons beautifully. The birds too love the trees, and enjoy the fruits to their heart’s content. We have three trees in the compound, and my children used to enjoy looking for the ripe fruits or starting to get ripe fruits. One has to know how to select them and the person who gets the big ones is lucky.
This year, we had a bumper crop of the fruit. The birds, our family and our neighbors had a good time plucking them. Till today the fruits are there on the plant. I think we had an early season this year.
From organic garden point of view, I am happy to collect the seeds and dry them for use in the garden 🙂
Pattu's terrace Garden 
Did you grow them in a container? Can you tell me how to use the sitaphal seeds from the fruit? I would love to grow one at home.
Hi aarthi,
We have the trees in the cimpound,. Due to trees like Sitaphal, Coconut, Goose berry, Bouganvilla, Frangipani, and night queen, we are not having any sunlight in the compound. That was the reason I had to start a terrrace Garden on the second floor.:-)
I am intending to dry them up and powder them. and use it after soaking , to spray as a pesticide. ( for leaf mosaic, which is plaguing my plants in this part of Hyderabad.
Are you saying that dried ground sitaphal seeds work against leaf mosaic? My tomato plants are continuously attacked by the mosaic 😦
Hi Aarthi,
Yes, this part of Secunderabad too the leaf mosaic plays havoc. I read in some blog,(also from http://oxygenforthesoul.blogspot.com/2010/11/double-whammy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OxygenForTheSoul+%28oxygen+for+the+soul%29) that as a organic pesticide , the sitaphal powder is very good. I had bought one packet during the last Horticulture Exhibition. I used it too. After the rains, the leaf mosaic did not appear. It could be due to Sitaphal or rains.:-)
Dear Fellow Gardeners,
Can any one of you spare few Seethaphal seeds for me? I live in US and visit Hyderabad every year.
Thank you,
Actually you can buy them from ebay, I did and I am growing a wonderful tree in Houston
Hi,
Came across your blog from geekgardener’s blog. Great blog and hats off to you. No more shall I complain of aches and pains after I have done a bit of repotting my plants.
Your sitaphal looks delicious; how did you grow the tree- from seed or did you buy direct from a nursery? and how many years did it take to fruit? My 3yr old son has taken a liking for the fruit..
Regards,
Chitra
Hi,
The seeds germinated on its own. we only provided the space. We did not pluck the plant away, since in my family everyone loves it. In Hyderabad, the plants grow by themselves. I think it hardley takes two years to start fruiting. It is lush and also enourages a whole lot of birds and bats!
Hello Madam, Good to know you thru this blog. Wow at this age your enthusiasm for gardening, blogging, travel, books etc., etc., is simply amazing. Keep blogging, ur enthusiasm would surely inspire many people. I am also from hyderabad and Sitaphamandi happens to be the place where my grand parents live.
Hi Vensayee,
Welcome to my blog. Please comment and feel free.
Thanks for your appreciation, getting them form younger ones makes it more sweet! Yes I love books too, but no time nowadays. 🙂
Fab ma! Keep it up 🙂
Thanks. I will try that.
Nice article. I’ve started thinking of doing some balcony gardening myself after reading a few posts of yours. Keep it up 🙂
Welcome Vijayant, All the best for your gardening.
Great work and a lovely garden ! Very inspiring .
I am from Bangalore and I also have a small terrace garden where I grow some veggies and have a blog about my varied interests which includes organic gardening .
In my compound I have a mango tree , sapota tree and a seetaphal and guava tree.
I have not been sucessful in growing seetaphal. They get infested with pests and I have also seen fruits being sold in the market with the white fluff of aphids still clinging to it. I am trying to grow my food plants organically so I wouldn’t like to use chemical pesticides. Do you face a similar problem and do you use pesticides ? would love to get some tips!
Regards
Malathi
Hi Malathi,
Welcome. Mango tree sounds good and must be smelling good too right now..:-)
How is the Sapota tree? Our tree is very productive and gives hundreds of fruits. We get them after the parrots, squirrel and the bats are satiated.
We don’t really mind it. Over the years (15), the fruits have become smaller. I need to take time to tend the tree properly. May be next season..
In Telengana, the seethaphal grows wild and is mostly diesease free. The dry heat helps it have healthy foliage and fruits.
I have used pesticides, only, when the garlic, neem and chilli sprays have not controlled the pests. ( may be only on a few occasions).
Please go through Geekgardener’s weblog.http://geekgardener.in
I learnt a lot about organic gardening there.
Hope I was able to help you in what you were looking for.
That seetaphal looks fantastic! Congratulations!
Thanks. This year too we had plenty, My domestic helpers are having a field day plucking and eating it then and there, and the birds are having a great time. ( not many takers in the family).
I discovered custard apples via our various trip to Singapore and I LOVE them!
We can find them from time to time at the Haagse Markt (Europe’s biggest outdoor market, located here in The Hague) but often they are really rather over-ripe.
Mostly they are edible but the best ones are the ones I enjoy in Singapore You are SO lucky to be able to grow these in your garden!!! YUM!!!
Thanks a lot. Yes, if you like it it is very good. Straight from the tree to tongue:-)
You spelt it wrong. In Calcutta, it is Sheetaphol.
:-)))))))))))Sheetaphol is sweet by whatever name we call
Hey! in Calcutta, it is called Atta