When to Plant Atemoya in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Arid / Semi-Arid
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
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This Atemoya guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Days to harvest
- about 104 weeks
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Low
- Spacing
- 800 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 6.5–7.5
Atemoya is a hybrid of sugar apple and cherimoya, grown in Australia under the name custard apple. It is a small, semi-deciduous tree with creamy, sweet flesh and black seeds, and it needs a warm, frost-free site.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
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Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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How to Grow Atemoya in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained sandy loam or rich loam. Tolerates sandy, limestone and gravelly soils if drainage is good. Will not tolerate standing water.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun, at least 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day for best flowering and fruit set
- Spacing
- 800cm apart, 600cm between rows
- Watering
- Deep, slow watering at the base of the tree, for example with a soaker hose.
- Good companions
- Nasturtium, Basil, Comfrey, Lemongrass, Sweet Potato
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Atemoya
Recommended Varieties
- African Pride (Grafted atemoya): Self-compatible and usually sets well without hand pollination. Also a good pollen source for Pink's Mammoth
- Pink's Mammoth (Grafted atemoya): Largely self-incompatible, so fruit set and shape improve with hand pollination, using African Pride pollen
- Geffner (Grafted atemoya): Listed as self-pollinating with some cold tolerance
- Tropic Sun (Dwarf grafted atemoya): Dwarf tree. Mulch and prune in spring to an open vase shape
Pests and problems for Atemoya in Arid / Semi-Arid
Harvesting Atemoya
When ready: The skin changes from dark green to pale or yellowish green. The gaps between the fruit segments widen and show cream colour, and the fruit gives slightly under gentle thumb pressure near the stem.
How to harvest: Clip the stem with sharp secateurs. Do not pull or snap the fruit off, because that damages the branch.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Atemoya
When do you plant atemoya in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Sep to Nov
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Oct
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): not recommended
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Oct
What soil temperature do Atemoya need?
Atemoya germinate best when soil temperature is between 21°C and 29°C.
How do I know when Atemoya are ready to harvest?
The skin changes from dark green to pale or yellowish green. The gaps between the fruit segments widen and show cream colour, and the fruit gives slightly under gentle thumb pressure near the stem.
What are the best Atemoya varieties for Alice Springs?
Recommended varieties for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone include: African Pride (Grafted atemoya): Self-compatible and usually sets well without hand pollination. Also a good pollen source for Pink's Mammoth, Pink's Mammoth (Grafted atemoya): Largely self-incompatible, so fruit set and shape improve with hand pollination, using African Pride pollen, Geffner (Grafted atemoya): Listed as self-pollinating with some cold tolerance, Tropic Sun (Dwarf grafted atemoya): Dwarf tree. Mulch and prune in spring to an open vase shape.
What grows well with Atemoya?
Good companion plants for Atemoya include: Nasturtium, Basil, Comfrey, Lemongrass, Sweet Potato.
Are atemoya salt tolerant?
No. Atemoya are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.