Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I live in Houston Texas -zone 8B - I would love to plant an Alona Sabodilla and Sugar Apple  , but due to the Texas weather in winter - somedays under 28 F- I am afraid those trees will not survived during winter- So, I am not sure if i could plant those in planters ( Resin-drainage hole- about 15 galons)?---Please advise if these planters are big enought for these tress can grown and give fruits ? do I need to fertilized them or wait still 2nd  years- In winter , if I could not moved them inside the house ( too big ) is it safe if i fully cover them ? - Last but not least- when is the best time to plant it- wait still Fall / Spring or I can do it now when the summer approaching !
Thanks - Have a good day

ANSWER: Hi Jalyn, You can indeed plant these in a container, albeit I would go with a wider rather then deeper one, for they have a shallow root system that expands more outward then downward; keep in mind, they will not fare as well in a container as in the ground, but sometimes you have to compromise, rather then do without, so go for it! ...To protect it from the cold, cover the crown if a frost is expected, but wrap the trunk and cover if a freeze is in the   forecast. You can wrap the trunk with a frost fabric and use the same for covering the crown. Another method is to lay the entire tree on its side or leaning against the house and cover it with several layers of blankets. Fertilize the second year after planting, beginning in the Spring every two Months until Fall then cease for the Winter. Fertilizers  commonly used for Avocados or even Citrus will be fine. I would wait until the last frost or freeze has passed before planting, this will give it a full season to adapt before the following cold Winter sets in. If you obtain a smaller specimen, that can be started in a smaller container, and graduated to the larger as it grows, then you can indeed begin now, and move the tree indoors while it is still smaller, then in Spring place it in its bigger container. Make sure the container you use is of quality material, that won't split or break as the roots press out against it, the wooden wine barrell type works real well for trees. One last point, when it does produce fruit, prune off all but a few the first 2 seasons, for it needs to put its energy into structure rather then produce, then the third year you can gradually let it produce more.. Good luck!..Nick

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: GOod morning!
-About the soil - do we have to remove ( part ) of an old soil and replace with new one in the following years ?-- the trees grown in container thr years / the soil will no longer having nutrition or  only fertilizing needed ?
-After the trees have settle ( strong and begin to produce fruits ) do we still need to move inside or cover them during winter ( <30F) or they are strong now and would be ok to be stay on their own ?
-Are the trees self pollination or cross pollinate ? is it need more than 1 tree in order to produce fruits ?
Thanks for sharing your experiences - Have a good day !
Jalyn

Answer
It is a good practice to change out soil periodically, because salt builds up from numerous fertilizing; they are self pollinating so only the one tree is needed and you will still need to protect them from cold , even though they are older and established,,they are still tropical.