Once germinated, use some patience as it takes five to eight years to grow a sapodilla tree of bearing age. As mentioned, the fruit tree is tolerant of most conditions but prefers a sunny, warm, and frost free location in most any type of soil with good drainage.

Planted trees need frequent small feedings during establishment. Fertilizers that contain 6-8% nitrogen, 2-4% available phosphoric acid and 6-8% potash give good results.

Sapodilla are easy to control through pruning. Tip prune when young to encourage branching. Sapodilla require very little pruning if you are not concerned about tree size. Most growers prefer smaller trees due to harvest and spacing concerns. Prune only 20% of the tree at a time by selecting whole branches that will give the shape you require and limit tree height.

Sapodilla are very healthy trees. There are no major pests or diseases. Scale and other sap suckers are easily treated with white oil and are only ever a concern on young or stressed trees.