Annonas (or sugar apples and their kin) can actually fruit in containers. Often, the pot size where we may see them fruit in is 30, 45 or 50 gallon. Growers have had them set fruits in places like South Florida and Texas.
Just a note though, for some varieties, as they are grown in pots the fruit size may be smaller than those let grown in the ground. However, the taste is nothing short of amazing. Hand pollination can also give you more fruits.
What to Look Out For
Moisture Level
When growing an Annona in a pot, you should look out for the moisture or water drainage. Although the top surface of the soil may look dry, the soil inside might be holding quite a lot of water.
Too much water inside could cause the tree to grow weaker, sometimes rot and might cause leaf yellowing. A moisture tester could help you gauge the moisture level and help keep the tree on the safe side.
In the Annona family, the soursop (Annona muricata) is one that don't really like wet feet. So you'd be safer keeping it on the dryer side. The sugar apple (Annona squamosa), on the other hand, do enjoy some more water. So you can water them every other day or every day if you can. During new growth or new flower setting, it is also vital to keep the sugar apple well watered for the best chances of flowering and fruit setting.
For Annonas grown in containers, some growers also drill holes around the pot, not just at the bottom. This is so the soil moisture could dry out a bit. It also allows more air to flow through the roots. For sugar apples, some recommend not watering them in the summer. This may give us more fruits.
On the top soil, you could spread some hay or mulch to keep the moisture. You can sprinkle some cow manure on top. But just make sure not to mix it in with soil as it could hold some more water and cause root rot.
Planting Depth
When planting an Annona in a container, you should not plant it down too deep. Planting it too deep could easily cause root or stem rot. It could make the tree weak, grow slower and cause leaf yellowing.
Planting too deep is when a part of the trunk is also buried under the soil. A good planting point is where the roots shoot out from the stem. So the soil line should be at around the level of the roots or slightly below. You may also stake the plant to provide some more support for it.
It's better if little or no part of the stem be under the soil. In some cases though, people wrap a plastic cup or so around the bottom stem part. This is so no water could get to it and affect the plant.
A Garden Tour
You may see hundreds of different Annonas fruiting in containers in this video here. The place is in Texas. It is really inspiring:
Annona Garden Over 100 PlantsShare or pin this post!
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