Santol (Sandoricum koetjape / Sandoricum indicum) – Lollipop fruit from Southeast Asia
Santol is a tropical fruit tree from the Meliaceae family, originally from Southeast Asia, which can be successfully grown in our country as a portable or indoor plant. It is suitable for full sun and regular watering, tolerates short-term waterlogging and can handle dry periods of up to 5–6 months.
Santol begins to bear fruit relatively early, the fruiting period from seeds is 4–7 years, depending on the growing conditions. The fruits are large, round, ripen to a golden yellow color and hide a juicy white pulp firmly attached to the seeds – which is why they are called "lollipop fruit". The taste of santol is unique – when fully ripe, sweet and distinctly aromatic, with subtle peach and apple tones that mix pleasantly with refreshing acidity. It is this combination of sweetness and freshness that makes santol a popular fruit throughout Asia.
Santol is also valued in traditional Asian medicine and contains fiber, vitamin C, iron, calcium and phosphorus. In our conditions, santol is grown only as a portable or indoor plant; in summer it thrives outdoors in the sun, in winter it is advisable to provide a bright, frost-free place.
HEIGHT OF PLANTS SOLD 10 TO 15 CM - PICTURE NO. 2
Instructions for growing Santol
Substrate:
Preferably acidic and well-permeable.
Recommended mixture: 2 parts peat, 1 part perlite, a little sand.
Watering:
Water only when the substrate dries out a little.
In winter, reduce watering, pour out excess water from the tray after watering.
Growing location:
At home all year round: As close to a window as possible, with plenty of light.
Summering is possible outside on a terrace, garden, or balcony, and only from spring to autumn: Partial shade.
Wintering:
Tropical plant - cannot tolerate temperatures below 10 °C for a long time. Winter at a minimum temperature of 15 °C.
For the winter, place in the living room, bedroom, hallway, winter garden or tempered greenhouse, always as close to a window as possible.
Fertilization:
Common water-soluble or granulated fertilizers.
For plants under 2 years old, use half the dose.
Older plants can tolerate normal doses.
Suitable fertilizer:
OSMOCOTE long-term granular fertilizer