Chiku, Chikku, Chikoo - 0.5 kg Seeds

Manilkara zapota, the Sapota or Chikoo, is a slow-growing evergreen fruit tree with a dense, glossy-leaved crown and a milky latex in all its parts. It bears the familiar brown, grainy-fleshed sapota fruit that is sweet, malty and rich in sugars.

It is grown above all as a commercial and home fruit tree across the warm plains of India, especially in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and the southern states; its latex (chicle) was the original base for chewing gum, and the dense crown also makes it a useful shade tree. It prefers deep, well-drained soils and a warm, humid to subtropical climate and is quite tolerant of coastal and saline conditions. Commercial orchards are usually grafted, so seedlings are mainly raised for rootstock and home planting.

• Family: Sapotaceae
• Native region: Southern Mexico and Central America
• Mature height: 10-20 m
• Growth rate: Slow to moderate

Use fresh seeds, as viability falls with storage. Wash off the pulp, soak the hard black seeds in water for 24-48 hours, and nick the seed coat to speed water uptake before sowing about 1-2 cm deep in a well-drained polybag or tray. Germination is slow at around 21-30 days or more; grow the seedlings on in shade and transplant when they are sturdy and 30-45 cm tall.