Newly planted sapodilla trees should be watered at planting and every other day for the first week or so and then 1 to 2 times a week for the first couple of months. During prolonged dry periods (e.g., 5 or more days of little to no rainfall) newly planted and young sapodilla trees (first 3 years) should be watered once a week. Once the rainy season arrives, irrigation frequency may be reduced or stopped.

Once sapodilla trees are 4 or more years old watering will be beneficial to plant growth and crop yields only during very prolonged dry periods during the year. Mature sapodilla trees do not need frequent watering and over watering may cause trees to decline or be unthrifty.

Weeds compete for water and nutrients. Weeds may be controlled by herbicide applications of registered materials, by hand weeding, and/or by mulching.

Mulching sapodilla trees in the home landscape helps retain soil moisture, reduces weed problems adjacent to the tree trunk, and improves the soil near the surface. Mulch with a 2- to 6-inch (5- to 15-cm) layer of bark, wood chips, or similar mulch material. Keep mulch 8 to 12 inches (20-30 cm) from the trunk.

Young Trees: The development of a strong limb framework is important to allow sapodilla trees to carry large crops of fruit without limb breakage. If the tree is leggy and lacks lower branches, remove part of the top to induce lateral bud break on the lower trunk. In addition, shoot tip removal (1 to 2 inches) / (2.54cm - 5.08cm) of new shoots of about 3 ft in length, once or twice between spring and summer will force more branching and make the tree more compact. Remove any limbs that have a narrow crotch angle because these may break under heavy fruit loads.

Mature Trees: As trees mature, most of the pruning is done to control tree height and width and to remove damaged or dead wood. Trees should be kept at a maximum of about 12- to 15-ft (3.7- to 4.6-m). If the canopy becomes too dense, removing some inner branches will help in air circulation and light penetration. Another pruning objective is the removal of dead, damaged or diseased branches. Low branches should not be cut however, unless they touch the soil. Cultural practices e.g., picking, spraying, and pruning are easier on small trees.

Source :http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG057