Filipino Farmer Grows Apples in Tropical Philippines
A Filipino farmer from Davao del Sur shared how his apple trees successfully bore fruit despite the Philippine climate.
Growing apple trees in tropical climates can be quite challenging because apples naturally thrive in cooler, temperate regions. One of the biggest hurdles is the need for chilling hours, a period of cold temperatures that triggers the trees to flower and bear fruit.
Since tropical areas don’t experience cold seasons, apple trees may struggle to thrive. High temperatures can also make it difficult for flowers to form and for fruit to grow properly.
Recently, Benzone Kennedy Sepe, a Facebook user, managed to grow apple trees that actually bear fruit, despite the tropical climate in the country. The post garnered various reactions from the online community.
Benzone, an Agriculture Technology graduate, started his apple-growing journey back in 2020. At first, he experimented with a few varieties to see what would work in the hot weather. The Wambugu apple, a type known to thrive in warmer places grew.
Slowly but surely, his orchard began to flourish, with apples sprouting where they were least expected.
For Benzone, apple trees were something he used to think he’d only see abroad. He even dreamed of visiting America to check out apple orchards. But instead of waiting, he brought the dream to life right at home.
Now, all he has to do is step into his backyard or walk to the other side of his property to admire his apple trees.
Eventually, he opened up his orchard to the public. Visitors can buy apples or grafted seedlings so they can try growing their own trees. He’s even growing cherries, which you wouldn’t normally expect in the Philippines.
Here is the full post:
“Noon pangarap ko talagang makapunta ng America para makakita ng Apple trees. Since matagal pa yata ako makapunta dun itinanim ko nalang ang pangarap ko. Ngayon pupunta lang ako sa likod ng bahay lipat sa ibang lote may apple trees na madali pang puntahan. My Wambugu apple with its 2 months old fruits.”
In a similar post, an agriculture student in Davao del Sur successfully plants apple tree
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
