I’ve struggle a little getting this tree to set a big harvest. It’s flowered consistently since it was purchased in 2017, but setting fruit has been somewhat problematic. A few seasons ago it produced hundreds of flowers and started to produce fruit, but most dropped once they were the size of a pea. When I shot this video I had just transplanted it to a larger pot while it was in bloom so it only set about 10 or so. In subsequent years the largest fruit set has been about 25 or so. It’s now in a much larger container so hopefully future fruits sets will be bigger. I post updates on my backyard orchard tours and I’ll be sure to include it, if and when it fruits again. Thanks for visiting.
There are a few reasons, but mainly it allows air flow to the root flare (top of the root ball). When planting trees it’s important to keep the root flare slightly exposed in order to promote healthy growth. It’s particularly important for container grown trees to help minimize possibility of a root girdling the trunk. I use pumice to keep the woodchips away from the exposed flare so that as the woodchips breakdown there are no issues with disease due to excess moisture at the base of the trunk. I hope this helps and thank you for watching.
I’ve had the same issue every year with this tree. A good portion of the leaves will turn yellow and fall off. I’ve read that this tree is susceptible to chlorosis. It can easily be fixed by giving it a foliar or ground application of chelated iron. I’ve been applying it every time I see the leaves turning yellow and the tree bounces back quickly. Hope this helps.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I hope you find one. They are fairly easy to grow, a little finicky during the winter months, but otherwise easy to care for. Thanks for watching!
I purchased the tree from an online nursery called fastgrowingtrees.com. They don’t list the variety. I’ve tried to identify it thru various websites. The closest I’ve found was a variety listed on Growables.org. They have a variety listed as Sri Kembangan. Based off the size, shape and flavor that is the closest I’ve been able to find.
@@Zone10aBackyardOrchard I have a Kembangan as well. The leaves fold and droop down ward. It just started flowering in my small container, but I don't expect it to fruit yet as it's still a small plant. I'm going to transfer it into the ground soon.
I purchased this tree from an online nursery (fastgrowingtrees.com). The tree is listed as Starfruit ‘Carambola’ Tree; Botanical Name of Averrhoa Carambola. I would encourage you to first try and find this tree at a local nursery. When I received this tree it was not in the best condition. I’ve had the best success rate with trees purchased from local nurseries. Online purchases, on the other hand, have not been that great. You mentioned you are in Southern California, try Exotica Rare Fruit Nursery in Vista, CA. I did not know about them when I purchased my tree 3 yrs ago. They have a great selection and might have one of these.
I bought a star fruit tree a few months ago, don't know how old it is but the trunk is about 1.5 inch wide, looks like a mature tree. It is now flowering a lot, but the flowers are dropping don't bear any fruit. Do you know what reason? And how to fix it?
Without seeing the tree it would be very difficult to identify the problem. Hopefully, it has either been transplanted to the ground or you upsized the nursery pot. As you can see in the video, mine is in a container. Last season it put out an abundant amount of flowers. I would say it dropped about 80 to 90 percent of the flowers. Even after losing that many it started to develop hundreds of fruit, but they too fell off and only about 25 reached maturity. These trees are fast growing and need plenty of room for root development. Is your tree in a pot??? It’s normal for most fruit trees to drop flowers, but if it’s excessive and the tree is otherwise doing well, it may be root constriction if it is being container grown. I wish I could be of more help, but without seeing the tree firsthand and a little more info it would be difficult to say for sure what is going on. P.S. my tree is also putting on a lot of flowers. I’ll be uploading a video on it soon.
@@Zone10aBackyardOrchard Thank you. Mine purchased from Exortica and still in the org. container 20 galons. I'll show you the picture. How much water should I give this time of year? I don't know if I give too much or not enough? Where are you in SD? I am in Escondido/RB area. It's good to know the local people so we can exchange ideas, experience. I like star fruit trees a lot. If you don't mine?
Exotica Nursery is a good place to get your trees. That is a fairly large container, but I would still upsize (who knows how long its been in that container). With all the heat we’ve been getting lately, I’ve been watering mine about 3 times a week. Best thing to do is test the soil before watering. Stick your finger in the soil about a couple of inches. If it comes out dry and no soil sticks to your finger, its time to water. If you do this each time you water, eventually you will get a better idea of when to water just by looking at the tree. I’m in Carlsbad and yes it is a great idea to exchange info from other gardeners.
The starfruit tree was purchased about 5 years ago from an online nursery (fast-growing-trees.com). Not exactly sure on the price. I believe somewhere around $80.
Sorry, but not possible during this pandemic. The best method to exchange information would be to continue using this youtube platform. I check for comments on a regular basis and would be happy to assist you as best I can.
