Starfruit is finally getting big

I hope they will be ripe in the next three weeks.

This is the second crop. The first one was destroyed by my cats because they would climb the tree and swat them down. Very frustrating.

When they do ripen, you have to post your opinion on whether the fruit is worth having to lug the tree indoors. I found an interesting article on star fruit and patients with renal problems:
http://ndt.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/18/1/120
Maybe the cats knew what they were doing.

jujube,

How old is your plant and how large a container do you have it in? I have five cats, and I bet they would be a problem, too.

bettydee,

I love starfruit. They sure would be worth it to me to lug inside. However, I did read on some nursery sites that there are different varieties and that all of them are not necessarily the best one get for eating.

Karen

It is in a 25 gallon container and I have had it for one year. It was about 2 feet shorter when I purchased it at Home Depot. The variety is unknown. I have tasted some of the larger unripe fruit that the cats killed. Some were sour but some were already sweet. Kinda like a bland orange but crispier. I will send pics when they are ripe and give a honest review of the taste.

They are supposed to give two crops a year. It should take about 90 days to fully ripen so I should be just a few weeks off. I believe it flowers in late spring and late autumn. It is a little upset about not getting enough sun in that room so I cant wait to get it back outside. It has done okay in 28 degree weather but I am not going to push it further than that.

jujube,

Two feet in a year is great progress. It must be very happy in its big pot. Given the chance those other fruit would have gotten sweeter. Do let us know how you like the taste.


Karen

Just saw your thread.

I started a thread last year, and got some pretty good response.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/786720/

We are still picking fruit -- it is planted outdoors, and is a welcome respite from citrus.

It has a delicious taste, and more so if you allow it to fully ripen on the tree.

Mine blossoms in the late fall, and has fruit all winter long. Some small, some gigantic.

Good luck with yours

: )

I am very happy with my little tree. Boy that was a long thread.

Going to have to get me one of these too..I cut and pasted those recipes.

I think it should do fine down here outside if it makes it outside in 8b FLA
Debbie

I have a star fruit about 2’ tall in my greenhouse that I started over a year ago. I can’t figure out why it periodically looses most of its leaves and rebounds healthier than ever. Is this normal for star fruit?

They are mainly deciduous -- and look pretty raunchy here most of the winter months.

Be well

: )

I havent experienced leaf loss yet. Although, it has far fewer leaves than when it was in full sun. I cant wait to move it back out in March.

Yes, some of the branches are already bare. Maybe it's not exactly deciduous, but it does get blanched out.

This is what it looks like right now from my second floor deck. (It's too cold to go down and photograph it at ground level.)

Be well

: )

I've been considering getting one of these. I just don't want a large tree. I haven't read the link yet but I will. Do they do well in pots?

I have read that they make good container trees and havent seen anything to the contrary. Mine seems to like it's container but it did upgrade from a 10 gallon when I bought it to a 25 gallon now.

This is a very good article on Star Fruit and helps me understand why some people describe the fruit as either very good or bland. There are many more verities than I expected with several described as poor quality.
After some research I have come to the conclusion that my leaf drop was probably due to lack of water. They don’t respond well to drought.
Anyway this is a very informative article. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG269

Anyone know any good sources for these?
Debbie

I second that question! lol I want the really tasty ones

Darla

Please don't say HD or Lowe's, down here "in the city", they don't stock too many decent fruit--market for it not here.
=)

I purchased my carambola tree from a popular nursery in Homestead, Fl and the fruit taste real sweet when bright yellow and little brown spots. I just ate one right off the tree yesterday but that was the only one for now. The cold snap put it into a shock stage.

I'll put it on my list for specialty nursery shopping.
Debbie
=)

Why yes, I did purchase it from Home Depot. However, there are tons of places to buy them on the internet. They just had a tropical seminar down by Houston with starfruit. You can try Jenes Tropicals. I have ordered from them in the past and they have spectacular trees but the shipping is really high. However, the shipping and packaging are top notch. Expect to pay 50% shipping costs. Really. On the bright side, they offer tons of hard to find fruit.

True! The best usually comes from private nurseries but shipping costs never bother me as the quality plus getting the exact species I want plus the length of time the tree grows (100 years or so) more than compensates for shipping costs. I wish more people would think about it that way because it is true and also helps to keep a person employed.

Tplant
I tasted my first star fruit about three weeks ago and it was just as you described yellow with brown spots. The little paste on tag stated that it was grown in Florida and the darn thing cost me $3 for one fruit. I must say that I was not impressed with the taste since it was rather bland but what a wonderful after taste. I can only assume that this fruit is like the peaches and apples that are picked before they full ripen. It would be hard to believe that a commercial grow would grow poor quality varieties.

This is what the one I bought from Crowley's looked like when I planterd it.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4156244

It is a delicious variety.

: )

Quote form the University of Florida “Fruit are sweetest when allowed to ripen on the tree. It takes about 60 to 75 days from fruit set to maturity depending upon variety, cultural practices, and weather.”
What are the indicators of ripe fruit and do all of the fruit ripen at the same time?

The fruit should be deep yellow, with patches of brown.

Eat well

: )

oldude -- It is really delicious but only when ripened on the tree. Occasionally you can get lucky and buy a good one at the store. I think you can grow them in your zone but not sure?
Mine is now semi-dormant and the best time to fertilize it. I'll be using 9 mos. Dynamite this time. Hope she likes it?

OH BOY! I picked my first ripe starfruit today and it was very good. The ends were still astringent but all the slices from the middle were rich with deep flavor. I purchased some from Whole Foods and they werent close to the taste off of my tree. I am very happy. I have 12 more to go and hopefully my new crop will start in March. My black surinam cherries are starting to flower and my goji berries are leafing out like crazy. I have been eating the goji leafs since last year as they are supposed to be a delicacy in Japan but other people said they might be poisonous. No ill effect so far.

Is the fruit worth having to cart the tree in and out of doors?

I put it on a dolly and it takes about 100 seconds. That really isnt an issue for me. The real issue is keeping the cats off it during the winter. I like the tree and should get two crops out of it a year so I would say yes. Plus, it makes my neighbors jealous. Isnt that really what it is all about?