Carambola care in a container

[CGameProgrammer]

Are there any tips/tricks for growing carambola in a container? For example, what container size is best long-term and at what point should the tree be moved up? I have a ~5' tall tree I just bought which is in a 15-gallon container. I assume it would eventually need a larger one...?

[zands]

Are there any tips/tricks for growing carambola in a container? For example, what container size is best long-term and at what point should the tree be moved up? I have a ~5' tall tree I just bought which is in a 15-gallon container. I assume it would eventually need a larger one...?

You can relax  a bit. Carambola don't look tough but they are. Very hard to mess up. They like moisture. If there is room put a 2-3 inch layer wood chip mulch on top
15 gall should be good for a while.  Post a photo for better evaluation by the resident wise guys

[CGameProgrammer]

Thanks for the reply. I hear they're more difficult to care for here in CA; for example the nursery I bought it from (Ong's) said the top branches usually die back every winter, even this one which was much warmer than usual, and this was evident as the main trunk was a foot or two taller than the topmost branch. Also hot and dry winds (which are blowing right now) are said to remove fruit and even leaves if strong enough. I assume this means they wick away moisture and cause the plant to dry out so I misted the leaves this morning to help protect against the wind. I assume misting on a regular basis is good so I plan to add a mister to the drip irrigation system and have it do it at least once a day. Unless anyone knows of a reason to keep the leaves dry...?

Here are pictures. The tree was moving around in the wind so I couldn't take a very clear picture of it. I can try again later.

[gunnar429]

carambola flowers are beautiful!

[Doglips]

With bad parenting I have unsuccessfully attempted to kill one twice.  It is coming back bushier everytime, which I am not going to complain about.
I am amazed it is still alive.

[stuartdaly88]

What minimums can very young seedlings(3 months give or take) take?
Even with pretty constant high humidity and temps absolute lowest being 18C highest 27C leaves keep browsing at edges and dying:(
Can too much artificial light cause this?

Wow I had no idea the blooms were so so beautiful!!

[zands]

Thanks for the reply. I hear they're more difficult to care for here in CA; for example the nursery I bought it from (Ong's) said the top branches usually die back every winter, even this one which was much warmer than usual, and this was evident as the main trunk was a foot or two taller than the topmost branch. Also hot and dry winds (which are blowing right now) are said to remove fruit and even leaves if strong enough. I assume this means they wick away moisture and cause the plant to dry out so I misted the leaves this morning to help protect against the wind. I assume misting on a regular basis is good so I plan to add a mister to the drip irrigation system and have it do it at least once a day. Unless anyone knows of a reason to keep the leaves dry...?

Here are pictures. The tree was moving around in the wind so I couldn't take a very clear picture of it. I can try again later.

You could wet the leaves with a garden hose each morning before you head out. You can water the roots every day. This will give the roots more water to send to the leaves......hopefully. Yes your dry climate is a negative. I would keep carambola by the wall you have there in the photo. This way it does not get beaten down by the sun, with leaves getting dried out all day long. It gets shaded part of the day while the wall will retain heat for the carambola,

You could move the caramabola around. One spot being better for winter and one better for summer
You could throw a shade cloth over it or make a shade screen you could prop up against one side of it

Just throwing out ideas here
Your plant has a thick trunk so you are off to a good start.

[CoPlantNut]

What minimums can very young seedlings(3 months give or take) take?
Even with pretty constant high humidity and temps absolute lowest being 18C highest 27C leaves keep browsing at edges and dying:(
Can too much artificial light cause this?

Too much artificial light usually won't cause browning leaf edges only-- if the leaves were getting too hot from being too close to an HID light, the whole leaf would turn brown.  Too close to LED lights and they would turn white.

Browning leaf edges are probably a sign of too much fertilizer, mechanical damage, or spider mites.  I've never grown a carambola yet that didn't have spider mites...

Are there any tips/tricks for growing carambola in a container? For example, what container size is best long-term and at what point should the tree be moved up? I have a ~5' tall tree I just bought which is in a 15-gallon container. I assume it would eventually need a larger one...?

It all depends on how you're going to treat the tree-- I have a very fruitful 5-year-old carambola in a 5-gallon pot, but I'm also keeping it 4 feet tall and pruning the roots.

I've kept Carambola trees alive outside over the summer here in Colorado despite our desiccating dry winds and lower humidity than California, though only in the most wind-sheltered spots, and they never seem to be as happy and fruitful as if I give them high humidity and no wind.

   Kevin

[CGameProgrammer]

Interesting. Sounds like I can keep it in a 15-gallon pot indefinitely. Can you post photos of your 5-gallon tree?

[CGameProgrammer]

Some of my leaves have been turning yellow and falling off - most are healthy but some are yellow. Here's a picture. I've been misting the leaves a few times a day but is it possible they're still getting dehydrated, or may it be something else?

[nullzero]

Some of my leaves have been turning yellow and falling off - most are healthy but some are yellow. Here's a picture. I've been misting the leaves a few times a day but is it possible they're still getting dehydrated, or may it be something else?

The weather is really brutal atm, from my past experience with a Carambola it did not survive a blast of high temps and single digit humidity. It was a small seedling though, so more sensitive for sure.

[CoPlantNut]

Interesting. Sounds like I can keep it in a 15-gallon pot indefinitely. Can you post photos of your 5-gallon tree?

Aisles in my grow room are 18" wide so it is hard to get far enough away from the plant to take a picture of all of it!

Here's the pot it's in:


Some of the last batch of fruit:


It's perhaps easier to get a good idea of what it looks like by watching the video tour of my plant room-- the carambola features starting at 40 seconds in.
CoPlantNut's Black Dog LED-lit ultra-tropical setup

   Kevin