Carambola-Star Fruit Purchase

[Hobo62288]

First I want to say I'm not knocking on this seller I just want the opinion of the forum.  Seems to happen fairly enough, at least to me lol.  Here is the picture and the description states this is the average shipping size and your plants should be close to this.




When I get home tonight I'll upload the pictures of the trees I received today.  Again I'm not trying to talk bad about the seller.  Until then how big you guys think the trees in that pic are?  What would you expect to receive?  I didn't get ripped off by any means.  Just expected something different.

[bsbullie]

Those look like citrus starter pots. ..i would say the plants in the picture are about 3 feet give or take.

[Hobo62288]

Ya I guess knowing that would have helped me a little but being the newbie I am, I didn't.  Idk if they are quite 3 feet.  The girth of the trunk is smaller than a pencil, I do know that.

[bsbullie]

Are they grafted?  Carambola grow pretty fast.  If the roots are filled out in those pots, pot them up in a 7 gallon and let em grow.  The trunks will thicken up before you know it.

[CGameProgrammer]

Those pots are starter pots used for brand new seedlings. The trees in the picture look about 2' tall to me. The camera placed at ground level might make them look larger but it also makes it easier to photograph them clearly.

[greenman62]

this is my starfruit from PIN right after i got it. 3gal ($30)
about 4 ft plus a few inches, but all the growth is at the top.
i was pretty happy with it.

i put it in the ground this past  spring, and it started off slow,
but, its growing like gangbusters now.

last summer


last fall



last month

[Hobo62288]

Did you have it shipped?  They don't give any shipping prices so I'm just curious what it cost if you did.

[bsbullie]

Did you have it shipped?  They don't give any shipping prices so I'm just curious what it cost if you did.

It is very important to find out t h e variety thst anyone is selling.  Some do not have great flavor and some are low producres which in your case, could be as much as an ornamental tree.

[gnappi]

I have three starfruit. A Bell, Kajang, and Kari. They have been fruiting for several years now, sometimes two crops. I've found that they definitely are better some years / seasons than others. My first year the Kajang was superior, the next the Kari, this year it's the Bell.

Ultimately one is going to get the chop as I don't need three carambola trees, I wanted to pick the best... so far I STILL don't know which to cut down :-)

[Tropicaliste]

Well, kind of seems like mine. Mine was from ebay, and the plant came, about 4 ft. and the canopy was pretty long, it grows fast, even though the trunk is about the size of a highlighter.

[greenman62]

I have three starfruit. A Bell, Kajang, and Kari. They have been fruiting for several years now, sometimes two crops. I've found that they definitely are better some years / seasons than others. My first year the Kajang was superior, the next the Kari, this year it's the Bell.

Ultimately one is going to get the chop as I don't need three carambola trees, I wanted to pick the best... so far I STILL don't know which to cut down :-)

let me (or all of us) know when you find out.
Mine is a Kari. i had 2 fruit last fall, with the tree being so small at that point, and also my very limited experience with the fruit
i cant comment on taste, but, am very interested in knowing which ones are best.
I really want to graft a couple of other varieties onto it when it gets bigger (or now?)
Not just for taste, but, mainly to get fruit at different times of the year.

gnappi
i would be interested in getting some scions if they are large enough,
and you can part with some Bell and/or Kajang wood ?
happy to pay shipping.
especially Kajang, i just read some of your old posts
TT says Kajang is sweetest as well.


TT says to protect the others from frost,
but not the Kajang ? is there a difference in hardy-ness ?
https://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/averrhoa_carambola.htm

[TropicalFruitHunters]

gnappi...graft two of the varieties onto the other variety and then get rid of the two.