Author Topic: Salak  (Read 10556 times)

Bass

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 34
    • Pennsylvania zone 6
    • View Profile
Salak
« on: December 02, 2012, 07:35:48 AM »
Has anyone tried growing Salak? It's native to Indonesia. I am trying them from seeds, but my understanding female and male flowers are born on separate trees. The tree is actually a palm. 

red durian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 679
    • Malaysia, Sabah, Tawau
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2012, 08:49:27 AM »
There is a type of salak known as Bali salak that produces male and female flowers on the same plant and can pollinate itself... or so I have read.  I have always thought that salak is a good candidate for an indoor plant, since it is a shade lover.  It is terribly spiny, though.  Good luck and keep us informed of your progress.


murahilin

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3285
    • USA Greenacres, Florida Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2012, 09:36:30 AM »
I've seen a few salak trees being grown outdoors here in South Florida. I am not sure what species of salak they were but they seemed to handle the cold okay.

bangkok

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2823
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2012, 09:40:30 AM »
I found this thread about them:
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=1113.msg20527#msg20527

I have seen and eaten them in Thailand but i guess i was not impressed because i totally forgot about them. They look scary to me.

But Shade Lovers is a great new thread that i will make now.

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2012, 10:18:53 AM »
why do we need to keep making new threads about the same thing???????
- Rob

Gouralata

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 234
  • fruit trees for warm and wet tropical climate
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2012, 10:33:17 AM »




The two types of Salacca Zalacca inflorescences

Jackfruitwhisperer69

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2411
  • Zone 11b
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2012, 11:14:28 AM »
I'm growing the Sala sumalee var...gorgeous looking palm, still small but them thorns are quite hard. I ain't complaining i luv thorny plants ;D

ps. the plant which i started a thread with, perished due to rot :'(
Time is like a river.
You cannot touch the same water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again.
Enjoy every moment of your life!

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Salak
« Reply #7 on: December 02, 2012, 01:52:19 PM »
Yes Bali salak (S. zallaca) is self pollinating. All others you need to have both male and female plants to get fruits. Most of the Thai salak (S. wallichiana) sold in fruit stalls are quite terrible tasting, but there are improved varieties around, like the Sumalee that Steven mentioned. The Bali salak is an excellent fruit, very tasty and habit forming...hard to stop eating once you start.  Would not make a good house plant, unless you enjoy sitting on porcupines!  ;D Extremely thorny, sharp, and very painful when it nicks you. I think they have some type of toxin in the needle tips, so it's not just because of the puncture that it hurts.
Oscar

tabbydan

  • Washington DC area
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 452
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2012, 10:25:19 AM »
Has anyone tried growing Salak? It's native to Indonesia. I am trying them from seeds, but my understanding female and male flowers are born on separate trees. The tree is actually a palm.

I think you should say "the tree is actually a pain" as it has sharp thorns and isn't the easiest plant to keep happy.  :(

I always have trouble keeping them alive during the winter... they don't like low humidity so if I bring them in the house they often have problems with the dry air.  Bagging them might work but also invites mold.  Good luck.
What's that got to do with Jose Andres $10 brussel sprouts?

HMHausman

  • Mod Emeritus
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3366
    • USA, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, Zone 10B
    • View Profile
    • Pines Ticket Defense, LLC
Re: Salak
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2012, 07:47:38 PM »
Very interesting tree/fruit from a horticultural stand point.  All the fruits I have tried have astringency that makes the eating of them  less than appealing. Would love to find some improved varieties to try.
Harry
Fort Lauderdale, FL 
USA

tabbydan

  • Washington DC area
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 452
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #10 on: December 05, 2012, 09:37:49 PM »
Salak is bad early and bad late... I think most of the time when people say they taste terrible it is because they had one that was not in good shape.  Of course, personal preferences could also mean someone just doesn't like them....

I've eaten salak on several occasions and on a number of those times the salaks I was sold/given were over the hill.  A sure sign of a decaying salak is a bad odor.  Ripe salak, unpeeled, doessn't seem to give off any smell to me.  When they get overripe they start giving off (at first) a very slight unpleasant smell.
What's that got to do with Jose Andres $10 brussel sprouts?

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #11 on: December 05, 2012, 09:57:35 PM »
I am sure people are sick of me talking about salaks and at the risk of threepeating myself I might have my say.There are good ones and only 2 species are worthwhile.Of the many Zallaca salacca varieties those monos in the subspecies amboina (Bali,ambon,bit of java) are the best.Gula pasir of the highlands is the cream of the crop and way better than the darker lowland Z.s.amboini.All the rest of Zalacca salacca salacca are di's and yogyyartas or pondohs are preety good and honey from thailand and malaysia reputedly is good.Salacca wallichiana is great if you get improved types up the the sala stage of development,Sumalee and noen wong are the best with smaller leaves with less prickles.

I am delighted to report that besides my 2 year old noen wong,moh and sane salas and lowland bali has some company.I have sala sumulaees ready to be planted out and have finally secured a seed which is now sprouting of Bali gula pasir.I reckon I have the 3 top varieties and maybe the 6 top salaks now.They taste good but in thailand sala moh dominates in markets and it occupies the disneyland between good and bad,just as the liowland balis (pineapple core) do and pondoh does.

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #12 on: December 05, 2012, 10:39:27 PM »
I should add if you ever see the species Salacca edulis it is code for 'what the hell is this Salacca but it is edible'.No such species exists so far as I can see.To Three peat myself again the 3 best which are Salacca wallichina -sala var noen wong and sumalee and Salacca zalacca amboina var. gula pasir are also the most cold tolerant types with the thai ones also being quite drought tolerant.Below I has Zallaca the species swapped with Salacca the genus.

red durian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 679
    • Malaysia, Sabah, Tawau
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #13 on: December 06, 2012, 12:44:13 AM »
I am sure people are sick of me talking about salaks and at the risk of threepeating myself I might have my say.There are good ones and only 2 species are worthwhile.Of the many Zallaca salacca varieties those monos in the subspecies amboina (Bali,ambon,bit of java) are the best.Gula pasir of the highlands is the cream of the crop and way better than the darker lowland Z.s.amboini.All the rest of Zalacca salacca salacca are di's and yogyyartas or pondohs are preety good and honey from thailand and malaysia reputedly is good.Salacca wallichiana is great if you get improved types up the the sala stage of development,Sumalee and noen wong are the best with smaller leaves with less prickles.

I am delighted to report that besides my 2 year old noen wong,moh and sane salas and lowland bali has some company.I have sala sumulaees ready to be planted out and have finally secured a seed which is now sprouting of Bali gula pasir.I reckon I have the 3 top varieties and maybe the 6 top salaks now.They taste good but in thailand sala moh dominates in markets and it occupies the disneyland between good and bad,just as the liowland balis (pineapple core) do and pondoh does.

While I am still trying to get my information straight, you have the information and the plants.  My envy is huge.

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2012, 01:45:06 AM »
Sorry for my bad typing in  previous posts making it more confusing.My point is that there is more confusion in this group that any other I know.I think this confusion has caused their rejection in many places when the are a great fruit group reated to the rattans or calamus.I briefly 4 peat myself and retire from salak talk before I seem too much like gum that has been chewed unti it loses al flavor.
Only grow good named varieties, I reckon and only from 2 species.There are over 20 species with 20 varieties or lines within each of these 2 and many have tastes that aren't so good.If I scored the quality of the fruit out of 10 and improvised for the ones I have not tried but discussed it with others this is how I would score the top types.

10 Salacca wallichiana var. sala sumalee,Salacca zalacca amboina var.gula pasi
9 Salacca walichiana var. sala noen wong
8 Salacca wallchiana var.sala moh,Salacca zalacca amboina lowland varieties
7 Salacca wallichiana var sala sane,Salacca zalacca zalacca var pondoh,Salacca zalacca zalacca var honey   

red durian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 679
    • Malaysia, Sabah, Tawau
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2012, 02:25:12 AM »
Sorry for my bad typing in  previous posts making it more confusing.My point is that there is more confusion in this group that any other I know.I think this confusion has caused their rejection in many places when the are a great fruit group reated to the rattans or calamus.I briefly 4 peat myself and retire from salak talk before I seem too much like gum that has been chewed unti it loses al flavor.
Only grow good named varieties, I reckon and only from 2 species.There are over 20 species with 20 varieties or lines within each of these 2 and many have tastes that aren't so good.If I scored the quality of the fruit out of 10 and improvised for the ones I have not tried but discussed it with others this is how I would score the top types.

10 Salacca wallichiana var. sala sumalee,Salacca zalacca amboina var.gula pasi
9 Salacca walichiana var. sala noen wong
8 Salacca wallchiana var.sala moh,Salacca zalacca amboina lowland varieties
7 Salacca wallichiana var sala sane,Salacca zalacca zalacca var pondoh,Salacca zalacca zalacca var honey
Gula pasir, right? Means "white sugar".  That probably wouldn't make it more marketable in Australia.
I can't wait to try these 8, 9 and 10 salaks.  I would have said that a regular Malaysian salak (S.zalacca) is a 5 and Salak Pondoh is a 10.
I tried some kind of S. wallichiana in Oman (imported from Thailand) and was surprised to find it was a little better than the S. zalacca, maybe a 7.

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #16 on: December 06, 2012, 03:00:38 AM »
Red you probably had thai sala moh but picked a bit early so could have has a slight cough medicine aftertaste or was too old with darker marks through the yellow fesh.Yes gula pasir means white sugar even though the texture is crunchy, but the flesh is pale.There are 4 pondoh lines with some better.The top Malaysian Salacca zalacca zalaccas are not known to rival pondoh but var.honey is in nth malaysia and sthn thailand and has a good reputation.The ones to avoid in thailand are rakum/ragum and sakum.S.affinis,magnifica and all the rest are closer to bilimbi than pineapple.

red durian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 679
    • Malaysia, Sabah, Tawau
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #17 on: December 06, 2012, 07:00:33 PM »
a salak vendor in my wife's village in East Java


red durian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 679
    • Malaysia, Sabah, Tawau
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2012, 09:53:23 PM »
I recently read that in Java they don't grow salak above 500m,  partly because the quality of the fruit is not as good.  That is about 8 degrees from the equator.  I wonder if your 7/10 for Salak Pondoh was for one grown in the lower elevations closer to the equator.  It would make sense if it wasn't as good at 17 degrees from the equator.  I will try Salak Pondoh in Belize, but I think I will do better with Thai Salaks.

Bass

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 34
    • Pennsylvania zone 6
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2012, 10:03:12 PM »
I got the Salak pondoh and gula pasir.. However I got the seeds and I doubt they will be exactly like the parent. I am guessing it will be at least 4 years before they fruit. I got them from East Java. 

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #20 on: December 07, 2012, 10:05:34 PM »
RD no I mean lowland pondohs from their natural range around Yogyarta.They are probably the best of Salacca zalacca subs zalacca with only a few balis and the best thais being better.There are dozens of named varieties and lines cultivated in Malaysia and especially Indonesia that are likely to be way lower than 7.I know a lady who visits her family in east java regularly and she claims they grow a pondoh strain that is way better than most as a fence around their whole property.

red durian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 679
    • Malaysia, Sabah, Tawau
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #21 on: December 08, 2012, 05:29:53 AM »
RD no I mean lowland pondohs from their natural range around Yogyarta.They are probably the best of Salacca zalacca subs zalacca with only a few balis and the best thais being better.There are dozens of named varieties and lines cultivated in Malaysia and especially Indonesia that are likely to be way lower than 7.I know a lady who visits her family in east java regularly and she claims they grow a pondoh strain that is way better than most as a fence around their whole property.

That is great news.  It means even better salaks somewhere waiting for me to eat them.

Capt Ram

  • 33461
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 232
    • Lake Worth, Fl
    • View Profile
    • Sailing-charters.org
Re: Salak
« Reply #22 on: March 10, 2018, 05:18:02 AM »
I have a friend  who bought some fruit I beleave in Malaysia that he was absolutely crazy about, saying it was the best thing he ever had....so he saved the seeds and sent them to me wrapped in a lot of wet paper towels and then in a baggie..I opened it up and all 7 seeds have sprouted...how lon before it fruits here in W.Palm Beach Fl.

Www.sailing-charters.org

KarenRei

  • Arctic Member
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1806
    • Reykjavík, Iceland
    • View Profile
Re: Salak
« Reply #23 on: March 10, 2018, 05:34:48 AM »
Lots of species of salak (nearly 2 dozen?), and a huge amount of variation within species (taste, texture, pollination, etc).  But 3-4 years would be a good guess in good conditions.

Try to cultivate all 7 to maturity, and plant a bit denser than you'd prefer in the end.  Only the Bali variants of S. zalacca are monoecious.  Otherwise you'll need at least one male (you can remove excess males at that point; if you need to remove more plants, you can thin females by productivity or quality)

Beware the thorns; these plants have an impressive armament  :)

Oh, and you've probably noticed that they sprout in a rather odd manner, pushing a plug out of one end, which then branches off.  I'll warn you that they also grow in a rather odd manner aboveground too; new leaves look like dead sticks.  Don't worry, they'll open up eventually.  You get used to it, but the first time I was really concerned that I had killed my plants when all I had in the pot was a "stick" sticking out of the soil.

« Last Edit: March 10, 2018, 05:39:37 AM by KarenRei »
Já, ég er að rækta suðrænar plöntur á Íslandi. Nei, ég er ekki klikkuð. Jæja, kannski...

Capt Ram

  • 33461
  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 232
    • Lake Worth, Fl
    • View Profile
    • Sailing-charters.org
Re: Salak
« Reply #24 on: March 10, 2018, 10:29:24 AM »
Thanks-- how big do they get ?? how close can I plant them-- I dont have a lot of room left
Www.sailing-charters.org