Is 'Sri Kembangan' carambola self-compatible for pollination?

[CoPlantNut]

I can now say with 100% certainty that 'Sri Kembangan' is at least somewhat self-compatible; I have 2 fruits forming on flowers I hand-pollinated in my basement with no access to any pollinators possibly bearing other carambola pollen.  2 fruits out of thousands of flowers isn't a great success rate though, and I still suspect that it is mostly self-incompatible just as earlier studies with short-styled carambolas have shown.

The real test will come when my 'Kari' carambola flowers; I'll then be able to determine if cross-pollination increases fruit set.

   Kevin

[Hollywood]

My SK is large and has been flowering like crazy for a couple years with no fruit set either. Growing conditionals are optimal and there are no nutritional deficiencies. I planted a Kari next to it a couple months ago and the tiny Kari started setting fruit like crazy, but still nothing from SK. Yesterday I noticed a lot of ants farming aphids on the flowers so I applied a tanglefoot wrap and bees have started visiting again. Hopefully that was the last piece of the puzzle!

[bsbullie]

You need to get rid of the aphids.

[Hollywood]

I know. That won't be a problem once I disable their protectors (the ants). The ladybug armada, among others, will arrive. I've been through this routine before.

[johnb51]

I planted my SK last spring--all by its lonesome--and it's setting a lot of fruit.  The tree is still small so most of the fruit is falling off, but that seems normal.  I'll be more than happy with 6-10 fruit.  There is another carambola tree nearby in the neighborhood.

[bsbullie]

I know. That won't be a problem once I disable their protectors (the ants). The ladybug armada, among others, will arrive. I've been through this routine before.

You actually still have lady bugs in your area?  Hmmm...I thought they were becoming extinct and on the endangered list.  Rarely see a hide nor hare of 'em up here.

[Hollywood]

Ever since I stopped having the ficus hedged sprayed I've had a ton of them. They are especially fond of the acerola tree. They've done a great job of helping keep a good balance in the yard: whenever I have an aphid problem they take care of it as soon as I hold off the ants a bit (via tanglefoot,baby powder, cinnamon, Etc).

The ficus doesn't look any worse than when we sprayed because the white fly seemed to build immunity to the sprays anyway. I am gradually chopping down every other ficus and interplanting with hedges that are less susceptible to white fly infestation.

[Hollywood]

And 4 days after cutting off the ant colony we have...drum roll...wait for it...fruit set on the SK! Only took 3 years.

So, while this was not exactly scientific,  it is strong evidence for the proposition that SK does better with a cross pollinator. Prior to planting the Kari I examined the SK a few times annually during flowering and there were significant no ant/aphid problems, and I still never got a single fruit to set.

[Hollywood]

Further evidence that SK needs a cross-pollinator: the SK continues to flower without aphid/ant problems, but as soon as the Kari stopped flowering 1-2 months ago, the SK stopped setting fruit. It ONLY set fruit in the tiny window of time when the tiny Kari next to it bloomed.

[johnb51]

My SK has about a dozen fruit on it which are ripening now, and it was planted last spring.  The house behind me has a carambola tree in the front yard.  At my last house my Kari carambola tree bore like crazy, and there were none other in the neighborhood to my knowledge. 

[CoPlantNut]

Here's proof that Sri Kembangan is 100% self-compatible at some level- this flowered and fruited in my basement with no access to pollinators and no other variety in bloom; I didn't even hand-pollinate the flower making the small new fruit above:


More fruit starting to turn yellow:




  Kevin

[HMHausman]

I know. That won't be a problem once I disable their protectors (the ants). The ladybug armada, among others, will arrive. I've been through this routine before.

You actually still have lady bugs in your area?  Hmmm...I thought they were becoming extinct and on the endangered list.  Rarely see a hide nor hare of 'em up here.

Lady bugs are one group of critters that I also have plenty of.  You probably don't see them up there because of the extensive use of pesticides.

Here's proof that Sri Kembangan is 100% self-compatible at some level- this flowered and fruited in my basement with no access to pollinators and no other variety in bloom; I didn't even hand-pollinate the flower making the small new fruit above:


More fruit starting to turn yellow:




  Kevin

Good post.  I always thought this was the case, but had no empirical evidence to state my opinion more matter of "factly."  Of course, cross pollination in carambola, like in most plants/trees is likely to substantially increase yield.  Not sure what was going on with Katie's SK carambola. Perhaps there is another explanation for her tree's lack of fruit set without the Kari cross pollination.

[Guanabanus]

Thank you, Kevin.