Young Carambola Trees

[DRFixembones]

About six weeks ago I planted a young carambola tree in my backyard. I believe it was a 7 gallon container. The last couple weeks it has been growing profusely. There were even some baby flowers on it. It's growing taller by the day and growing new leaves all the time but the trunk is very very thin. Should I Prune the tree? Is there anything that needs to be done to get it to Grow thicker? The tree is being held up by a bamboo stick and if I remove it it will flop to the ground.

[Jsvand5]

Carambolas are really prone to snapping. If it will not hold itself up with no fruit even being on it than it will definitely snap when loaded with fruit. If it were mine I would prune it way back to just a foot or two above the graft.

[bsbullie]

About six weeks ago I planted a young carambola tree in my backyard. I believe it was a 7 gallon container. The last couple weeks it has been growing profusely. There were even some baby flowers on it. It's growing taller by the day and growing new leaves all the time but the trunk is very very thin. Should I Prune the tree? Is there anything that needs to be done to get it to Grow thicker? The tree is being held up by a bamboo stick and if I remove it it will flop to the ground.

Zach - please post a picture or two so we can better assist.

[WhitH]

When I planted my 3-gallon carambola, I removed the tiny bamboo stake and staked it to a furring strip (long thin strip of wood, about 2 inches wide and about 8 feet tall) which I hammered deep into the ground next to it. I tied the young tree to it using grafting tape in several places, and have continued tying it higher as it has grown up the stake. The trunk it a lot thicker now and closer to being able to stand up on its own without problem. I think the key is to support the main trunk. It's a fast growing plant if given adequate water. One it has plenty of leaves, it won't be long until the trunk thickens up. That's been my experience anyway.

[bsbullie]

When I planted my 3-gallon carambola, I removed the tiny bamboo stake and staked it to a furring strip (long thin strip of wood, about 2 inches wide and about 8 feet tall) which I hammered deep into the ground next to it. I tied the young tree to it using grafting tape in several places, and have continued tying it higher as it has grown up the stake. The trunk it a lot thicker now and closer to being able to stand up on its own without problem. I think the key is to support the main trunk. It's a fast growing plant if given adequate water. One it has plenty of leaves, it won't be long until the trunk thickens up. That's been my experience anyway.

That will most likely just casue a tall, somewhat top heavt and possibly spindly tree.  As mentioned, they should most likely be pruned to promote branching whch in turn will build a thicker and stronger struck and an overall healthier, better looking and more manageable tree.

[DRFixembones]

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Young carambola tree get out of my mind, my love for you is way out of line!

I have a fwang tung, got from zill...no photo posted yet...I'm waiting for bloomz.

[JoeP450]

Judging from the picture, your tree is very healthy, and in fact very spindly. Carambolas respond well to heavy pruning and yours definitely needs to be pruned. As you said earlier it has flowers on some branches, you are going to have to go without fruit untill the branches are strong enough to support the fruit.

Nice baby, but it's time for its first haircut. : )

-JoeP450

[bsbullie]

It looks like it is planted between the shed and fence, how much sun does it get per day versus how much time does it spend being shaded ?

[DRFixembones]

It gets a TON of Sun, the picture doesnt show everything, it looks closer than it actually is. easily 8 hours of sun per day..

i cant find any advice on HOW TO prune this tree....should i cut off leaves? branches? trim the top??

[FlyingFoxFruits]

Don't be shy when pruning...its all up to you!

this tree will need to be kept in check just about every other year or so...depending on location.

In Central FL, they get rather large, quite fast.  They make so much fruit no one eats them all.  Raccoons don't even seem to eat them...seems like only flies, ants, and people.

When I prune mine for the first few years, I just pinch tips, and encourage branching.  Flowers can pop right out of old wood, so don't be worried that you'll be cutting off fruits!  With only removing portions of branch tips, you won't be able to put a dent in fruit production!

As the tree gets taller, you may want to train the tree so the tallest branches are pulled horizontally....or cut off altogether after reaching a height of over 10 or so, feet.

[natsgarden123]

Carambolas grow like weeds-I wouldn't do anything-you will have enough fruit to feed yourself, your family, your cousins and most of the neighborhood. . I haven't planted one at my new house here because of this- my neighbor has one and one is enough per community. This is my experience in Palm Beach County over the last 17 years but I'm not an expert, with multiple variety experience,  like others on here. 

[bsbullie]

Don't be shy when pruning...its all up to you!

this tree will need to be kept in check just about every other year or so...depending on location.

In Central FL, they get rather large, quite fast.  They make so much fruit no one eats them all.  Raccoons don't even seem to eat them...seems like only flies, ants, and people.

When I prune mine for the first few years, I just pinch tips, and encourage branching.  Flowers can pop right out of old wood, so don't be worried that you'll be cutting off fruits!  With only removing portions of branch tips, you won't be able to put a dent in fruit production!

As the tree gets taller, you may want to train the tree so the tallest branches are pulled horizontally....or cut off altogether after reaching a height of over 10 or so, feet.

I will echo and agree with Adam here.  Chop that baby back to about 3 feet or so (at least that is my guess based on how tall it appears in your pics) and follow the instructions above.  Manageable and wide is far better than fruit hanging from way up high.

[Mike T]

They enjoy a good prune and it makes a small area more productive.

[WhitH]

When I planted my 3-gallon carambola, I removed the tiny bamboo stake and staked it to a furring strip (long thin strip of wood, about 2 inches wide and about 8 feet tall) which I hammered deep into the ground next to it. I tied the young tree to it using grafting tape in several places, and have continued tying it higher as it has grown up the stake. The trunk it a lot thicker now and closer to being able to stand up on its own without problem. I think the key is to support the main trunk. It's a fast growing plant if given adequate water. One it has plenty of leaves, it won't be long until the trunk thickens up. That's been my experience anyway.

That will most likely just casue a tall, somewhat top heavt and possibly spindly tree.  As mentioned, they should most likely be pruned to promote branching whch in turn will build a thicker and stronger struck and an overall healthier, better looking and more manageable tree.

I agree that the tree will need pruning. However, by staking the tree and not pruning too heavily, the "extra" leaf mass will allowing the trunk to thicken in a shorter period of time. I've seen very strong and well managed single-trunked carambola trees in Panama and Costa Rica, where I lived for 9 months. They don't have to be a "bush" that branches horizontally at three feet.

[bsbullie]

When I planted my 3-gallon carambola, I removed the tiny bamboo stake and staked it to a furring strip (long thin strip of wood, about 2 inches wide and about 8 feet tall) which I hammered deep into the ground next to it. I tied the young tree to it using grafting tape in several places, and have continued tying it higher as it has grown up the stake. The trunk it a lot thicker now and closer to being able to stand up on its own without problem. I think the key is to support the main trunk. It's a fast growing plant if given adequate water. One it has plenty of leaves, it won't be long until the trunk thickens up. That's been my experience anyway.

That will most likely just casue a tall, somewhat top heavt and possibly spindly tree.  As mentioned, they should most likely be pruned to promote branching whch in turn will build a thicker and stronger struck and an overall healthier, better looking and more manageable tree.

I agree that the tree will need pruning. However, by staking the tree and not pruning too heavily, the "extra" leaf mass will allowing the trunk to thicken in a shorter period of time. I've seen very strong and well managed single-trunked carambola trees in Panama and Costa Rica, where I lived for 9 months. They don't have to be a "bush" that branches horizontally at three feet.

Nobody ever said you can't grow a single trimmed tree (there are many here in Florida) however Zach is not growing this as a shade tree where the fruit is twenty plus feet up.  For backyard fruit production, with limited space, pruning the trees for a stout tree that is as wide as tall is optimal for fruit production and harvest.

[WhitH]

I guess aesthetics are more important to some than to others. Because of the nature of the foliage, I don't really want the trunk of my Carambola to stop at three feet. However I like my mango trees to be short trunked.
 
By the way, I would never want a 20 foot tree in my yard - more like 10 feet tops.