Can you grow Marang in Florida?

[Alleycat]

Hi, I was wondering if you can grow Marang in Florida and where can you buy the tree?

[Finca La Isla]

I’m wondering that too.
We have marang, champedek, pedalai, producing right now at our farm in CR.
Really great fruit!
Peter

[cmichael258]

I'm trying. I have 2 small ones...1 from Costa Rica and the other from Borneo (both seedlings).
They have survived 2 Winters with no damage albeit we haven't had any real low temps.

[murahilin]

Hi, I was wondering if you can grow Marang in Florida and where can you buy the tree?

I think it is possible. I've seen a few over 10ft+ tall survive outdoors for a few winters. They may still be alive right now but I haven't checked in a few years.

Also, a friend in Miami sent me a pic of his pedalai flowering outdoors this year so I think it's probably possible with marang as well.

I'm not sure who is selling the trees but you can probably check Excalibur or just order some seeds online. Puerto Rico may have some nurseries that ship who grow the trees.

[Mike T]

People seem to prefer the Philipine marangs here to the Boreo ones and they do seem sweeter quite often. I wonder if they have extra cold tolerance that would make them a better option in Florida. Sour marangs used in cooking in Vietnam may also be an option that has a difference in cold tolerance.

[canito 17]

Hi
You can try with earthdude. I dislike artocarpus. On the other hand I like maprang. Mine from David Frenz take 10 years to bear fruit  (grafted ).And my 3 grafted lanson 12 years. From Milton Perez  (Jardines eneida )

[ben mango]

People seem to prefer the Philipine marangs here to the Boreo ones and they do seem sweeter quite often. I wonder if they have extra cold tolerance that would make them a better option in Florida. Sour marangs used in cooking in Vietnam may also be an option that has a difference in cold tolerance.

i preferred the marangs i ate in Davao more so then in borneo, generally they are sweeter. The variety they call "evergreen" are really good, sweet with large pieces/bulbs inside. Definitely in my top 5. Some must be more cold-hardy than others. marang is one of the most common fruit trees you'll see outside of Davao/mindanao island

[JoeP450]

I tried marang and they died....

From my 1st hand limited experience trying to grow in Florida : pedalai > marang > pingan.

-joe

[JF]

I’ve tried growing here in SoCal and it survived outside one winter but it died the next winter.

[Fruit Jungle]

Any updates on Maranga, Cempedek, Pedalai. I'm bumping this year old thread, because it appears like tonight will be the coldest night so far this year, 40F in sunrise, fl tonight..

I have about 10 Marangs, 10 Cempedeks, 5 Pedali, all less than a year old. I started with many more, but these are the survivors(I did sell some too). The Pedali seems to be the most cold tolerant of all three. About half my Marangs have died after a few nights in the 50's, same story with Cempedaks, about half. But all my Pedali's are going strong, even putting on a new flush about a month ago. I started everything two batches(summer and fall), and the ones I germinated in summer also seem to have better cold tolerance, in general.

I've taken the strategy that I'm not going to take any protective measures to keep the seedlings warm, I want the ones with true cold tolerance...

Would be interested to hear more from members about their more cold sensitive artocarpus.

[shot]

Adolf Grimal of big pine key said Pedalai was the most cold sensitive,more so than breadfruit.Maybe their is variation in differant strains of Pedalai.I fruited Marang before hurricane charley took it,but i did protect.I have seen Marang take some 30s very well.
 Sweet white melting flesh,that you could pull the skin off with your fingers with ease. I have a five foot artocarpus lanceifolius (Keledang) doing okay it took high 30s once

[Jaboticaba45]

Good luck to you south FL growers who actually have a chance fruiting them.
Loved artocarpus, but gave up on them when I realized that the only ones capable of fruiting up north would be jackfruit, kwai muk, and lakoocha. This winter, I did not bring my plants into the house, and ended up losing the pedalai, elasticus, marang, and chempedak. Marang actually made it pretty far into this winter before dying. In fact, it might still be alive. Pedalai was the first to go. Really didn't like the temperature swings. I have had chempedak make the winter in my greenhouse last year although it defoliated completely. Temps regularly get to the 40s in my greenhouse multiple times, so I was surprised that it even lived. Breadfruit is currently in the house and the only one I stubbornly want to grow. It's in a 25 gallon and needs to go into the ground or a 50 gal. pot. But how do you protect it? You don't. Just give up. Let it die. But no, I'll do anything to keep it alive. The leaves are super beautiful.
Speaking of other artocarpus, I do have a jackfruit in ground in the greenhouse that's about to be pulled up. It was a seedling I recently topped with berry seedling budwood. But there is no reason to waste valuable space when I can go down to FL and get top quality jaks next summer.

[pineislander]

I have two small seedling Marang in ground on Pine Island. They didn't grow much this summer but are probably going to make some progress in 2022.

[shot]

Jay
Steve at FruitScapes has one growing up on Alligator creek Punta Gorda at his girlfriend house
he said it is near 15 foot,still not fruiting.By that size mine was fruiting.I made mine branch low with Keikigrow (auxins).Marang is very responsive to their formula,it will not induce response in all plants by any means,i don't think it is strong enough.
 
http://keikigrow.com/

[ben mango]

That’s impressive , shot.  What a shame it died

[nullzero]

A friend has a 6 year old 25ft Pedalai, Artocarpus sericicarpus in South FL (hoping fruit soon). Friend tried a lot of strains in the past, a Philippines strain that is growing seems to be the most cold hardy. Whatever strains they have in Hawaii hear they are sensitive to the cold. No issues with mid 40s, mature tree may be good down to 32f?

[Fruitguy]

I too have a 6 year old pedalai in ground. Still waiting on it's first flower. The A. rigidus is probably 10 years in the ground, maybe more, and no flowers yet. Suffers from chlorosis so must put down iron periodically. One day.....

[xmario]

Guys,
I see a lot of you have some years old Pedalai, Marang, Keledang etc in ground in FLORIDA! and ready to flower, but some photos will really help and motivate, not that i don't believe you!-) Sadly my Hawaiian Pedalai died at 10ft tall this past winter at about 40F. Trying a Marang now also from HI, 4 ft tall still in pot..
Breadfruit is 20ft tall and been producing, Kwai Muk also 20ft tall and fruiting now for the first time after 7 years of being in the ground, excited to try it out.
Cheers

[Fruit Jungle]

Guys,
I see a lot of you have some years old Pedalai, Marang, Keledang etc in ground in FLORIDA! and ready to flower, but some photos will really help and motivate, not that i don't believe you!-) Sadly my Hawaiian Pedalai died at 10ft tall this past winter at about 40F. Trying a Marang now also from HI, 4 ft tall still in pot..
Breadfruit is 20ft tall and been producing, Kwai Muk also 20ft tall and fruiting now for the first time after 7 years of being in the ground, excited to try it out.
Cheers

I agree, would love to see some pictures. I lost all my A. sericarpus in the 39F last year, but 3 marang survived (out of about 100 seedlings) and are pushing new growth after being planted. I have them planted under some protection of a larger banyan tree right near overhead irrigation.

Anyone with older A. sericarpus or odorissimus that can withstand some cold mind sharing some scions? Would hate to lose those genetics for whatever reason.

[brian]

Anyone know how big these are by the time they flower?  I put one in the ground in my greenhouse and it has been really healthy, even through winter.  I know they get big but I wonder if it is possible to get fruit  from a seedling tree while maintaining  <12ft height by pruning.  Do these fruit from deep in the canopy like jackfruit?

[nullzero]

Anyone know how big these are by the time they flower?  I put one in the ground in my greenhouse and it has been really healthy, even through winter.  I know they get big but I wonder if it is possible to get fruit  from a seedling tree while maintaining  <12ft height by pruning.  Do these fruit from deep in the canopy like jackfruit?

These are tall forest trees, even the one I seen in Palm Beach County is over 20ft and grows back up there after pruning. It has a tall narrow growth habit, compared with to most jackfruit selections which have wider canopy with less vertical domiance.

This last winter the tree dropped all its leaves, however it has bounced back. I believe the coldest it had was 38f however was the wind chill that really caused it to drop leaves. If your in more marginal zones may be good idea to put pipe insulation around the primary trunk for those frost events.

[brian]

Does that 20ft tree make fruit?

Mine is only 3ft tall right now but it looks to be set for rapid growth.  If it grows straight up without branching I guess I could cut it back severely and try to force it to a more open shape

[nullzero]

Does that 20ft tree make fruit?

Mine is only 3ft tall right now but it looks to be set for rapid growth.  If it grows straight up without branching I guess I could cut it back severely and try to force it to a more open shape

No fruit yet, I believe it's close to 6 years old now. Perhaps this year or next year flowers and fruit? Maybe try creative training. Bend the central leader sideways and use trellis and pruning techniques to keep below 12ft.

You could try cutting off the central leader and make it offshoot could produce shorter internodes.

[brian]

Yes I found this thread which suggests lopping the top works well for marang

https://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=18803.msg234270#msg234270

"Marang  I cut lots of marangs at various heights. I find this species one of the easiest to control as they always develop three side branches at the area of the cut. "

"Marang nr. 2 - Cut this tree at what might seem crazy level of about 1.5 feet only. About a year ago it still looked tiny but nice crown. Now it has gained growth and looks really good. It's my favorite looking marang tree. Great, low growing crown of three leaders"

[Fruitguy]

This is my pedalai. It has been in the ground for about 8 years, after 1 -2 years in a pot. Every year I think that this will be the year that it flowers but nothing yet. I have cut it back a few times in an attempt to control its height. It is due again.