Sibabat Pulasan

[BigIslandGrower]

When perfectly ripe these fruit are one of my very favorites.  They need to be purple, rather than red, for optimum ripeness though they are not bad when a bit green. Unfortunately, the Pulasan tends to produce many flat fruits devoid of flesh here on the Big Island.  These were harvested during a pruning rampage.

[BigIslandGrower]

Size comparison with seelengkeng rambutan.  These green haired fruits are far and away the best tasting rambutan, in my opinion.

[fruitlovers]

Has nothing to do with Big Island. Flat fruits mean they didn't get any pollen. Rambutan will do the same when it doesn't get pollinated.

[BigIslandGrower]

Well, Pulasan seem less likely to be pollinated on Big Island than Rambutan does.  Other growers I've talked with agree.  Is that not your experience?

[fruitlovers]

Well, Pulasan seem less likely to be pollinated on Big Island than Rambutan does.  Other growers I've talked with agree.  Is that not your experience?

No, that's not my experience. I've seen the same exact problem with rambutans. If you have enough pollen flying around, i.e. male trees, then you won't have those flat fruits. All grafted plants are usually hermaphrodites, and don't have much pollen.

[bangkok]

I have never eaten a pulasan but i thought the seebabat looks darker and bigger.

I still want to get the real seebabat seeds as well, jumbo size 

http://marcanderson.photoshelter.com/image/I0000n4mX_iXl_l0

[BigIslandGrower]

Well, Pulasan seem less likely to be pollinated on Big Island than Rambutan does.  Other growers I've talked with agree.  Is that not your experience?

No, that's not my experience. I've seen the same exact problem with rambutans. If you have enough pollen flying around, i.e. male trees, then you won't have those flat fruits. All grafted plants are usually hermaphrodites, and don't have much pollen.

My hermaphroditic rambutans don't seem to have this problem nearly as often as the  Sibabat Pulasans do. Do not have any males of either species. This was also true for the UH Pulasan selection, which I cut down.  Pulasans also do not flower as dependably as rambutan, in my experience. In any case, certainly does make a case for planting males.

[BigIslandGrower]

I have never eaten a pulasan but i thought the seebabat looks darker and bigger.

Big and dark-yes, that's they way they should look when fully ripe.

[Finca La Isla]

If you have the space, you might plant some seedling pulusan, or plant other varieties.  I rarely get undeveloped pulusan, but I have selections from my own seedlings.  Are you only growing the one selection?
Peter

[HIfarm]

The other option that might make sense (if you don't have room for male trees & have access to male scionwood) is to graft in a branch of male pulasan here and there in your hermaphrodite trees.

John

[fruitlovers]

Well, Pulasan seem less likely to be pollinated on Big Island than Rambutan does.  Other growers I've talked with agree.  Is that not your experience?

No, that's not my experience. I've seen the same exact problem with rambutans. If you have enough pollen flying around, i.e. male trees, then you won't have those flat fruits. All grafted plants are usually hermaphrodites, and don't have much pollen.

My hermaphroditic rambutans don't seem to have this problem nearly as often as the  Sibabat Pulasans do. Do not have any males of either species. This was also true for the UH Pulasan selection, which I cut down.  Pulasans also do not flower as dependably as rambutan, in my experience. In any case, certainly does make a case for planting males.

Do you have several cultivars of rambutan? That would help their pollination. See the flat undeveloped rambutans all the time in people's orchards. Also see 100% fully developed pulasans at Hilo experimental station, but they have lots of different types planted together, including seedlings.

[BigIslandGrower]

Three varieties of rambutan.   Good suggestions, thanks.

[Tropicaliste]

I agree that the Rambutan that show green tipped spinterns are the tastiest. I thought that those were Rongrien. Are the Selengkeng and Rongrien related?

[Mike T]

Green spinterns and green tipped spinterns are the most common and dozens of varieties have them.Maybe half of the best types have green spinterns and the same could be said about the poorer varieties.
Varieties with soft juicy  flesh rather than crisp flesh may well be related to each more than to the crisp types.People seem to fall into the crisp or soft camp immediately preferring one style or the other.

[fruitlovers]

Green spinterns and green tipped spinterns are the most common and dozens of varieties have them.Maybe half of the best types have green spinterns and the same could be said about the poorer varieties.
Varieties with soft juicy  flesh rather than crisp flesh may well be related to each more than to the crisp types.People seem to fall into the crisp or soft camp immediately preferring one style or the other.

Crisp and soft are both fine with me. That is usually also determined by the stage at which you pick the rambutan....how ripe it really is. Under ripe will be more crisp and super ripe more sweet, soft, and juicy.
In my eyes much more important criteria is whether the flesh is clingy type to the seed or not. It's very hard to eat the ones that cling tenaciously to the seed. I like the ones that come completely clean without any struggle. Some people are also very upset when they get the testa (outer seed paperish covering) coming off the seed together with the pulp. Then you can get the testa stuck between your teeth. This doesn't bother me as much as clingy flesh, but is usually included as important criteria for separating best cultivars from the chaf.

[BigIslandGrower]

Well, I would think that those who appreciate Pulasan would also favor the juicy, flavorful type of Rambutan because the two fruit are similar in these qualities. 
The Fondeallen yellow rambutan is another variety that I like, but many people would probably pass over because the fruit is very much cling stone. It's the sweetest variety I've sampled.
Edit: Actually, once again most people I've shared Fondeallen with prefer it to R-167 or the other common rambutans found at markets. 

[Tropicaliste]

That's interesting Mike. In my area, the green tipped spintern usually arrive once in Spring then in mid Summer, but the non green remain consistent. It's even available now. I read somewhere that it was the Rongrien that had the green tip spintern. I don't know. I'd like consensus on Rambutan and Lanzones and Pulasan, because that would put everyone on the same page in conversation.

[fruitlovers]

Well, I would think that those who appreciate Pulasan would also favor the juicy, flavorful type of Rambutan because the two fruit are similar in these qualities. 
The Fondeallen yellow rambutan is another variety that I like, but many people would probably pass over because the fruit is very much cling stone. It's the sweetest variety I've sampled.
Edit: Actually, once again most people I've shared Fondeallen with prefer it to R-167 or the other common rambutans found at markets.

The reason i like Seebabat more than rambutans is not because of their juiciness, which BTW they really aren't very juicy. It has to do with taste. Pulasan has a lot more complex taste than any rambutan, which is merely sweet.

[fruitlovers]

That's interesting Mike. In my area, the green tipped spintern usually arrive once in Spring then in mid Summer, but the non green remain consistent. It's even available now. I read somewhere that it was the Rongrien that had the green tip spintern. I don't know. I'd like consensus on Rambutan and Lanzones and Pulasan, because that would put everyone on the same page in conversation.

Yes the Thai type Rongrien has green tips. I don't think it is related to green tipped Seelangkang which is a Malaysian cultivar. Green tips are no indicator of quality. It just so happens that green tips are associated with Rongrien, which is a popular and very nice cultivar.

[BigIslandGrower]

But Seelengkeng does have flavor, it's not just sweet.  Not as tasty as a good Pulasan though.

[fruitlovers]

But Seelengkeng does have flavor, it's not just sweet.  Not as tasty as a good Pulasan though.

I'll have to take your word for it. But i've never had any rambutan that came even close to a good Seebabat for flavor.