what about carambolas from seed?

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what about carambolas from seed?

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Posted by an_ill-mannered_ache 9a (My Page) on Sat, Jan 12, 08 at 20:51

i got some carambola from my brazilian friend... hers are SO TASTY. juicy. quite variable in size. she grew hers from seed. i managed to start a bunch, too, from the seeds from her fruit. do carambolas come true to seed? are all carambolas edible? how frost tolerant are they?

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Posted by treefrog_fl z10 FL (My Page) on Sun, Jan 13, 08 at 0:38 Carambolas do come true from seed. They sprout readily from fresh seed. Viability after being removed from the fruit decreases very quickly. The seedlings grow fast. Young trees need protection from frost. Older trees can handle temps in the mid 20's, but will defoliate, and branch tips may burn back a bit. They'll flush out fuller as the weather warms. The flavor of carambolas varies a lot, from very tart to somewhat sweet. Also the water content varies in different types. One tree will produce more fruit than you and all your friends can ever eat. (A big plus is they're a great addition to the compost pile.) They also make a beautiful pale gold clear jelly, and a tasty fruit juice (1 part juice, 2 parts water, lime juice and sweetener to taste). Juiced carambolas freeze well too. Sounds like you've got a good one there! Good luck with them.

RE: what about carambolas from seed?

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Posted by murahilin 10 fl (My Page) on Sun, Jan 13, 08 at 1:10 Treefrog, Is it common for carambola's to come true from seed? I have always read that the seedlings were highly variable. How has your luck with the seedlings been? an ill-mannered ache, Since you have a few seeds you could always try to graft known varieties that you like onto some of the seedlings in order to be sure you get a good tasting fruit. Carambola's should all be edible but recently due to the high oxalic acid content in the fruit there has been a few news articles regarding the danger of eating large quantities of the fruit if you suffer with kidney problems.

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Posted by treefrog_fl z10 FL (My Page) on Sun, Jan 13, 08 at 12:49

From what I've read the most common method of propagating carambolas is from seed. I'd think that would indicate that they do come true. Of course grafting an excellent cultivar onto a hardy rootstock is also done with good reason. I know fresh seeds germinate readily because I'm always weeding out seedlings from the area where I compost fallen fruit. I haven't grown any out simply because one tree produces more fruit than my whole town could use! Here's a picture of one branch. (these are Newcombs...large, juicy and moderately sweet)

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Carambolas are related to wood sorrel and do contain oxalic acid. People with kidney problems or on certain medications should be careful. The tart varieties have a considerably higher concentration than the larger, waterier "sweet" varieties. Also the ribs of the fruit concentrate the oxalic acid. I always trim off the ribs and greener ends to reduce the amount of OA consumed. Underripe fruits contain more OA than tree ripened ones. Which is why I'd never recommend anyone buy these from a supermarket (besides the awful flavor of underripe, shipped starfruit!) Research indicates higher amounts of ascorbic acid and lower amounts of OA in tree ripened fruit. Of course as with everything in life, moderation is the key. I still enjoy spinach, and rhubarb, and cranberries among other foods that contain oxalic acid, cyanids, systemic pesticides, genetic engineering, etc, etc. Many of these naturally occurring "toxins" have been used for centuries to promote well being, and most if not all modern medicines are derived from these "toxins". I'm not by any means advocating we all experiment. Much research has been done over the centuries and we're all benefiting from it. That was a good point to raise, Murahilin.

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Posted by ohiojay z6 OH (My Page) on Sun, Jan 13, 08 at 13:33

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I recently read where the Kari and Kembangen were sweeter, less acid varieties. I have some seedlings going, one is pretty decent size. I'm going to attempt an approach graft with a co-worker's Kari plant later on. The first attempt using a saddle-type graft failed.

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Posted by murahilin 10 fl (My Page) on Sun, Jan 13, 08 at 23:06 Thats some nice looking fruit Treefrog. Thats the main reason I will not plant a carambola in my own yard though. I don't know what I would do with that many fruit. Have you found a large number of frogs on your carambolas? Almost every time I have picked carambolas I found frogs hiding on them. No idea why though. I haven't had that experience with any other fruit. Jay, have you ever had 'Bell' carambola? I think thats the best tasting one I have had. Would a cleft or splice graft work for the carambola?

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Posted by ohiojay z6 OH (My Page) on Mon, Jan 14, 08 at 7:52 I'm sure those types of grafts would work given good, fresh scions. The scion I tried before was just too young. When I went to make the cuts, the "inside" of the stem was just too soft and pulled away. Didn't leave much left. It was doomed from the start. That's why I want to try an approach graft with her plant. Hopefully I can choose a more mature spot to graft from. She's has no problems with pruning the plant to not only keep it small, but to strengthen the remaining parts.

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Posted by ladylotus Z3/4 ND (My Page) on Sat, Jan 19, 08 at 9:00 I had googled Carambolas to see what additional information I could find and here is some information I found that talks about the preferred method of grafting: "Propagation: The carambola is widely grown from seed though viability lasts only a few days. Only plump, fully developed seed should be planted. Veneer grafting during the time of most active growth gives the best results. Healthy, year-old seedlings of 3/8 - 3/4 inch diameter are best for rootstocks. Graft-wood should be taken from mature twigs on which leaves are still present and, if possible, the buds are just beginning to grow. Cleft-grafting of green budwood is also successful. Top-working of older trees has been done by bark grafting. Air-

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layering is less successful than grafting. The roots develop slowly, and percentage of success often is low. Trees are small and rather weak when propagated by this method." I've performed the veneer graft on a few of my maples and my conifers and it is pretty easy as long as you are using a very...VERY sharp exacto knife. Hope that works for you OJ. Tj

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