Averrhoa CARAMBOLA

Averrhoa CARAMBOLA - Carambola, Starfruit, Averrhoa.

The genus Averrhoa comprises five species of trees in the Oxalidaceae family. The plant is native to Southeast Asia, China, and Ceylon. In natural conditions, these plants reach up to 10 m (32.8 ft) in height.

The bark color is gray-brown, with imparipinnate, alternate, ovate, pointed at the ends leaves, from 3.5 to 7 cm (1.4-2.8 in) in length and 2-4 cm (0.8-1.6 in) in width; in arid periods, they fall off. The flowers are small, on short pedicels, gathered in axillary very short unbranched racemes on the trunk or large branches. Representatives of the genus have fruits that differ depending on the species.

Averrhoa Carambola - trees are widespread in Southeast Asia, Brazil, Ghana, Guyana, and Polynesia. They reach 5-6 m (16.4-19.7 ft) in height. The leaflets are ovate, pointed, 3.5-4 to 5 cm (1.4-2.0 in) long and 2-3 cm (0.8-1.2 in) wide. The foliage is pinnate, sensitive to light, touch, and changing weather conditions. Under these factors, the leaves tend to fold or curl. Overall, the branched, rounded crown looks very decorative.

It blooms with small, fluffy pinkish-purple flowers gathered in leaf axils. Indoors, it blooms in winter and can bloom three to four times during the spring-summer season. The fruits are large - up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long and 5 cm (2.0 in) in diameter, with 4 or 5 winged ribs, light green, developing on large branches and the trunk. In cross-section, the fruits resemble a star in shape, are fleshy, hollow inside, and have a sour taste similar to apple, pineapple, and kiwi.

The seeds are soaked for 12-24 hours in warm water, then sown into a moist substrate of equal parts peat and perlite with the addition of a small amount of river sand (1:1:0.5), sprinkled on top with a thin layer of substrate, moistened with a spray bottle, placed in a greenhouse or covered with film, and germinated in the light, but not in the sun, at a temperature of 23-28 °C (73-82 °F). Sprouts require ventilation. It is necessary to avoid waterlogging and drying out of the sowings.

Seeds germinate from 14 to 25 days. Grown seedlings are pricked out into individual pots with a mixture of equal parts sod soil, leaf mold, humus soil, and sand (1:1:1:1). Throughout the growing period, seedlings are watered abundantly, maintaining the air temperature at 20 °C (68 °F). Young plants begin bearing fruit at 2-3 years of age.

© Greeniverse. All rights reserved.

Averrhoa requires intense diffused light without direct sunlight. During the summer period, it tolerates moderate temperatures well. In the winter period, the air temperature is lowered to 18 °C (64 °F). From early spring to autumn, water abundantly. In winter, water cautiously, ensuring that the substrate is neither overly waterlogged nor dried out. In natural conditions, it rarely grows in very humid tropical areas, preferring areas with a dry season, but in indoor cultivation, spraying is necessary. During the growing season, mineral fertilizers are applied once every two weeks. During the dormant period, no feeding is given.

To shape the crown, thinning pruning of weak and crowded leaves is necessary. If the plant is kept with a dormancy period, the upper branch growth (from the growing season) dries up. In spring, new shoots sprout from awakened buds, and the trunk branches out. If the plant is kept without dormancy, with supplementary lighting, the trunk does not branch and the shoots are unstable in a vertical position, requiring staking. When entering the dormant period, the plant may drop leaves. Another cause may be drying out of the root ball.

A challenging period is the first overwintering. Leaves drop, and the stem dries up from above. If over the summer the shoots managed to grow above a certain critical height, part of the stem remains alive. In this case, the plant begins to branch out. If a dormant period is not organized and grow lights are used, the plant may stretch excessively; in that case, pruning and tying to a support will be necessary. Plants are repotted in spring: young ones annually, mature ones as needed every 2-3 years. The soil should be nutritious and moisture-retentive. The substrate is prepared from: sod soil, leaf mold, humus soil, peat, and sand (2:1:1:1:1), with a slightly acidic reaction.