Averrhoa BILIMBI

Averrhoa BILIMBI - Bilimbi, Cucumber tree, Tree sorrel, Averrhoa.

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

The bark color is grayish-brown, with odd-pinnate, alternate, ovate leaves pointed at the ends, 3.5 to 7 cm (1.4 to 2.8 in) in length and 2-4 cm (0.8-1.6 in) in width, which drop during dry periods. The flowers are small, on short pedicels, gathered in axillary very short unbranched racemes on the trunk or on large branches. Members of the genus bear fruits that differ depending on the species.

Averrhoa bilimbi is a small tropical fruit tree reaching a height of up to 15 m (49.2 ft). Alternate, compound leaves 30 to 60 cm (11.8 to 23.6 in) long consist of 10-40 oblong, lanceolate leaflets. The flowers are gathered in pendulous panicles. The flower is fragrant; the corolla consists of 5 petals 10-30 mm (0.4-1.2 in) long, colored in shades from yellowish-green to reddish-purple.

The fruits are elongated, five-ribbed, green, about 4-10 cm (1.6-3.9 in) in size, similar in appearance to small gherkins, clustered on the trunk and large branches. The crisp, juicy fruits are sour to the taste. It grows in Indonesia and Malaysia.

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

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

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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 the beginning of spring until autumn, watering is plentiful. In winter, watering is cautious, ensuring the substrate is neither excessively waterlogged nor dried out. Under natural conditions, it rarely grows in very humid tropical areas, preferring regions with a dry season, but in indoor cultivation misting is necessary. During the growing season, mineral fertilizers are applied every two weeks. During the dormant period, no feeding is done.