Cool Climate
Starfruits
There are a number of reasons that you would want to grow a
Starfruit or Carambola tree in a cool climate, such as Sydney’s. Aside from the
delicious fruit which are also remarkably attractive hanging from its branches,
the tree, with its lovely, pinnate leaves and graceful, arching habit, is a
very shapely one and carries beautiful magenta flowers, edged in white.
Pinnate leaves of the Starfruit tree |
Starfruit trees, however, are not a ‘plant-and-forget’ tree.
The temperate climate of Sydney is marginal, at best, for these lovely trees,
demanding thoughtful site selection before planting, and regular attention
after planting.
The important question is, ‘Will they fruit in Sydney?’ The
answer is, ‘Yes, they will.’
A magnificent young Starfruit specimen overhanging a fence in Chiang Dao, Thailand |
Ripening fruit on the same Chiang Dao tree |
First of all, let’s look at site selection. Being of a tropical
and sub-tropical origin (Maluku, East Indonesia), they will require a
warm micro-climate. Choose a planting location protected from Sydney’s cold,
southerly, winter winds… a north-facing situation is ideal. Furthermore, if you
have the space for other subtropical trees, this will provide added comfort for
the starfruit. In our circumstances, the starfruit is in a north-facing
location, protected from the south by the home itself, growing in a small garden area
with banana trees, a macadamia and a mango tree.
Even though Sydney is not the natural home of starfruit
trees, you must make your starfruit feel at home!
The starfruit tree will also need plenty of water. Apart
from natural rainfall, it will need supplementary watering. We keep a bucket in
our back shower to catch the cold shower water which falls before the warm flow
begins. You know, the water too cold to stand under! Every day, this
supplementary water is shared between the starfruit and the bananas.
Importantly, however, your starfruit should not sit with ‘wet feet’. It needs
ample water, indeed, but it might resent waterlogging over a long period of
time. We are fortunate that our back garden has a natural slope which runs
excess water away.
Am I making this sound too difficult? I hope not. Remember,
starfruit trees are lovely… They are worth the effort.
The pretty magenta and white flowers of the starfruit |
Keep it fed! For a young tree, throw around a couple of
handfuls of pelletised chicken manure on a regular basis, perhaps every two
months, increasing this as the tree matures. At the same time, give it a
handful of Epsom Salts, which you can purchase at your local supermarket in the
Health and Beauty Section. Epsom Salts
are an excellent source of magnesium, which will keep your plant’s leaves green
and healthy. Water this in.
Finally, never discard your used eggshells. Pound, crush or
grind these into a powder, and store the grindings in a container for garden
use. Not only are eggshells a splendid source of calcium, but they also contain
26 other beneficial trace elements. Scatter a handful of egg shell grindings
every time you feed your starfruit tree.
Oh… Don’t forget the compost! And the mulch!
Developing fruit and flowers |
But should I guard against Queensland and Mediterranean
fruit flies?
Definitely! In actuality, fruit flies are more likely to attack
and spoil your tomatoes or your capsicums, even your kasturi limes (Calamondins). However, it’s best to hang a fruit fly
trap from the outer branches of your tree… Better safe than sorry! Touch wood,
we have not lost any starfruits to fruit fly.
Our seedling tree, now nearly five years old, has granted us
green-and-gold stars for the past two years. The pretty, little bunches of flowers
appear along the branches of the tree in late January and through February and
March. We pick our first fruit in late April, with fruit continuing to ripen
through May and June. In fact, with the onset of the coldest weather, we pick
the fruit from the tree as soon as there shows a little yellow, ripening the
greenish fruit indoors...
A starfruit colouring up in the home garden |
Interestingly right now (June), our tree has many
little starfruits along its lower branches: I do wonder whether these small
fruits will lay dormant over the remaining winter and mature with the warm rays
of spring. Or will they drop?
June 'babies'. Will they drop, or ripen in the spring? |
Our winter starfruits are not as sweet as Malaysian or
Indonesian starfruits. They make wonderful juice, however, reminiscent of the
cooling, quenching, iced starfruit drinks to be purchased in those countries.
Memories of Asia…
Wishing you hours of enjoyment and contentment in your
garden…
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