Grow Carambola (Star Fruit)

Carambola, commonly known as "star fruit" is a plant native to the tropical lowlands of India, Malaysia and Indonesia. There is a tree of small to medium sized, with fallen branches, up to 20 meters 30 meters high and produces yellow-golden period of only five points / edges, elliptical, oval fruit 2-1/2 "to 6". The fruits are due to the oxalic acid content of the pulp. The fruit is a good source of vitamins A, B and C and other valuable minerals such as iron. Parts of plants, many of the tree have medicinal properties (such as chopped leaves .. treating ringworm, chicken pox, and young fruit pulp is used for polishing the brassware root extract for the treatment of poisoning).

- - Variety - -

Decide what you want to develop. There are two main types of production of fruit or sweet or sour. Desserts include up to 5% of the types of sugar and acid have up to 1% acid. Chinese-style "Tung Fuang" is very soft, while "Brazil" are full of vitamin C are fruits exotic star
Hawaii -> Golden Star, Taiwan -> Tean Ma and Tao Min, and Columbia -> Icambola. You can buy seeds of exotic species of correspondence.

- - The climate and soil - -

Carambola best when it's hot and high humidity, the mountains and up to 1 mile. The normal rainfall throughout the year promotes the growth and fruit to choose from, where annual precipitation is 70 "or more. Carambola possible in all types of soils with good drainage for development. Carom Even if you can grow in acidic soils or alkaline, but prefers acid soil, rich in depth, which promotes better plant growth.

- - Plantation - -

Carambola is usually by seed, but the graft in the grass are encouraged to produce more plants. Due to their low viability of seeds sown fresh after cleaning and drying. Be the first seeds in small containers / pots of moist peat sown and transplanted in the areas near the plants seem to be used as evidence. The seeds germinate in 5-7 days in summer, while it takes 12 to 18 days in winter.

Seedlings of 12 feet, 16 feet away to make way for fallen branches and thick mature. The plants are very sensitive and need good care. Protect young trees from cold winds.

- - Maintenance - -

Fertilizer is not necessary, but it is recommended that fruits, foods and fertilizers with organic manure / fertilizers, encouraging £ 10 £ 20. per plant / year. Pruning is necessary, but only slightly. Spray four times with fewer items during the year as the trees in calcareous soils. Add iron, zinc and manganese chlorosis occurs.

- - Collection - -

The plants in about 4-5 years to produce fruit. Carambola flowers 3-4 times a year to monitor the harvest, the fruit is heavy in summer, others are for high season from November to December and March-April, the collection steadily throughout the year in tropical areas. Best food for the maturation of knowledge to the sweet taste of fruit. If the fruit fly is present, the fruit can be packed in plastic bags for protection. You can expect a tree of average production cost of about 40 pounds of fruit per year can be harvested up to 300 pounds of fruits of a healthy growth of trees.

- - Services - Industry -

To purify the type of acid used red ball and polished brass, acid to dissolve the rust and oxidation. Juice bleach rust stains on clothing. Fruit juice is also used for dyeing of cloth or paper.

- - The culinary and medicinal - -

Star fruit juice is refreshing and served as a refreshing drink in Asia. Do in Hawaii, the result of this acid with the juices and juice, jam, sugar and lemon in hot water mixed with ice.

The flowers are edible and are often served in salads, added Indonesia. In India, the flowers are stored and used to make tea.

In Asia, since the ripe fruit to stop the bleeding. Fruit juices or dried are used to lower fever, treatment of nausea and diarrhea, to alleviate the symptoms of poisoning and prevention of kidney disease.

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