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| I have 2 starfruits planted from seed. They are easy to germinate and grow but I am puzzled by how they are growing. They are 5 feet tall but pencil-thin, and fall over instantly without constant sturdy support. This doesn't seem to be improving as they get taller - if anything they are getting worse.
What am I supposed to be doing here? I like the little trees but how am I going to make them behave like a real tree rather than a vine? |
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| My first plants did the same thing and I've learned the hard way over the years. A few things may factor in here. Too much fertilizer and not enough pruning. As you've noticed, they have a tendency to grow straight up and keep going. Fertilizing is fine for seedlings if kept pruned. I've always lopped mine off to encourage branching and most importantly, a very sturdy plant. You can keep a single leader branch but I would cut the entire plant back to no more than one foot...maybe shorter. They will come back fast and strong and you will have a more attractive plant to boot. Starfruit, when/if they begin fruiting, can often overproduce and overwhelm the plants branches... resulting in broken branches or even loss of the tree. Keeping the central leader will give you a good platform to later do a possible graft attempt with an established cultivar. |
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- Posted by sultry_jasmine_night Florida z9 (My Page) on Tue, Aug 25, 09 at 13:51
| High nitrogen fertilizer can make them grow tall and skinny. Also not enought sun/light will also cause that to happen. Some of my If they get enough light they should start getting a thicker stem. |
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