If you live in a tropical climate the trees grow well with over 60 inches of rain. They are hermaphroditic, male and female on seperate trees. Only the hermaphrodite trees are used in orchards. From seeds it will take at least 10 years to tell the difference. Plant plent of seed, plant a group of trees in the field and expect to cut two thirds of them down in time because they are unfruitful.
Omg thats so much! i hope you just living around ours, I will be glad to share my lanzones or other tropical fruits I have here with your rambutan there! Pretty nice and healthy tree.
Freestone varieties of rambutan are very popular here in Philippines, 2 of them actually. It's either a Maharlika or Long green variety. Base on the shape, looks like you have the Maharlika variety. Anyway, more rambutan fruits to come!!
Tropical weather will be required. Beware of mealy bugs. The trees come as male, female and hermaphrodite. The hermaphrodite trees are the only ones used in orchards.
I live in winter springs, Florida. Do you think I can grow rambutan here? I wonder how the small rambutan plant looks like? The ground behind my house is 30% sandy.
Hi Bill. I found the answer from one of your responses in the comments. I love Rambutan since I grew up in the Philippines. Been in the US for 40 years, mostly Florida
I would guess Winter Springs is too far north for this tree. Homestead FL would be more like it. They are very tropical. I don't see how sand would matter much as long as you had water. The little trees look like the big ones but smaller. They are very big trees.
I don't actually recall how long anymore. the video was a few years back. Once a plant fruits the time it took doesn't matter much unless it was a commercial venture. You can never have what you don't plant. If I die before it fruits, the dead don't eat so why worry. Aloha
So, my question is... where are you located? Very cool! Maybe it just takes a while before bearing fruit if grown from seed🤷 how lucky you are to have been able to grow this tree from seed. Since then, have you grown more trees? Do you send seeds thru the mail?
I live on the Big Island of Hawaii in Puna district by Mountain view. I believe the tree fruited after about 7 years. I didn't keep good records though. I have a nursery on the property and a seed website. I grow a lot of different trees, shrubs, herbs, natives and vegetables. Seeds are offered at www.greengardenservice.net
I'll look into the possibility. Air layers have never been one of my strong horticultural areas. I have seedlings around and may do a few grafts on them.
@@brentsims9114 I'll let everyone know how grafting turns out. At the moment most of my rambutan seedlings for root stock are kind of small. I did a couple with a side graft and nurse branch this morning. I will pot the rest of my seedling to larger containers and grow them out a bit before I try again.
I live in Mountain View, HI. The sight is listed on Google under Green Garden Nursery. The tree has no fruit at the moment. At best it crops once a year.
Many of the trees that have been used as orchard stock like apples and citrus are adapted to constant size control. Most of the tropical trees are not. To control rambutan you grow it up, let it fruit, then chop it back and let it grow up again. There is no system of dwarfing that allows fruiting with these. I use a fruit picker to harvest. What I can't reach stays in the tree.
Just ate my first one today, I never knew how good these are much better than lychees and 10 times better than longans. I want to plant a tree but they're just too big.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 How do you fertilizer that plant because I plant a seed couple weeks ago and morning to my surprise it's growing so I would like to know how to keep it growing am in Orlando Florida
@@cartycartyamplifiersalesrepair My conditions here are very different from Orlando so what I do may not work for you. We have deep volcanic ash soil and I do not fertilize much. I have a compost heap beneath the tree that does most of the fertilizing. When i planted the young tree I fed it with some chicken manure. We seldom rise above 85 here and never drop below 50, the rain is 150 inches, the tree seems happy with these conditions. You can't help the heat in Orlando but I would set a rainbird sprinkler for frost. You will probably have to feed more often. Watch out for ants, they farm mealy bugs on the fruit clusters.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thank you very much for your advice I really appreciate it I'll let you know how everything is going from now on I'll keep in touch thank you very much again 🙏🙏
These trees come in three different forms, hermaphrodite, female and male. From seeds you will get any and all forms. The males only produce pollen and no fruit. The females only produce fruit if they have a male or a hermaphrodite to pollinate them. The hermaphrodite trees are the only ones we use in the orchard.
Rambutans are delicious. Better than lychee. I've had the red and the yellow. Tried germinating the seeds and the just rot. Don't what I'm doing wrong. Would love to grow one. Any tips on germinating the seeds?
Do not dry or clean the seeds. Remove them from the fruit and place them in a sterile media. I use milled sphagnum with perlite. I don't cover the seed, just push it half way into the soil on it's side. Don't over water. Germination should be over 80% if all goes right.
That happens. If they have two tops but one root just prune off the smaller one. If there are two tops and two roots them you have a polyembrionic seedling and they can be seperated.
@@bountifullife1211 The only way to be sure is to use an air layered tree of known gender. From seeds I suggest planting several then cut down the male and female trees once they flower. There is no way to tell at the seed stage.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 - You know, Garden Exchange carries NutriRich and have used them for my land , need to purchase more . Thanks for all your tips/suggestions.
Hi Bill, just wondering if it would be a good idea to keep them low rather than tall so that it s easier to harvest. Not sure if the tree would tolerate that pruning. Good day pal..
Rambutan is more of a tropical forest tree than an orchard tree. The size you see is the size the tree reaches when it fruited for the first time. Size control is best done by growing several trees and cutting them back in alternate years to keep the smaller. The pruning will sacrifice the fruiting for a while so leaving other trees unpruned in the same season will continue cropping. If you work carefully in youth to spread the limbs more horizontal you can probably keep the fruit closer to the ground.
I would exercise caution, they are not nearly as toxic as apple seeds but they do contain some undesirable compounds. Mostly they are bitter so I wouldn't try to eat them. Rambutan seeds are edible, but only if they are properly prepared. Raw rambutan seeds can be toxic in large doses due to traces of toxic chemicals such as saponins but are safe from acute toxicity in doses up to 2,500 mg/kg dose. The symptoms of toxicity can include your motor coordination being affected. However, this would require more than just a couple of seeds eaten raw. Roasted rambutan seeds, however, showed no toxicity and can be safely eaten.
Thank you for clarifying, I was enjoying these in the Philippines & ate the seed which I found to taste rather yummy. My girlfriend looked at me shocked and asked if I wanted to die they can be fatal ! I stopped eating the seeds since then lol
@@j.d.8075 Friends out at the shore on lava do great with cashew. I don't think they would like my farm but I did pot up a bunch of nuts the other day. So far 6 have sprouted.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 The fruit is... well... you either love it or hate... It isn't to everyone's taste. If I remember stuff correctly, a type of wine/alcoholic beverage was and possibly still is, produced from the fruit.
@@j.d.8075 Yes, they make a liquor called Feni from the cashew apple. I've had a bottle of the stuff in the past as a gift. I'll take rum any day. The dry cashew apple is pretty good.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 luck has nothing to do with this boss, fortune favours the bold..... You sir are the bold one, exploring things only few dare and being an inspiration to us all 🫡
12 years! 😅 I planted a seed about 3 months ago, it has sprouted. It's a tiny little tree right now... SIGH... I guess I'll have to wait quite a while for in to bear fruits.
I have never been a man that marked time. This is the reason I am a successful tree planter. How long I live is irrelevant, the dead don't eat. I suggest folks engaging tree planting from seeds dispatch metering time as important to the process. Buying a larger grafted fruit tree will shorten the wait by a few years.
Thank you, for the wise words. I am even more determined to watch my grow now. I live in San Diego, California. The weather is mostly sunny year round with some humidity. To be honest, though, I am afraid it might not survive.
@@MP0121 Provided you do not live on the mountain in San Diego then you have the best chance of survival for this tree in CA. Soil conditions and drought will be your greatest challenge. Use a heavy organic mulch and don't short the irrigation water.
Pretty cool ! Unfortunately, very, very difficult to grow here in Metro Phx, Arizona...but you might make a mint ;) with cuttings...if we would be so lucky :)
@@GreenGardenGuy1 haha ! Pt very well taken, believe me...though even many of the Tropical rampant, radically addicted :) enthusiasts have even tried and failed here. The easiest is the Longan and some have succeeded with the lychee in the right conditions & micro-climate. To date, have not heard of any real successes with the rambutan. Yours looks terrific !!
@@jeff6899 I would think the tree would be a real challenge in a desert. It seems to thrive here with little care. The biggest issue is keeping it small enough to pick. It is more of a forest tree than an orchard plant.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Makes sense. Keep the great videos (and guitar ;) ) going...get radically busy at times but try to catch as many as I can--appreciate all the sharing you do :) The freestone & hermaphroditic aspects are cool... Cheers !
@@jeff6899 I must admit I am either very lucky or the genetics of tropical fruit from seed are superior to the general consensus. Many of my seed grown trees are superior to most named types.
Any update for this tree? Is it still producing fruit? Are you able to make money from this (sell fresh fruit, grafted / air layered plant etc)? Or you grow this tree just for fun?
The tree is doing fine. It appears to have a biennial bearing tendancy. I enjoy my life but I do all most nothing for pure fun. The rambutan was planted as a food crop for the house hold and as mother stock for my nursery. I sold the 2019 crop. The 2020 crop was too small to worry over. I used it as seed for the nursery
I remove them from the fruit. I usually plant several seeds in the same pot. I place them with any adhering fruit pulp on the surface of a professional growers media. I generally press them down so they make half way contact with the soil. I place them out in the rain on the nursery tables and wait. Once they germinate i transplant to individual pots.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 really everybody else has gotten issues wid dem. The imported fruit we get here in Barbados are definately too stale but i'm trying the baggy method.
@@geriannroth449 I have no idea what a baggy method might be. I use soil and pots to grow everything on the farm. It is the traditional method used by commercial growers.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 baggie method consist of slightly wetting paper hand towels place a couple seeds on it & fold over paper towel over seeds & place in a ziplock bag. Check seeds periodically & mist them with water accordingly. Usually used for giving seeds a head start over traditional propagating in soil.
@@geriannroth449 I have used that method when trying to rate the germination % of stored seeds. It allows me to count results. As far as a method for growing seed it has disadvantages. Air circulation is minimal and moisture build up can't be controlled. If it works for you then do it.
It looks like all the fruit is on one side. Beautiful clusters, btw. Did it fruit again this year, or...? What elevation? I’ve got two yellow Rambutan (grafted) about 5 years old, or even six, that look so healthy but still no fruit yet. I was starting to have some doubts about them, but maybe they take longer than I thought. I’m at 1100 feet
Don't worry, they will fruit eventually. I live at 1600 feet, my tree took about 10 years from a seed. Good fruit in 2019, a small crop in 2020 and so far nothing this year.
Could rambutans grow in central Florida I'm going to buy some at the grocery store and save the seeds will they produce fruit like are most fruits in stores grown from hermaphradite trees?
There is no guarantee that the Rambutan seeds from the store will produce hermaphrodite trees. All commercial Rambutan varieties are hermaphrodite so I suspect they tend to lean toward the parent but there is no guarantee. On the other hand planting the trees from seeds is a great way to find out if the trees will grow in your area. My best guess would be they don't produce north of Dade county but that is just a guess, not a fact. Unless you have the sort of luck I seem to have I would put tree trees in the same planting hole. One of them is bound to come out right. Aloha
Mr. Bill, where is your location? I am thinking about moving to S. Florida to grow rambutan trees, but I am not sure where is the best area to grow this tree. Please advise. Thanks
That's easy. The best and one of the only places in the USA where Rambutan will grow is Hawaii. The plant would probably survive in Dade county Florida too but with issues. Rambutan like deep acidic soils. South Florida soils are shallow and basic because they are coral reef origin. South Florida is a mild climate but it isn't tropical. The rambutan is tropical. From time to time arctic freezes will damage or destroy the tree in Florida. If it is a garden crop then it doesn't matter. If you were actually planning to farm the fruit then Florida would eventually bankrupt you. I live in the Puna district of the Big Island Hawaii.
This is something I can do but Rambutan season here is fall. Can't provide seeds until then. They don't store dry and all the seed I had stored in soil has turned into trees.
Bill, it says that you’re on the Big Island, I’m on Maui. I haven’t had to much luck growing from seeds, and I’m trying to distinguish between the male and female seeds. Could I buy some of your seeds from you?
Yes, You may purchase seeds from my website. www.greengardenservice.net There is no way to distinguish between male and female until they flower. My tree tends to produce a high percentage of hermaphrodite seedlings but I don't think they are all hermaphrodite. I am a few weeks from harvesting. By New Years I will begin listing seeds from this tree.
Sorry, too many other projects on my hands here. Not going to start grafting or air layering Rambutan. Anyone interested in propagation can get wood from me.
Last time I named an avocado variety it got called `Bill's Butter Balls'. After that no one could stand eating it so I just went back to calling it "That Avocado". The world might be better off if I never named the tree.
Nope I'm afraid it wouldn't survive in zone 7. I live in Hawaii zone 12 A and it is a bit cool for the tree here. It took extra long to get the tree into fruit because our winter nights can drop into the 50's Aloha
@@geriannroth449 No seeds I ever sent into the Caribean ever arrived at destination except St Thomas & Puerto Rico. Everything else comes up lost. Too much stress for both of us. Sorry.
Rambutan trees are dioecious. The tree could be male, female or hermaphrodite. Only the hermaphrodite trees are used in food production. The males produce only pollen, the females produce only ovary with no pollen. Only the hermaphrodites have perfect flowers with male and female parts.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thanks for enlighten my mind. Is there any ways to find out if the seeds are male, female or hermaphrodite? Or it will only be known when the tree grows up?
@@alonaagbuya2892 No there is no way to predetermine the sex of the seeds. This is why commercial Rambutan are grated from hermaphrodite trees. If you plant a few seeds in the same area, one is sure to turn up with perfect flowers. I just got lucky. I planted one seed and it was perfect. I often have this sort of luck with plants.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 ok thanks good to know. Maybe in a year or two then. I have some seeds in a wet paper towel right now while I finish eating the pack, so if you don't mind maybe I'll try a graft in the future.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 impatiens, Texas star habiscus, cinnamon mint, chocolate mint, lemon basil, sweet basil. Loads of banana pus/forms and elephant ear pups/corms. Might have lychee seeds, apricot and cherry seeds, and green and red pluot seeds. Lilli pad seeds, various morning glory and some yellow mango seeds. Nothing very rare or tropical tho
@@gardenoftwitty Thank you, nice list. Nothing jumped up and grabbed me though. When the seed is available I will post it on my website. www.greengardenservice.net
When the tree crops in fall I can sell seeds. They can't be stored so only available fresh. You can drop in for cuttings if you have seedlings to graft them too. They will not grow from rootless cuttings.
The word reanimate usually refers to bringing something back from the dead. Raising the dead is beyond my abilities. If the tree is just growing poorly then I would check for pest infestations and apply fertilizer if it hasn't been fed recently.
Fruit porn!!! I have so always wanted a rambutan tree. Do you ever sell air layered specimens for those of us who are older than you and probably do not have 12 years left to take our chances with seeds?
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Grafted would work for me as well. I can get you a link to what I think is one of the best of the thousands of videos on air layering if you are interested. As you know, there really is not much to the technique. These folks made it even simpler and supposedly have a very good success rate, too.
@@cs7717 My problem with air layering is I already have so many tasks I don't want to add a new one. My seedlings are kind of small right now but I did try a couple of side grafts with a nurse branch this morning. We will see how it goes.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Keeping everything crossed for ya that they all take! With your skills and luck, I am sure they will. If you can, please put my name on one of them.
@@cs7717 We will see what happens. I will keep working with the tree as I find the time. I may consider an air layer in the future. Mostly I will be waiting for my root stock to size up for grafting.
extremely lucky, and after 12 years it makes it even more miraculous.
I tend to have very good luck with plants. Aloha
You hit the jackpot with that tree😂😂😂
Every once in a while I hit the lottery without really trying.
Just planted about a dozen from seed very excited to see they sprouted in just a few days
Because the trees are hermaphroditic, male and female. You will need to plant all in order to figure out which is which.
What a gorgeous tree ! I just had rambutan for the first time and am going to try to grow them from seeds
If you live in a tropical climate the trees grow well with over 60 inches of rain. They are hermaphroditic, male and female on seperate trees. Only the hermaphrodite trees are used in orchards. From seeds it will take at least 10 years to tell the difference. Plant plent of seed, plant a group of trees in the field and expect to cut two thirds of them down in time because they are unfruitful.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thank you for all the guidance ❤️✨
Sure thing.
You are a blessed man!
Nah, I just plant stuff and occasionally something wonderful happens!
@@GreenGardenGuy1 can you please sell me a grafted plant?
@@nahif001 I don't do Rambutan grafting. It is very difficult and beyond my skill level.
I want some rambutans! Used to eat them a lot back when I grew up in Thailand.
Truly a worthy fruit. Aloha
Omg thats so much! i hope you just living around ours, I will be glad to share my lanzones or other tropical fruits I have here with your rambutan there! Pretty nice and healthy tree.
Where is your Lanzone?
Freestone varieties of rambutan are very popular here in Philippines, 2 of them actually. It's either a Maharlika or Long green variety. Base on the shape, looks like you have the Maharlika variety.
Anyway, more rambutan fruits to come!!
To my knowledge they are not common in HI. Many types the meat is almost glued to the seed.
Good video, thanks for sharing to us such an amazing tree beautiful rambutan.
🤙
That's loaded with fruit, super yum yum
It is pretty special. I was lucky from a seed.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 super good
Enjoy the fruit for both of us
I just purchased my 1st rambutan tree. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the video
Tropical weather will be required. Beware of mealy bugs. The trees come as male, female and hermaphrodite. The hermaphrodite trees are the only ones used in orchards.
I live in winter springs, Florida. Do you think I can grow rambutan here? I wonder how the small rambutan plant looks like? The ground behind my house is 30% sandy.
Hi Bill. I found the answer from one of your responses in the comments. I love Rambutan since I grew up in the Philippines. Been in the US for 40 years, mostly Florida
I would guess Winter Springs is too far north for this tree. Homestead FL would be more like it. They are very tropical. I don't see how sand would matter much as long as you had water. The little trees look like the big ones but smaller. They are very big trees.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thanks. Will try anyway and will let you know
@@pedrooliveros3085 Trying is the best way to learn. I had no idea if the tree would grow here when i planted it.
12 years to bear fruit? Wow
I don't actually recall how long anymore. the video was a few years back. Once a plant fruits the time it took doesn't matter much unless it was a commercial venture. You can never have what you don't plant. If I die before it fruits, the dead don't eat so why worry. Aloha
That tree looks huge! That is literally a ton of fruit on that thing too. Making us want to come over and visit you again🌈😃🤙
The Hawaii Fruit Basket came by and helped me pick yesterday. We will be at it for a few weeks though.
So, my question is... where are you located? Very cool! Maybe it just takes a while before bearing fruit if grown from seed🤷 how lucky you are to have been able to grow this tree from seed. Since then, have you grown more trees? Do you send seeds thru the mail?
I live on the Big Island of Hawaii in Puna district by Mountain view. I believe the tree fruited after about 7 years. I didn't keep good records though. I have a nursery on the property and a seed website. I grow a lot of different trees, shrubs, herbs, natives and vegetables. Seeds are offered at www.greengardenservice.net
@@GreenGardenGuy1 AWESOME! I will check it out! Thanks so much!!😊😊
Enjoy@@CandysGarden
Whoa! A freestone rambutan! Would it be possible to get an air layer of this, Bill?
I'll look into the possibility. Air layers have never been one of my strong horticultural areas. I have seedlings around and may do a few grafts on them.
I'd be interested in purchasing a grafted tree as well!
@@brentsims9114 I'll let everyone know how grafting turns out. At the moment most of my rambutan seedlings for root stock are kind of small. I did a couple with a side graft and nurse branch this morning. I will pot the rest of my seedling to larger containers and grow them out a bit before I try again.
Add me to the interested category. I may be coming up to Hawai’i isle in a week or two, will the fruit still be ripe/available?
@@seigetsuchan I think it will still be around.
I can eat this all day non stops ❤
Too much fruit will send you to the bathroom. I know!
Hello! If you are in Virginia I can buy rambutan from you! We love this frut so delicious!
We can not export Rambutan with out putting it into an irradiator first. I do not own such equipment. Aloha
Wow.... 12 Years Ago... Rambutan Looks Great... Where Can My Wife And I Meet You... We Want Some😊
I live in Mountain View, HI. The sight is listed on Google under Green Garden Nursery. The tree has no fruit at the moment. At best it crops once a year.
That thing is huge was thinking about planting one but man not sure anymore
Many of the trees that have been used as orchard stock like apples and citrus are adapted to constant size control. Most of the tropical trees are not. To control rambutan you grow it up, let it fruit, then chop it back and let it grow up again. There is no system of dwarfing that allows fruiting with these. I use a fruit picker to harvest. What I can't reach stays in the tree.
@GreenGardenGuy1 do you do any pruning or manicuring since planting?
Wow, so many fruits.
This was the first crop. They get larger each year.
Wow wow, lovely
Thank you so much
@@GreenGardenGuy1 you're welcome
Bill, you lucky dog!
Woof-woof.
Just ate my first one today, I never knew how good these are much better than lychees and 10 times better than longans. I want to plant a tree but they're just too big.
Big is usually up when it comes to trees. Real estate is expensive but the sky is free. Pulasan are even better but harder to grow.
Great video sir I really appreciate it 🙏👍🙌
Glad it was helpful!
@@GreenGardenGuy1 How do you fertilizer that plant because I plant a seed couple weeks ago and morning to my surprise it's growing so I would like to know how to keep it growing am in Orlando Florida
@@cartycartyamplifiersalesrepair My conditions here are very different from Orlando so what I do may not work for you. We have deep volcanic ash soil and I do not fertilize much. I have a compost heap beneath the tree that does most of the fertilizing. When i planted the young tree I fed it with some chicken manure. We seldom rise above 85 here and never drop below 50, the rain is 150 inches, the tree seems happy with these conditions. You can't help the heat in Orlando but I would set a rainbird sprinkler for frost. You will probably have to feed more often. Watch out for ants, they farm mealy bugs on the fruit clusters.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thank you very much for your advice I really appreciate it I'll let you know how everything is going from now on I'll keep in touch thank you very much again 🙏🙏
These trees come in three different forms, hermaphrodite, female and male. From seeds you will get any and all forms. The males only produce pollen and no fruit. The females only produce fruit if they have a male or a hermaphrodite to pollinate them. The hermaphrodite trees are the only ones we use in the orchard.
Is this in Florida? Are you still getting fruits every year?
Nope, this is Puna HI. Nope, the tree skipped an entire year. I assume it is a biennial cropping tree.
jealous from cold portland oregon
We had snow here too but it's on top Mauna Kea.
Wow 😍 we also have rambutan tree in our garden and different kind of vegetables ♥️
Do you enjoy the Rambutan?
@@GreenGardenGuy1 yes I like the taste of rambutan it's sweet , we have also mango,guyabano , Marang , jackfruit guava and many more 😍😍
@@tasyojacy4467 What is life without a fruit tree?
I'm eating these now which is why I google it
Nice fruit. Good for backpacking. The shell is like little shock absorbers.
@GreenGardenGuy1 what's the best tree to plant in the tropics. Like bahamas. That is aesthetic for a home. Yet produces a fruit. Coconut?
Rambutans are delicious. Better than lychee. I've had the red and the yellow. Tried germinating the seeds and the just rot. Don't what I'm doing wrong. Would love to grow one. Any tips on germinating the seeds?
Do not dry or clean the seeds. Remove them from the fruit and place them in a sterile media. I use milled sphagnum with perlite. I don't cover the seed, just push it half way into the soil on it's side. Don't over water. Germination should be over 80% if all goes right.
Try starting in tissue paper
I’m growing from a seed in Puerto Rico. I planted one seed and 2 trees have sprouted from it.....
That happens. If they have two tops but one root just prune off the smaller one. If there are two tops and two roots them you have a polyembrionic seedling and they can be seperated.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 is there a way I can tell if I have a male, female, or hermaphroditi tree? I really want a ton of fruit or at least some.
@@bountifullife1211 The only way to be sure is to use an air layered tree of known gender. From seeds I suggest planting several then cut down the male and female trees once they flower. There is no way to tell at the seed stage.
Would you consider air layering your Rambutan for sale? I would love to buy at least two. Thank you for your consideration.
Sorry, no. I don't do air layers. I have allowed other to layer trees here in the past though.
Where are you from. I love rembutan
Puna district, Hawaii.
I just bought a young Rambutan tree; Did you fertilize it, and what type of soil amendments did you use? Thanks
Yes, I fertilized it with pelletized chicken poo. I used sweet potato vine and perennial peanut trimmings as a mulch.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Do you mean chicken manure, and how often? I don't have chickens, so have to buy chicken manure fertiilizer. Thanks
@@annchee1329 Yes, I like to use Nutirich pelletized dry chicken manure. Made by Stutzman Egg ranch in OR.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 - You know, Garden Exchange carries NutriRich and have used them for my land , need to purchase more . Thanks for all your tips/suggestions.
@@annchee1329 You're welcome. If they have stock, BEI also sells it for less. That is where garden Exchange gets it.
I bought a tree from my asian market. What state are you in? I'm in Texas
Puna Hawaii, Big Island. Rambutan is very tropical. TX is likely too cold for the tree. They get huge so covering isn't really possible.
Hi Bill, just wondering if it would be a good idea to keep them low rather than tall so that it s easier to harvest. Not sure if the tree would tolerate that pruning. Good day pal..
Rambutan is more of a tropical forest tree than an orchard tree. The size you see is the size the tree reaches when it fruited for the first time. Size control is best done by growing several trees and cutting them back in alternate years to keep the smaller. The pruning will sacrifice the fruiting for a while so leaving other trees unpruned in the same season will continue cropping. If you work carefully in youth to spread the limbs more horizontal you can probably keep the fruit closer to the ground.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thats very true
How do I contact you to purchase some of these Rambutan, please let me know.
The tree skipped cropping this year. No fruit, no seed.
You might market this variety..the scion and cuttings
I might but there are other factors to assess. Is the free stone nature consistent. etc.
Hi where is this place?
Big Island, district of Puna, town of Mt. View.
Wow nice! Where r you located 😜😆 I want some lol jk! How many years before it bear some fruits?
I live in Puna HI. The tree was around 7 years old when it fruited.
What a beautiful healthy tree! Do you think I can purchase some seeds from you?
Yes, but it hasn't fruited lately. When it does I will put seeds on the web site. www.greengardenservice.net
Why don’t they make rambutan flavored ticktacks?
The breath mint or the UFO's the Navy calls ticktacks? Out side of products made in Asia I don't believe they make anything in rambutan flavor.
Is it true the seeds are toxic to consume?
I would exercise caution, they are not nearly as toxic as apple seeds but they do contain some undesirable compounds. Mostly they are bitter so I wouldn't try to eat them.
Rambutan seeds are edible, but only if they are properly prepared. Raw rambutan seeds can be toxic in large doses due to traces of toxic chemicals such as saponins but are safe from acute toxicity in doses up to 2,500 mg/kg dose. The symptoms of toxicity can include your motor coordination being affected. However, this would require more than just a couple of seeds eaten raw. Roasted rambutan seeds, however, showed no toxicity and can be safely eaten.
Thank you for clarifying, I was enjoying these in the Philippines & ate the seed which I found to taste rather yummy. My girlfriend looked at me shocked and asked if I wanted to die they can be fatal ! I stopped eating the seeds since then lol
Just enjoy them, already! Totally jealous... just isn't humid enough here for them... Lychees struggle also.
Perhaps you can grow Cashew there? It's a bit too wet for them here.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Cashews grow like weeds out in Charters Towers, they don't like the clay we are on here.
@@j.d.8075 Friends out at the shore on lava do great with cashew. I don't think they would like my farm but I did pot up a bunch of nuts the other day. So far 6 have sprouted.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 The fruit is... well... you either love it or hate... It isn't to everyone's taste. If I remember stuff correctly, a type of wine/alcoholic beverage was and possibly still is, produced from the fruit.
@@j.d.8075 Yes, they make a liquor called Feni from the cashew apple. I've had a bottle of the stuff in the past as a gift. I'll take rum any day. The dry cashew apple is pretty good.
Where do you live in would be helpful to know your zone
Puna Hawaii. USDA zone 12
From seed 😍😍😍
Yes sir, such luck!
@@GreenGardenGuy1 luck has nothing to do with this boss, fortune favours the bold.....
You sir are the bold one, exploring things only few dare and being an inspiration to us all 🫡
Okay, bold, but I never say much about the complete disaster, only the successes.@@jpsamy_inthezone
12 years! 😅 I planted a seed about 3 months ago, it has sprouted. It's a tiny little tree right now... SIGH... I guess I'll have to wait quite a while for in to bear fruits.
I have never been a man that marked time. This is the reason I am a successful tree planter. How long I live is irrelevant, the dead don't eat. I suggest folks engaging tree planting from seeds dispatch metering time as important to the process. Buying a larger grafted fruit tree will shorten the wait by a few years.
Thank you, for the wise words. I am even more determined to watch my grow now. I live in San Diego, California. The weather is mostly sunny year round with some humidity. To be honest, though, I am afraid it might not survive.
@@MP0121 Provided you do not live on the mountain in San Diego then you have the best chance of survival for this tree in CA. Soil conditions and drought will be your greatest challenge. Use a heavy organic mulch and don't short the irrigation water.
Pretty cool ! Unfortunately, very, very difficult to grow here in Metro Phx, Arizona...but you might make a mint ;) with cuttings...if we would be so lucky :)
I was told that Rambutan doesn't grow well at this elevation. So much for taking info from the coconut telegraph!
@@GreenGardenGuy1 haha ! Pt very well taken, believe me...though even many of the Tropical rampant, radically addicted :) enthusiasts have even tried and failed here. The easiest is the Longan and some have succeeded with the lychee in the right conditions & micro-climate. To date, have not heard of any real successes with the rambutan. Yours looks terrific !!
@@jeff6899 I would think the tree would be a real challenge in a desert. It seems to thrive here with little care. The biggest issue is keeping it small enough to pick. It is more of a forest tree than an orchard plant.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Makes sense. Keep the great videos (and guitar ;) ) going...get radically busy at times but try to catch as many as I can--appreciate all the sharing you do :) The freestone & hermaphroditic aspects are cool... Cheers !
@@jeff6899 I must admit I am either very lucky or the genetics of tropical fruit from seed are superior to the general consensus. Many of my seed grown trees are superior to most named types.
Any update for this tree? Is it still producing fruit? Are you able to make money from this (sell fresh fruit, grafted / air layered plant etc)? Or you grow this tree just for fun?
The tree is doing fine. It appears to have a biennial bearing tendancy. I enjoy my life but I do all most nothing for pure fun. The rambutan was planted as a food crop for the house hold and as mother stock for my nursery. I sold the 2019 crop. The 2020 crop was too small to worry over. I used it as seed for the nursery
Can you describe how to germinate the seeds? They seem to be very finakey l
I remove them from the fruit. I usually plant several seeds in the same pot. I place them with any adhering fruit pulp on the surface of a professional growers media. I generally press them down so they make half way contact with the soil. I place them out in the rain on the nursery tables and wait. Once they germinate i transplant to individual pots.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 really everybody else has gotten issues wid dem. The imported fruit we get here in Barbados are definately too stale but i'm trying the baggy method.
@@geriannroth449 I have no idea what a baggy method might be. I use soil and pots to grow everything on the farm. It is the traditional method used by commercial growers.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 baggie method consist of slightly wetting paper hand towels place a couple seeds on it & fold over paper towel over seeds & place in a ziplock bag. Check seeds periodically & mist them with water accordingly. Usually used for giving seeds a head start over traditional propagating in soil.
@@geriannroth449 I have used that method when trying to rate the germination % of stored seeds. It allows me to count results. As far as a method for growing seed it has disadvantages. Air circulation is minimal and moisture build up can't be controlled. If it works for you then do it.
It looks like all the fruit is on one side. Beautiful clusters, btw. Did it fruit again this year, or...? What elevation? I’ve got two yellow Rambutan (grafted) about 5 years old, or even six, that look so healthy but still no fruit yet. I was starting to have some doubts about them, but maybe they take longer than I thought. I’m at 1100 feet
Don't worry, they will fruit eventually. I live at 1600 feet, my tree took about 10 years from a seed. Good fruit in 2019, a small crop in 2020 and so far nothing this year.
At least 7 years, so you're almost there.
Could rambutans grow in central Florida I'm going to buy some at the grocery store and save the seeds will they produce fruit like are most fruits in stores grown from hermaphradite trees?
There is no guarantee that the Rambutan seeds from the store will produce hermaphrodite trees. All commercial Rambutan varieties are hermaphrodite so I suspect they tend to lean toward the parent but there is no guarantee. On the other hand planting the trees from seeds is a great way to find out if the trees will grow in your area. My best guess would be they don't produce north of Dade county but that is just a guess, not a fact. Unless you have the sort of luck I seem to have I would put tree trees in the same planting hole. One of them is bound to come out right. Aloha
Yeah I'm gonna give it a go and hope for the best I hope I get fruit one day
@@plantking1655 Good attitude. This is how we learn thing for ourselves rather than relying on informational sources. Aloha
Mr. Bill, where is your location? I am thinking about moving to S. Florida to grow rambutan trees, but I am not sure where is the best area to grow this tree. Please advise. Thanks
That's easy. The best and one of the only places in the USA where Rambutan will grow is Hawaii. The plant would probably survive in Dade county Florida too but with issues. Rambutan like deep acidic soils. South Florida soils are shallow and basic because they are coral reef origin. South Florida is a mild climate but it isn't tropical. The rambutan is tropical. From time to time arctic freezes will damage or destroy the tree in Florida. If it is a garden crop then it doesn't matter. If you were actually planning to farm the fruit then Florida would eventually bankrupt you. I live in the Puna district of the Big Island Hawaii.
Hey Bill, I sure wish I could get some of those Rambutan seeds.
This is something I can do but Rambutan season here is fall. Can't provide seeds until then. They don't store dry and all the seed I had stored in soil has turned into trees.
Hi sir which state is this rambutan grown? I live in south Texas
Hawaii. Rambutan requires a tropical climate.
Bill, it says that you’re on the Big Island, I’m on Maui. I haven’t had to much luck growing from seeds, and I’m trying to distinguish between the male and female seeds. Could I buy some of your seeds from you?
Yes, You may purchase seeds from my website. www.greengardenservice.net
There is no way to distinguish between male and female until they flower. My tree tends to produce a high percentage of hermaphrodite seedlings but I don't think they are all hermaphrodite. I am a few weeks from harvesting. By New Years I will begin listing seeds from this tree.
Bill, I am also interested in either a grafted or air layer plant
Chris
Sorry, too many other projects on my hands here. Not going to start grafting or air layering Rambutan. Anyone interested in propagation can get wood from me.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 can you please sell woods for propagation?
@@nahif001 I can sell scions. There are rules about shipping plants though. It depends on where you live If this can be done legally.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 I live in California
Are u from Vietnam?
Nope, born in Chicago and currently reside in Puna Hawaii.
Do you sell grafts or cuttings? I'd love to grow a tree
I don't reproduce this tree but I can sell scions.
Are you going to name the variety?
Last time I named an avocado variety it got called `Bill's Butter Balls'. After that no one could stand eating it so I just went back to calling it "That Avocado". The world might be better off if I never named the tree.
Bill, wondering if it would grow in zone 7...with covering on during winter?
Nope I'm afraid it wouldn't survive in zone 7. I live in Hawaii zone 12 A and it is a bit cool for the tree here. It took extra long to get the tree into fruit because our winter nights can drop into the 50's Aloha
@@GreenGardenGuy1 How about zone 9b - zone 10
@@Shuan1227 Zone 11 for sure. Maybe really sheltered locations in 10B
How can i order some seeds from you I'm in Barbados West Indies.
Sorry, I do not ship seeds outside of the USA. There are different rules for every country and deliveries often fail or are returned.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 gosh I'm willing to take a chance if it's mailed as normal mail.
@@geriannroth449 No seeds I ever sent into the Caribean ever arrived at destination except St Thomas & Puerto Rico. Everything else comes up lost. Too much stress for both of us. Sorry.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 wow well never say never maybe one good day you'll mek it happen
@@geriannroth449 Where there is a will there is a way.
are there any left on the tree?
Nope, What I didn't pick and sell in October and November was eaten by roof rats in December.
Why my rambutan tree dont produce fruits when it's season. Always flowers then the flowers dried up.
Rambutan trees are dioecious. The tree could be male, female or hermaphrodite. Only the hermaphrodite trees are used in food production. The males produce only pollen, the females produce only ovary with no pollen. Only the hermaphrodites have perfect flowers with male and female parts.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Thanks for enlighten my mind. Is there any ways to find out if the seeds are male, female or hermaphrodite? Or it will only be known when the tree grows up?
@@alonaagbuya2892 No there is no way to predetermine the sex of the seeds. This is why commercial Rambutan are grated from hermaphrodite trees. If you plant a few seeds in the same area, one is sure to turn up with perfect flowers. I just got lucky. I planted one seed and it was perfect. I often have this sort of luck with plants.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 thank you very much.
GreenGardenGuy1 : you got a green thumb man
Can I get some cuttings from you by chance?
Yes but they will not root. You would require seedling root stocks for grafting the scions to.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 ok thanks good to know. Maybe in a year or two then. I have some seeds in a wet paper towel right now while I finish eating the pack, so if you don't mind maybe I'll try a graft in the future.
@@vonries Sounds good.
You have any of those rambutan seeds? I'd love to buy or trade for some
The tree fruits in autumn. Nothing now. What do you intend to trade?
@@GreenGardenGuy1 impatiens, Texas star habiscus, cinnamon mint, chocolate mint, lemon basil, sweet basil. Loads of banana pus/forms and elephant ear pups/corms. Might have lychee seeds, apricot and cherry seeds, and green and red pluot seeds.
Lilli pad seeds, various morning glory and some yellow mango seeds. Nothing very rare or tropical tho
@@gardenoftwitty Thank you, nice list. Nothing jumped up and grabbed me though. When the seed is available I will post it on my website. www.greengardenservice.net
Can I have some?
The tree generally fruit in late fall.
wow! Are you from Australia?
Nope, born in Chicago but live in Hawaii.
Bill what does it taste like?
Some what like other members of the family. Almost like Pulasan but not as sweet and tangy. Kind of like Lychee without that "Lychee" taste.
Hi, Bill. Do you have these Rambutan seeds or cuttings for sale? Thank you.
When the tree crops in fall I can sell seeds. They can't be stored so only available fresh. You can drop in for cuttings if you have seedlings to graft them too. They will not grow from rootless cuttings.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 I think you're in Hawaii now, right? So I can't drop in, haha.
@@kryptonitekittee7665 Yup, can't grow rambutan in California, it's too cold. Maybe in the mildest spots of San Diego.
May I have some seeds?
The tree is in flower, not fruit at this point in time. When the fruit sets I will list seeds at www.greengardenservice.net
How reanimate tree when it’s has problems?
The word reanimate usually refers to bringing something back from the dead. Raising the dead is beyond my abilities. If the tree is just growing poorly then I would check for pest infestations and apply fertilizer if it hasn't been fed recently.
GreenGardenGuy1 thanks,
Great vid. What state is this growing in?
Hawaii
Fruit porn!!! I have so always wanted a rambutan tree. Do you ever sell air layered specimens for those of us who are older than you and probably do not have 12 years left to take our chances with seeds?
I may consider doing a few air layers now that i see the tree is a good one. I have never been very good at air layers though.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Grafted would work for me as well. I can get you a link to what I think is one of the best of the thousands of videos on air layering if you are interested. As you know, there really is not much to the technique. These folks made it even simpler and supposedly have a very good success rate, too.
@@cs7717 My problem with air layering is I already have so many tasks I don't want to add a new one. My seedlings are kind of small right now but I did try a couple of side grafts with a nurse branch this morning. We will see how it goes.
@@GreenGardenGuy1 Keeping everything crossed for ya that they all take! With your skills and luck, I am sure they will. If you can, please put my name on one of them.
@@cs7717 We will see what happens. I will keep working with the tree as I find the time. I may consider an air layer in the future. Mostly I will be waiting for my root stock to size up for grafting.