Rambutan – the spiny fruit with a soft heart which can be grown as an ornamental tree in our garden.
Rambutan N 18
The most popular Indian variety, N 18 is highly adaptable and is far superior to the existing varieties. Large delicious fruits with an aril percentage of 44, rich crunchy luscious pulp, and sugar content of 20º Brix make N 18 unique among rambutan varieties. A high amount of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and anti-oxidants.
Rambutan fruits are highly nutritious, being rich in carbohydrates, vitamins, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Rambutan grows well in a warm tropical climate. Lands prone to waterlogging are not good for growing Rambutan. Slightly sloped lands are ideal. Budding is the best method for producing high-quality Rambutan planting materials. Buddings produce fruits after 2 or 3 years with optimum production occurring after 6 or 8 years if managed well.
- The ideal spacing between two saplings is 40 ft, which can vary from place to place depending upon the weather condition.
- In one acre of land, up to 35 saplings could be planted.
- The pits (1m sq.) should be filled with topsoil mixed with 3 pots of well decomposed cow-dung manure or compost and 1 kg each of rock phosphate. Then place the plant with the bud union above the soil level.
- A handful of compost or dried cow-dung manure and rock phosphate mixed with soil should be sprinkled around the planting hole. Additional fertilizers can be given after 6 months, but only after the new flush of leaves are emerged and matured.
- Proper irrigation is essential during the dry season. Keep the orchard clean by periodic removal of weeds. Dried branches and water suckers should be removed regularly.
Planting & Care:
Choose a fertile growing medium, such as topsoil mixed with compost or manure. The added nutrients help speed up germination and seedling growth. Plant rambutan trees at least 33 feet apart & horizontally with the flat side facing down. This helps the plant grow straight and establish a strong root system. The roots spread considerably and need plenty of room to grow. If the trees are too close together, they may not produce a high yield of fruit. Keep the plant in a sunny location and never let the soil dry out. Germination takes nine to 25 days. When seedlings reach about 12 inches, they are ready to transplant to a yard or a greenhouse. After a fruit harvest, apply 2.2 pounds of ammonium sulfate and 2.2 pounds of a 12-24-12 fertilizer per tree to the soil.
Climate & Soil:
Rambutan is adapted to a warm tropical climate. The tree grows well up to 700 meters above sea-level. It requires around 22–30°C temperatures for optimum growth. It is very sensitive to low temperature and the growth of the plant is severely affected at a temperature less than 100°C. The plant requires good rainfall of 200-500 cm well distributed throughout the year but a short spell of the day period is essential for the initiation of floral bud function. The heavy rainfall during the maturity period causes the cracking of fruits
Rambutan is grown successfully in a wide range of soils. Well-drained sandy loam to clay loam soils with organic matter is most suitable for optimum growth and yield. It is can be grown successfully in red laterite soil if adequate organic and inorganic fertilizers are applied. The optimum soil pH is 4.5 to 6.5. Rambutan is sensitive to waterlogging. The orchard in slight sloppy land has been found performing better.
Harvesting & Yield:
Rambutan grafted trees start bearing fruits from fourth year onwards. In Southeastern Asian Countries, Rambutan produces fruits twice a year, the first and the main crop is in June and a lesser one is in December. But in India, it gives only one cropper year. The fruits are usually ripe in the month of July to October. Harvesting is done by shears or sharp knives by cut the inflorescence stalk. It is recommended that the fruits should not be allowed to fall directly to the ground as this will cause injury and cannot be kept for a long time. The fresh fruit is easily bruised and have a limited shelf life. An average tree may produce 2000-3000 fruits (60–70 kg) per tree. However, yield may vary from year to year because rambutan exhibits alternate bearing.
***The specifications mentioned are indicative only. Actual dimensions may vary by +-5%
AARON JOHN (verified owner) –
Nice packaging and healthy plant.