Editing Carambola (section)

==Cultivation==
[[File:Carambola star fruit at organic food mela Bangalore Karnataka India.jpg|right|thumb|Unripe Indian carambola]]
[[File:Sliced Indian Carambola Star fruit with Indian spices.jpg|thumb|Ripe carambola fruit with Indian spices]]
The carambola is a tropical and subtropical fruit which can be grown at elevations up to {{convert|4,000|ft|order=flip|abbr=off}}. It prefers full sun exposure, but requires enough humidity and annual rainfall of at least {{convert|70|in|mm|abbr=on|order=flip}}.<ref name=jm/><ref name=cabi/> It does not have a soil type preference, but will thrive in [[loam]] and requires good drainage.<ref name=jm/> Moderate irrigation supports its growth during dry seasons.<ref name=jm/> Heavy rains may inhibit fruit production.<ref name=jm/>

Carambola trees are planted at least {{convert|20|ft|m|0|order=flip|abbr=on}} from each other and typically are fertilized three times a year.  The tree grows rapidly and typically produces fruit at four or five years of age. The large amount of rain during spring actually reduces the amount of fruit, but, in ideal conditions, carambola can produce from {{convert|200|to|400|lb|kg|order=flip|abbr=off|-1}} of fruit a year. The carambola tree flowers throughout the year, with main fruiting seasons from April to June and October to December in Malaysia,<ref name="ippc">{{Cite book|author =Crop Protection & Plant Quarantine Services Division|title =Technical Document for Market Access on Star Fruit (Carambola)|publisher =The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Malaysia|year =2004|url =https://www.ippc.int/file_uploaded/1115281083940_Technical_Document_Carambola.pdf|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110909055104/https://www.ippc.int/file_uploaded/1115281083940_Technical_Document_Carambola.pdf|url-status =dead|archive-date =September 9, 2011}}</ref> for example, but fruiting also occurs at other times in some other locales, such as South Florida.<ref name=jm/><ref name="crane"/>

Growth and leaf responses of container-grown 'Arkin' carambola (''Averrhoa carambola'' L.) trees to long-term exposure of 25%, 50%, or 100% sunlight showed that shading increased [[rachis]] length and leaflet area, decreased leaflet thickness, and produced more horizontal branch orientation.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Marler|first1=Thomas E.|last2=Schaffer|first2=Bruce|last3=Crane|first3=Jonathan H.|date=1994-07-01|title=Developmental Light Level Affects Growth, Morphology, and Leaf Physiology of Young Carambola Trees|journal=Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science|language=en|volume=119|issue=4|pages=711–718|doi=10.21273/JASHS.119.4.711|issn=0003-1062|doi-access=free}}</ref> 

Major pests are [[carambola fruit flies]], fruit moths, ants, and birds.<ref name=jm/><ref name="crfg"/><ref name="ippc"/> Crops are also susceptible to frost.<ref name="crfg"/>

Top producers of carambola in the world market include Australia, [[Guyana]], India, [[Israel]], [[Malaysia]], the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States.<ref name="crane"/> Malaysia is a global leader in star fruit production by volume and ships the product widely to Asia and Europe.<ref name="ippc"/> Due to concerns over pests and pathogens, however, whole star fruits cannot yet be imported to the US from Malaysia under current [[United States Department of Agriculture]] regulations. In the United States, carambolas are grown in tropical and semitropical areas, including parts of Florida and Hawaii.<ref name="jm"/><ref name="bilj">{{Cite web|url=http://www.bijlmakers.com/fruits/starfruit.htm|title=Star Fruit|author=Hein Bijlmakers|publisher=Tropical Fruits|access-date=August 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626140136/http://www.bijlmakers.com/fruits/starfruit.htm|archive-date=2012-06-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the United States, commercial cultivation and broad consumer acceptance of the fruit only date to the 1970s, attributable to [[Morris Arkin]], a backyard [[horticultural]]ist, in [[Coral Gables, Florida]]. The 'Arkin' variety represented 98% of the acreage in South Florida in the early 21st century.<ref name="knight">{{Cite journal|author1=Robert J. Knight|author2=Jonathan H. Crane|year=2002|title=The 'Arkin' Carambola in Florida|journal=Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc.|volume=115|pages=92–93|url=http://www.fshs.org/Proceedings/Password%20Protected/2002%20Vol.%20115/92-93(Knight).pdf}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>