How to Grow Pulasan
Nephelium mutabile
Pulasan is a strictly tropical fruit tree related to rambutan and lychee that needs a heated greenhouse in the UK with a minimum of 15C year-round. Provide bright light with some dappled shade for young trees, keep soil consistently moist, and maintain high humidity by misting regularly. Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during the growing season. The fruit is easier to open than rambutan and the flesh separates cleanly from the seed.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during the growing season. Pulasan is a heavy feeder when actively growing — apply a slow-release granular feed in spring and supplement monthly. Reduce feeding in winter.
Watch For
- Mealybugs — cottony clusters in leaf axils and on stems
- Glasshouse red spider mite — stippled leaves in warm dry conditions
- Scale insects on older woody stems
- Root rot from overwatering
- Leaf spot (Pestalotiopsis) in humid conditions with poor airflow
Track your Pulasan care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Bright light; heated greenhouse in UK
Needs bright light with some direct sun. In the UK, grow in a heated greenhouse or large conservatory. Young trees prefer dappled shade; mature trees tolerate full sun.
💧 Watering
Keep moist with high humidity; mist regularly
Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged. Pulasan needs high humidity — mist regularly or use a humidity tray. Reduce watering slightly in winter but never let the compost dry out completely.
🌱 Fertilizing
Monthly liquid feed in growing season; slow-release in spring
Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during the growing season. Apply a slow-release fertiliser in spring. Pulasan is a heavy feeder when actively growing.
✂️ Pruning
Light pruning to shape; tip-prune to control size
Prune lightly to maintain shape and remove dead wood. Can be kept to a manageable size in a large container by regular tip-pruning of new growth.
❄️ Overwintering
Minimum 15°C year-round; high humidity essential
Strictly tropical — maintain a minimum of 15°C year-round. Needs a heated greenhouse in the UK. Keep humidity high and provide supplementary lighting in winter.
Growing Tips
Keep humidity high
Maintain humidity above 70% by misting foliage regularly or using a humidity tray — dry air causes leaf drop.
Feed generously
Feed monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser during the growing season; pulasan is a heavy feeder when actively growing.
Tip-prune to control size
Tip-prune new growth regularly to keep container-grown trees at a manageable size.
Strictly tropical
Never let the temperature drop below 15C — pulasan is less cold-tolerant than many other tropical fruit trees.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Mealybugs
Identification: White, waxy, cottony clusters in leaf axils and on stems. Sticky honeydew and sooty mould. Stunted growth.
- Dab individual bugs with a cotton bud soaked in methylated spirit
- Introduce the ladybird Cryptolaemus montrouzieri as biological control
- Spray with insecticidal soap
- Spray with a plant oil-based insecticide or fatty acid spray
Pest Glasshouse Red Spider Mite
Identification: Fine stippling on upper leaf surfaces. Leaves become dull and bronzed. Fine webbing visible in severe infestations.
- Introduce the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis
- Maintain high humidity which naturally suppresses mite populations
- Spray with insecticidal soap
- Spray with a miticide if biological control is insufficient
Pest Scale Insects
Identification: Small brown or white oval bumps on stems and leaf undersides. Sticky honeydew and sooty mould on foliage.
- Scrub off with a soft brush dipped in soapy water
- Apply a winter plant oil wash
- Spray with a plant oil-based insecticide
Disease Root Rot Phytophthora spp.
Symptoms: Yellowing leaves, wilting despite moist soil, dark discolouration at the stem base. Roots are brown and mushy.
Treatment: Reduce watering. Repot into fresh, well-drained compost. Cut away affected roots.
Prevention: Use well-drained compost with added perlite. Keep soil moist but never waterlogged. Ensure containers have adequate drainage holes.
Disease Leaf Spot Pestalotiopsis spp.
Symptoms: Brown or grey spots on leaves, sometimes with a yellow halo. Spots may merge in humid conditions, causing leaf drop.
Treatment: Remove and destroy affected leaves. Improve air circulation.
Prevention: Avoid overhead watering. Ensure good ventilation despite the high humidity requirement. Remove fallen debris promptly.
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 900 cm |
| Row spacing | 1100 cm |
| Mature height | 800 cm |
| Mature spread | 500 cm |
Related to rambutan and lychee. Evergreen. Easier to open than rambutan. May have two flowering seasons.
Log Pulasan in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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