Author Topic: have any of your lychee trees in S. Florida bloomed yet (Read 18926 times)

phantomcrab · « **Reply #25 on:** February 20, 2012, 06:15:14 PM »

I just took a walk around my neighborhood and looked at 28 lychees and only 4 had flower spikes. Roughly half of the trees showed no signs of growth at all. The cultivars for sale in nurseries here are Brewster, Mauritius and Hak Ip so these are probably the trees I'm looking at. The trees are all yard plantings (except one) and quite likely have had some supplemental watering. "Spring" here is about 2 weeks later than in Miami so maybe more flowering will occur soon. This winter has been typically dry but noticeably warmer than normal.

HMHausman · « **Reply #26 on:** February 20, 2012, 06:36:28 PM »

I am not so sure about this cold vs dry discussion as it relates to lychee blooming. My trees are planted on mucky soil that is about 4-5 feet above the water table. You dig down 4-5 feet and there is a constant source of water. My understanding is that in Southern China, where lychees are native, they are very often found growing on river banks....where again, there is a constant source of moisture. Having never been to the south of China, I don't know if this is accurate or not. It seems to me that either chill hours or dryness can provide the necessary stress to induce blooming. Not sure if both are required to some degree, but I tend to think not based on my discussion above. This year, between very low chill and a very wet beginning to the dry season, there seems to be insufficient stress to bring on the kind of bloom we would all like to see. I guess we'll know more in a few weeks, but I am thinking this will be a sparse production year, at best.

Harry

JF · « **Reply #27 on:** February 20, 2012, 09:24:56 PM »

[
jf- great pics- is the second pic taken in a greenhouse
[/quote]

No, they are outside. these folks are next neighbors.

JF

Jsvand5 · « **Reply #28 on:** February 21, 2012, 01:10:12 PM »

I am up in Ocala but I have blooms on my little Kaiman and ONE blom spike on my Sweetheart. Everything else (Hak ip and Mauritius) is pushing new leaves. I think I am done bothering with lychees. Much easier to just buy a bunch from Harry.

Cookie Monster · « **Reply #29 on:** February 21, 2012, 01:45:31 PM »

HAHAHAHAHA Honestly Harry has some of the best lychees to be found in FL. Muck soil seems to favor lychee tres.

Quote from: Jsvand5 on February 21, 2012, 01:10:12 PM

I am up in Ocala but I have blooms on my little Kaiman and ONE blom spike on my Sweetheart. Everything else (Hak ip and Mauritius) is pushing new leaves. I think I am done bothering with lychees. Much easier to just buy a bunch from Harry.

nullzero · « **Reply #30 on:** February 21, 2012, 02:32:29 PM »

Quote from: jeffhagen on February 21, 2012, 01:45:31 PM

HAHAHAHAHA Honestly Harry has some of the best lychees to be found in FL. Muck soil seems to favor lychee tres.

Quote from: Jsvand5 on February 21, 2012, 01:10:12 PM
I am up in Ocala but I have blooms on my little Kaiman and ONE blom spike on my Sweetheart. Everything else (Hak ip and Mauritius) is pushing new leaves. I think I am done bothering with lychees. Much easier to just buy a bunch from Harry.

I find this to be true, I am growing lychees in containers. The Lychee in a self watering container with a broken down peatmoss/potting soil mix that is mucky seems to be thriving. The lychees in regular 5 gal with a less mucky faster draining soil, seem to grow slowly.

phantomcrab · « **Reply #31 on:** March 01, 2012, 09:47:36 AM »

I saw 4 more of the neighborhood lychees putting up flower spikes today. They are all on large established trees.

HMHausman · « **Reply #32 on:** March 01, 2012, 11:24:55 AM »

Sad to report that I have two Hak Ip trees in bloom. I saw a few spikes on Early Large Red. The rest, all seem to have flushed out leaves so far. The number of still dormant trees is dwindling fast

Harry

lycheeluva · « **Reply #33 on:** March 01, 2012, 11:46:54 AM »

indeed a tragedy Harry.

SWRancher · « **Reply #34 on:** March 01, 2012, 12:07:40 PM »

After getting my Lychee fix from Harry for the last few seasons, I think I'm sadder then He is about his trees not blooming

.

lycheeluva · « **Reply #35 on:** March 01, 2012, 12:58:48 PM »

SW- that is certainly the case for me

Cookie Monster · « **Reply #36 on:** March 01, 2012, 01:24:14 PM »

Yikes. Jeff predicts high lychee prices this year. Time to invest lychee futures contracts :-).

Quote from: HMHausman on March 01, 2012, 11:24:55 AM

Sad to report that I have two Hak Ip trees in bloom. I saw a few spikes on Early Large Red. The rest, all seem to have flushed out leaves so far. The number of still dormant trees is dwindling fast

Harry

murahilin · « **Reply #37 on:** March 01, 2012, 10:45:42 PM »

Quote from: jeffhagen on March 01, 2012, 01:24:14 PM

Yikes. Jeff predicts high lychee prices this year. Time to invest lychee futures contracts :-).

Lol. I wonder what's the highest price Harry could charge for his limited lychee crop this year and have people actually pay it.

Those with lychee trees in front of their houses that are fruiting better set up guard at night or risk losing all fruit.

fruitlovers · « **Reply #38 on:** March 02, 2012, 02:04:00 AM »

Quote from: murahilin on March 01, 2012, 10:45:42 PM

Quote from: jeffhagen on March 01, 2012, 01:24:14 PM
Yikes. Jeff predicts high lychee prices this year. Time to invest lychee futures contracts :-).

Lol. I wonder what's the highest price Harry could charge for his limited lychee crop this year and have people actually pay it.

Those with lychee trees in front of their houses that are fruiting better set up guard at night or risk losing all fruit.

Lychee prices here are very dependent on how good of a lychee year it is. In good years price of lychee can go as low as $2 a pound. On terrible years or on very early fruits price can go as high as $5 a pound. This year looks like it might be a good one. Last couple of years have been very bad.
Oscar

bsbullie · « **Reply #39 on:** March 02, 2012, 07:36:26 AM »

Quote from: fruitlovers on March 02, 2012, 02:04:00 AM

Quote from: murahilin on March 01, 2012, 10:45:42 PM
Quote from: jeffhagen on March 01, 2012, 01:24:14 PM
Yikes. Jeff predicts high lychee prices this year. Time to invest lychee futures contracts :-).

Lol. I wonder what's the highest price Harry could charge for his limited lychee crop this year and have people actually pay it.

Those with lychee trees in front of their houses that are fruiting better set up guard at night or risk losing all fruit.
I have seen lychee prices here in SFla reach near $10/lb in bad years.

Lychee prices here are very dependent on how good of a lychee year it is. In good years price of lychee can go as low as $2 a pound. On terrible years or on very early fruits price can go as high as $5 a pound. This year looks like it might be a good one. Last couple of years have been very bad.
Oscar

HMHausman · « **Reply #40 on:** March 02, 2012, 06:20:36 PM »

I noticed, this morning, a large section of my largest Brewster tree putting out some bloom. The blooming section is located at the very top of the crown of the canopy and then is only about 1/10 of the entire top canopy suface. It is a very large tree so there will be more than just a few fruits produced. However, this area oif the tree will be very hard to reach as it is just about out of my reach using my 16 foot orchard ladder in conjnction with a ten foot "pick and hold" picker. This area would ordinariily be left for birds to forage. This year the birds and I will be at major odds over who is going to get those fruits. Last year I did harvest some fruits at the top of the canopy. But, the only way to do it was to actually cut down large interior branches and then harvest the fruit as the limb fell. Its not such a bad thing though as this will open up the center of the canopy and allow some new growth further down, much more within reach and will reduce the overall height of the tree to a more manageable level.

Harry

fruitlovers · « **Reply #41 on:** March 02, 2012, 06:29:50 PM »

Quote from: HMHausman on March 02, 2012, 06:20:36 PM

I noticed, this morning, a large section of my largest Brewster tree putting out some bloom. The blooming section is located at the very top of the crown of the canopy and then is only about 1/10 of the entire top canopy suface. It is a very large tree so there will be more than just a few fruits produced. However, this area oif the tree will be very hard to reach as it is just about out of my reach using my 16 foot orchard ladder in conjnction with a ten foot "pick and hold" picker. This area would ordinariily be left for birds to forage. This year the birds and I will be at major odds over who is going to get those fruits. Last year I did harvest some fruits at the top of the canopy. But, the only way to do it was to actually cut down large interior branches and then harvest the fruit as the limb fell. Its not such a bad thing though as this will open up the center of the canopy and allow some new growth further down, much more within reach and will reduce the overall height of the tree to a more manageable level.

Harry

Sounds like you need to top your lychee trees, and so do I ! I notice that the part of the lychee tree that most often throws panicles is that which has most sun exposure, and that most often is the very top of the trees.
Oscar

Cookie Monster · « **Reply #42 on:** March 02, 2012, 07:14:00 PM »

hehe :-) better to a airlayer $$ than to prune :-)

Quote from: fruitlovers on March 02, 2012, 06:29:50 PM

Quote from: HMHausman on March 02, 2012, 06:20:36 PM
I noticed, this morning, a large section of my largest Brewster tree putting out some bloom. The blooming section is located at the very top of the crown of the canopy and then is only about 1/10 of the entire top canopy suface. It is a very large tree so there will be more than just a few fruits produced. However, this area oif the tree will be very hard to reach as it is just about out of my reach using my 16 foot orchard ladder in conjnction with a ten foot "pick and hold" picker. This area would ordinariily be left for birds to forage. This year the birds and I will be at major odds over who is going to get those fruits. Last year I did harvest some fruits at the top of the canopy. But, the only way to do it was to actually cut down large interior branches and then harvest the fruit as the limb fell. Its not such a bad thing though as this will open up the center of the canopy and allow some new growth further down, much more within reach and will reduce the overall height of the tree to a more manageable level.

Harry

Sounds like you need to top your lychee trees, and so do I ! I notice that the part of the lychee tree that most often throws panicles is that which has most sun exposure, and that most often is the very top of the trees.
Oscar

FloridaGreenMan · « **Reply #43 on:** March 02, 2012, 08:14:13 PM »

I stopped at Parkland FL after work ay my friend George's place and his Sweet Cliff plus one other had decent flowers. His GIANT Mauritius had nary a bloom. He has around 10 lychees in the ground. It's been too warm all winter!

lycheeluva · « **Reply #44 on:** March 02, 2012, 09:34:34 PM »

what varieties does George have

Sleepdoc · « **Reply #45 on:** March 03, 2012, 08:57:53 AM »

Zero blooms on my lychee trees, just new growth. 1 Mauritius, 1 Brewster, 1 Sweetheart.

lycheeluva · « **Reply #46 on:** March 03, 2012, 09:03:00 AM »

if there are any lychee growers in central florida who have a good crop, they are in for a bumper payday.
I emailed lycheesonline last week to see if his grove bloomed and I got no response- not a good sign. In chinatown in NY, they usually sell mexican lychees for 2-3 weeks before the FL comes in. So hopefully, the mexican lychees will be available. the are not quite as good as the FL lychees though

Charlie23 · « **Reply #47 on:** March 05, 2012, 02:33:35 PM »

my sweetheart is blooming/flowering. However it seems the leaves are dropping and no new growth of leaves at this point, is that normal?

Also, should i peel off the leaves that are covering or on top of the flowers?

lycheeluva · « **Reply #48 on:** March 05, 2012, 05:00:08 PM »

where are you located charlie?
I would not remove the leaves covering the flowers. if the flowers set fruit, the fruit will push the leaves to the side. If you are concerned the leaves will block access to the flowers by pollinating insects, I would either hand pollinate the flowers that are covered by leaves or try and paperclip the leaves out of the way during the pollination phase.

it is normal for there to be no new leaf growth during bloom pushes.
which leaves are falling off- if you are referring to small undeveloped leaves that emerged with the bloom pannicles, this is normal. if you are referring to fully devleoped leaves, this is not normal and if it continues you should check for the cause.
hope this was of some help.

puglvr1 · « **Reply #49 on:** March 06, 2012, 05:29:37 PM »

Went on a road trip and on the way home saw some very large Lychee trees blooming...stopped and took a couple of pictures for Lycheeluva...most of the blooms of course are on the top of the tree. These trees are HUGE!!

News:

Author Topic: have any of your lychee trees in S. Florida bloomed yet (Read 18926 times)