Is it possible to grow longan tree in container?

[Suebelle]

And which trees are not too unhappy to grow in containers?
I mean not only to grow but also to have some fruits. I guess not too many but at least few good fruits to try and enjoy.

[waxy]

I have 4 varieties, all grown in containers.
I also get harvest from them every year starting in July to October.

- Biew Kiew
- Diamond River
- Kohala
- Sri Chompoo

Kohala can be planted in ground here without issues.
I kept mine outdoors without any protection, looks like the cold weather didn't bother it at all.

[xshen]

Slightly off topic. Do you guys know what’s the longan variety called from Florida that has large fruit with thick brown skin?

[FreshOne]

I have 4 varieties, all grown in containers.
I also get harvest from them every year starting in July to October.

- Biew Kiew
- Diamond River
- Kohala
- Sri Chompoo

Kohala can be planted in ground here without issues.
I kept mine outdoors without any protection, looks like the cold weather didn't bother it at all.

I have a kohala and biew kiew in containers but they're not doing that well. Can you give some tips regarding fertilizers and watering schedule?

[knlim000]

Waxy,
since you in my area, I like to know when does your longan start flowering?   My graft lychee already started flowering in Dec.  But kohala seedling started about 10yrs ago is still no sign of flowers.  Kohala was in a pot, but I cut out the bottom of the pot last summer so that it can extend it's roots into the ground.  Kohala is about 5-6ft tall now.  survive the cold pretty here even though it is out in the open with no protection.

[ajeshcool47]

In my experience, longan should plant grafted or bubbed plants.. Seedlings need very long time, I ve seen some twenty years old trees here, they never even flowered..

[kc_moses]

So a 10 years old Kohala from seed is only 5-6ft tall? Is that normal?

Also, any good place to get grafted Longan in South Florida? Excalibur only have Kohala from seed as well, which is what I have now and it's not doing good since I dug it out when Hurricane Irma hit and it's taking longer to recover.

[waxy]

I have 4 varieties, all grown in containers.
I also get harvest from them every year starting in July to October.

- Biew Kiew
- Diamond River
- Kohala
- Sri Chompoo

Kohala can be planted in ground here without issues.
I kept mine outdoors without any protection, looks like the cold weather didn't bother it at all.

I have a kohala and biew kiew in containers but they're not doing that well. Can you give some tips regarding fertilizers and watering schedule?

I don't do anything special, just water it once or twice a week when dry.
Let it dry up at least 2-3 inches from the top, over watering it will cause the flowers to drop prematurely.
If fruiting, the fruits will crack, dry up or will not grow so you'll have to remove them to allow other fruits to grow.

Care and Feeding:
I use a mixture of homemade worm castings (Azomite, Coffee grounds, vegetable scraps, iron chelate, steer manure) and Osmocote every 3 months. Once in spring when flowers start to emerge. Again in June when the fruits are set, again in September when new growth flushes while fruits are growing. You can gauge the process just by observing their behavior. Each longan has a different schedule.
For me it's Kohala, Biew Kiew, Diamond river, Sri Chompoo.

Pollenation:
I keep mason bees to help with pollenation, as soon as I see the flowers open usually around mid to late April, I let the bees out.
If you let them out too early they'll relocate but still pollenate your trees. Only problem is that it will not nest locally, or where you want it to.

Logistics
15 - 25 gallon black container.
Happy Frog and Ocean Forest 3:1 Mix.
South facing, full sun from morning to dusk.
I do not mist the trees when it's over 100F, it will cause cracking to the fruits, sometimes drop.

[waxy]

Waxy,
since you in my area, I like to know when does your longan start flowering?   My graft lychee already started flowering in Dec.  But kohala seedling started about 10yrs ago is still no sign of flowers.  Kohala was in a pot, but I cut out the bottom of the pot last summer so that it can extend it's roots into the ground.  Kohala is about 5-6ft tall now.  survive the cold pretty here even though it is out in the open with no protection.

The Kohala starts flowing at this time to late April. (Spring)
Having planted that tree from a seed, you may experience a delay in growth periods.
Reason being is that we do not have a full consistent growing season compared to other regions.
During dormancy the tree takes several months for it to kick into gear, so we actually get 60-70% of the growing season in our area.
Sometimes weather gets finicky, like we did earlier this year when it was really warm for a week in Jan.

I noticed a lot of flowers started to emerge, then they died off because the freezing weather came back and stayed for almost 2 months.
Good news is that the flowers will regrow itself, just not as heavy as the first flush.
Your Kohala should be flowering this year, if not it'll be any year at this point.

[knlim000]

thanks Waxy. I guess i'll have to wait another year for the longan blooms then.