The Tropical Fruit Forum
Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: HMHausman on January 28, 2012, 01:07:12 PM
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Despite pronouncements of our own Lycheeluva, here last week, which were conclusively indicitive of his opinion and belief that there were no blooms on any of my lychee trees, this picture of what I observed this morning seem to depict what looks suspiciously like bloom. This is a Hak Ip tree. You may have also seen it spelled Haa Kip, Har Kip, Hak Yip and maybe some other ways. In fact, about 15 or more years ago, there was a grower out in western Broward County that was convinced that what we were growing here in Florida was not Hak Ip at all. He felt the leaves did not have that dark appearance that supposedly characterized the Hak Ip (which supposedly means "Black Leaf") If we have any folks that speak, I asssume it would be Cantonese, a verification of this would be appreciated. In anycase, this grower decided to call his trees and the fruit therefrom by his own, made up, name. He chose Kim Wah. Not sure why or if it had any meaning. Every once in while, I come across someone who asks for Kim Wah. He developed somewhat of a following......he used to sell his fruit for $10 a pound. He sold lots of fruit at that price and the people were thrilled to get them back then when lychees were not so available.
Harry
(http://s12.postimage.org/hu03fit95/126_2609.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/hu03fit95/)
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while i hope i am wrong, to me those spikes are not of sufficient resolution to tell whether they are flower or leaf spikes. i certainly hope they r blooms but in some ways they do look a little leafy.
on a related note, i carefully examined all the lychee trees at fruit and spice park and did not see any evidence of bloom.
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Those are flower spikes.
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while i hope i am wrong, to me those spikes are not of sufficient resolution to tell whether they are flower or leaf spikes. i certainly hope they r blooms but in some ways they do look a little leafy.
on a related note, i carefully examined all the lychee trees at fruit and spice park and did not see any evidence of bloom.
Lycheemon,
I think u right..if his tree is blooming, it's doing a weird half veg half reproductive thing, that I've seen mango and Lychee do sometimes....I don't see any balls....the lychees blooming here have balls all over, about the size of carpenter ants abdomen....I just see leaves, and what looks like a very scant amount of fruiting potential, based on the photos I've seen.
Closer inspection could reveal otherwise...and a Hakip Black leaf, has much different looking bloom spike than sweetheart, and many other common lychees.
U saw what happened with my abiu flowers in question...these photos may be deceiving...they do look like reproductive growth panicles....(comment added after modified this post)
I hope I'm wrong, and this a fruitful tree for you this year :)
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I think Harry is right and those are flower panicles. Can't say 100% due to bad resolution of photo, would say 90%. If you get a little closer with your camera can tell you 100%. Doesn't look like leaf flushes because don't see any new leaves.
My Kwai Mi lychees are flowering right now.
Oscar
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I am not absolutely certain either at this point. And there do appear to be some leaves in the new flushes at the top of the tree. However, with many lychees you will see a mix of leaf and bloom, especially at the outset of the blooming cycle. I think these growths were perhaps going to be vegetative until the last cold spell and then they converted to bloom. I didn't get a chance to climb up to get a closer shot....but I will tomorrow. We just picked up a nice little rain shower.....the first real rain we've had in many weeks....maybe like 6 weeks.
Harry
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Harry - are these only on the top of the tree. From what I can see in your picture, I don't see anything at the lower levels.
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I am not absolutely certain either at this point. And there do appear to be some leaves in the new flushes at the top of the tree. However, with many lychees you will see a mix of leaf and bloom, especially at the outset of the blooming cycle. I think these growths were perhaps going to be vegetative until the last cold spell and then they converted to bloom. I didn't get a chance to climb up to get a closer shot....but I will tomorrow. We just picked up a nice little rain shower.....the first real rain we've had in many weeks....maybe like 6 weeks.
Harry
Rain at flowering time or right before flowering time is not good because it induces new flushes, which impede flowering and fruiting.
Oscar
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Harry, looking again at your photo, seems like something is munching pretty badly on those top leaves?
Oscar
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Harry, looking again at your photo, seems like something is munching pretty badly on those top leaves?
Oscar
Looks like the damage from the prevalent Sri Lankin Root Weevil.
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Climbed up to the top. Defintiely blooms. Pics to follow. Sri Lankan Beetle is the culprit. They seem to like Sweetheart and Hak Ip over other cultivars. Why? No clue. Have to run.
Harry
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yay harry! thrilled u were right and i was wrong. . Hak iP are usually first to flower - so hopefully, the rest of your lychees will follow shortly
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As promised, here are some shoots I just took.
(http://s7.postimage.org/s1l0ry1pj/126_2617.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/s1l0ry1pj/)
(http://s17.postimage.org/icxlsunzv/126_2615.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/icxlsunzv/)
Man...the top of this tree has been chewed to bits by those damned Sri Lankan beasts.
Harry
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Climbed up to the top. Defintiely blooms. Pics to follow. Sri Lankan Beetle is the culprit. They seem to like Sweetheart and Hak Ip over other cultivars. Why? No clue. Have to run.
Harry
the Weevils also love my Hak Ip and Sweetheart. In addition, they love my NDM and and to some extent my LZ while no attacks on my Coconut Cream, Mallikas, Mahachanoks or Excalibur.
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The weevils are pretty fond of my Mallika and largest Edward tree because they are closest to the weed thicket. But more than anything they LOVE my loquat trees. Fortunately they seem to have a pretty difficult time eating the leaves on them :D
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As promised, here are some shoots I just took.
(http://s7.postimage.org/s1l0ry1pj/126_2617.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/s1l0ry1pj/)
(http://s17.postimage.org/icxlsunzv/126_2615.jpg) (http://postimage.org/image/icxlsunzv/)
Man...the top of this tree has been chewed to bits by those damned Sri Lankan beasts.
Harry
You can usually tell vegetative flushes from flowers even from afar because flushes have reddish new leaves and flower panicles don't.
Oscar
PS the weevils don't eat flowers or fruits?
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No....there are no visible bloom, yet, on any part of this tree other than the top. But, that is not unusual. Lychees, especiallly Hak Ip, will often bloom on the most sun exposed part of the tree first, and sometimes exclusively. Most times, the rest of the tree is a week or more behind and blooms with somewhat less intensity. As far as the Sri Lankan Weevil, it only attacks the leaves in my experience. I haven't ssen any fruit predation so far, thankfully.
Harry