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Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: simon_grow on February 25, 2018, 06:01:41 PM

Title: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on February 25, 2018, 06:01:41 PM
Lychees are one of my favorite fruit and I’ve been growing them for some time now but unfortunately they just don’t grow well in ground at my house because of my alkaline soil and water. I’ve resorted to growing them in pots for now and I also planted trees at my in laws place where their soil is closer to neutral pH.

In the past, I was growing some highly coveted varieties like Kwa Luk, No Mai Tsze and Salathiel but they all eventually succumbed to my poor soil conditions. Reports from people I contacted in Florida indicated that Kwa Luk and No Mai Tsze are particularly susceptible adverse soil conditions and many of the trees for these two varieties eventually died.

Emperor is another Lychee that I’ve noticed performs poorly on its own roots if soil conditions are not ideal. I’ve personally experienced this myself with my Emperor growing great for a couple years and then it dies out of the blue.

Because of these circumstances I have to deal with, I decided to try innarch grafting Emperor onto seedling rootstocks to see if I can get it to grow faster and to survive long term in my poor soil.

I will also be innarching two Lychee seedlings together to see if they will grow faster with two rootstocks. After the Union has healed, I will innarch a named variety onto the double rootstock seedling tree.

A third experiment I will be testing out is to innarch a Longan seedling to a Lychee seedling. Once the graft heals, I will top off the Longan seedling leaving the Lychee top which I will then innarch a named variety onto.

My fourth experiment is to follow the same technique I used for growing avocado and directly plant Lychee seeds in my alkaline soil and hope that the seedling with its intact tap root will be better able to adapt to the native soil.

Simon


Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on February 25, 2018, 06:07:20 PM
Here are some Lychee seedlings that I started about a year ago. I planted them in a relatively tall pot and the tap root seems to like to grow down deep. Notice that the length of the roots is almost identical to the height of the vegetative shoot.
(https://s14.postimg.cc/6ahoe6wd9/0_BAE5_D87-61_FE-4947-_B7_A2-8_C67_E97_A30_EA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6ahoe6wd9/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/pscbu5ggd/3_C65_C51_C-0368-4_CAB-8_BD5-_B2_E70_F968_C6_A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/pscbu5ggd/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/topnq5gvh/A9_A5_AEC6-7_D65-446_A-8947-45_B5_E98_E2209.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/topnq5gvh/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/qumicp6zh/C495_A065-_E280-427_C-_BAC5-8_D71967860_DE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/qumicp6zh/)
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on February 25, 2018, 06:10:50 PM
Here’s a closeup shot of the roots. Notice that there is no indication that the roots have been colonized by mycorrhizal fungi.

I just transplanted these seedlings into their new pots so I have to wait until they recover from the transplant shock before innarching them.
(https://s14.postimg.cc/icd28h32l/1_F0_D9_BB3-1374-4_FE7-_A484-5_E0_C437_AFC90.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/icd28h32l/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/94ktrsbfx/6071_A0_CE-0282-4453-_A5_EC-05_EA2_E393_C0_E.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/94ktrsbfx/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/jremx7bvh/7331_FADD-5_D83-44_C0-_B00_F-042_C2_D3993_D9.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/jremx7bvh/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Samu on February 25, 2018, 09:02:35 PM
Good to see someone is doing this kind of experiments; am pretty sure whatever the conclusions will be, they will be useful to us. Thanks for sharing this (and other experiments you're doing) Simon, and have fun doing them too!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Ethan on February 25, 2018, 09:22:04 PM
Sounds like a great experiment Simon, it'll be nice to watch it progress. I have grafted lychee on lychee and seen successful lychee on longan but those were done for different reasons.

Good luck!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: andrewq on February 25, 2018, 09:33:13 PM
will be excited to hear results of this experiment. the soil here in houston is also alkaline clay. i’ve hesitated to put the container lychees into the ground and have been pleasantly surprised at their grow in cintainers
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Guanabanus on February 25, 2018, 09:51:48 PM
Back around the late 1980's we grafted several hundred Lychees.  It seemed too difficult to be profitable, but we did sell a hundred or so nice ones.  Years later we heard that they had out-performed air-layered ones, and were more cold-hardy.  We did not resume that project, however, as our difficulty was in not being able to produce decent batches of root-stocks--- the vast majority of seedlings were incredibly sickly.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Cookie Monster on February 25, 2018, 10:07:57 PM
Interesting.

Back around the late 1980's we grafted several hundred Lychees.  It seemed too difficult to be profitable, but we did sell a hundred or so nice ones.  Years later we heard that they had out-performed air-layered ones, and were more cold-hardy.  We did not resume that project, however, as our difficulty was in not being able to produce decent batches of root-stocks--- the vast majority of seedlings were incredibly sickly.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: barath on February 25, 2018, 10:55:45 PM
Back around the late 1980's we grafted several hundred Lychees.  It seemed too difficult to be profitable, but we did sell a hundred or so nice ones.  Years later we heard that they had out-performed air-layered ones, and were more cold-hardy.  We did not resume that project, however, as our difficulty was in not being able to produce decent batches of root-stocks--- the vast majority of seedlings were incredibly sickly.

Were you able to figure out what made some seedlings sickly?  Was it the source / cultivar of them, or the way they were sown?  Or was it completely random?
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: andrewq on February 25, 2018, 11:24:23 PM
lychee grafted to longan?
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: fyliu on February 26, 2018, 01:25:18 AM
I find that 1 gallon pots aren't deep enough for lychee seedings to thrive.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Guanabanus on February 26, 2018, 09:12:00 AM
If we had figured out the problem, we wouldn't have stayed stymied!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on February 26, 2018, 03:34:22 PM
Thanks for the support everyone!

Ethan, I’m glad you had success with grafting Lychees. You and Max are both very skilled grafters to accomplish this task.

Har, thanks for the valuable information. This gives me more hope that I will be successful and that there are benefits to grafted Lychee trees.

Andrewq, that’s right, a member here(fruit4me) has successfully grafted Lychee onto Longan and was even able to get the Lychee graft to Fruit on the Longan rootstock. See this thread:
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=315.0 (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=315.0)

Fang, I replanted the seedlings into tall narrow pots. I had to use narrow pots because I need to bring the potted seedling Lychees closer to the named varieties I will be innarching them to.

I looked at my plant tags and some seedlings are about 1 year old but some are closer to 2 years old.



(https://s14.postimg.cc/rjisbm2y5/58368566-_FDC6-46_DD-_BACE-3_AE67_B439456.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/rjisbm2y5/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/l5tp8faxp/85917_FA7-034_E-4_D7_B-8_DC7-_A8_C9_CD43626_E.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/l5tp8faxp/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/hm7rikihp/A1899_F4_D-7_AE9-4_DE0-_ADDE-8_B8_EDFD289_B6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/hm7rikihp/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/j19c7aral/A820_E838-353_B-4404-_AD1_E-_C715430_A0_B57.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/j19c7aral/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/57kzia1a5/BC9_B882_B-_F539-4_BCA-_A071-_B8929_D672_B0_C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/57kzia1a5/)

(https://s14.postimg.cc/s91ko0t7x/C17_AC08_A-_D59_D-4_D08-_BF51-_AD1936_A5_FD5_E.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/s91ko0t7x/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on March 26, 2018, 01:55:16 PM
I received my new Emperor Lychee plant in the mail about two months ago and I noticed the other day that it is starting to push new growth. My recently transplanted Lychee seedlings haven’t fully recovered from the shock yet but I decided to try and innarch a couple anyways.
Here’s a picture of the Emperor with slightly chlorotic leaves and some hard water residue on the leaves
(https://s18.postimg.cc/l3wahcvzp/65787_A4_C-_C2_D1-40_CA-_B067-_FA1_A7_A66_A7_BC.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/l3wahcvzp/)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/clmud1cmd/C10_CADA4-600_B-44_DB-83_CA-0143_AFF63_BEC.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/clmud1cmd/)
Here are some pictures showing how I try to line up the branches, notice how I marked the top and bottom boundaries of where I plan to make my cuts
(https://s18.postimg.cc/ffpzqq75h/150_AB6_FF-77_CE-4_CAA-_A9_D4-13320500300_F.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/ffpzqq75h/)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/4g4sf41at/22_AEDD34-009_A-4_A84-_AF02-1_B8_B2_CB4_D059.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4g4sf41at/)
The branches after I made the cuts
(https://s18.postimg.cc/gw1i8hzo5/BB289_CE0-9432-48_A5-87_C6-_A2_CB98_FB92_D3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/gw1i8hzo5/)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/3rvxvu2hh/F793_C64_F-64_CB-408_B-_AC93-9363_F39_D1_B47.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/3rvxvu2hh/)
After wrapping with parafilm
(https://s18.postimg.cc/erh57i5s5/442748_AB-53_C7-4360-9_E46-379_D3_D6_E47_F6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/erh57i5s5/)

(https://s18.postimg.cc/9stmsyu9h/A2_E39357-0_CBC-4354-9373-88126_ED6_B4_D6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/9stmsyu9h/)
 
In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been fumbling around trying to take pictures as the branches were very thin in diameter and they looked slightly dried out by the time I started wrapping. It was also very difficult to perform the actual wrap because of how closely spaced the small branches were on the Emperor Lychee. I don’t have much confidence in these innarch grafts because of the condition of my seedling rootstocks but at least I can try again if these first attempts fail.
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: pineislander on March 26, 2018, 06:47:40 PM
Just FYI, I recently ran across this document by the former owners of a Lychee grove and nursery next door. It might be of interest to you.
http://journals.fcla.edu/fshs/article/view/92405/88597 (http://journals.fcla.edu/fshs/article/view/92405/88597)

Also in the same issue was this article on Lychee grafting:
http://journals.fcla.edu/fshs/article/view/92404/88596 (http://journals.fcla.edu/fshs/article/view/92404/88596)
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: marklee on March 27, 2018, 01:43:05 AM
Simon,

I planted a seedling Brewster within a few inches of my small Emperor in the ground with the idea of inarching the Emperor to the Brewster, but the Brewster seems too small in diameter to match the Emperor. Have you tried to match just one side?
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on March 27, 2018, 08:52:46 AM
Thanks for the info pineislander!

Mark, I purposely transplanted my Lychee seedlings into small but tall pots so that I can put them really close to the potted Mother tree in order to match the diameter of the seedling tree with a thinner branch higher up in the canopy of the mother tree.

Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: marklee on March 27, 2018, 02:57:38 PM
Simon,

I have plenty of seedlings and just got a couple more Emperor and No Mai Tze airlayers so I’ll see what I can doWhat do you think of inarching the no mai tze?
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on March 27, 2018, 06:11:51 PM
Mark, definitely innarch the No Mai Tze. I killed several air layers already. It might even be a good idea to innarch them onto clonal rootstocks that are proven to grow well in our soils like what the articles pineislander linked to suggested.

Mark, you may even want to innarch a branch onto your in ground Brewster or Mauritius since we know they are thriving in your soil. Please put me in line for an air layer of your NMT if you are successful!

Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: marklee on March 28, 2018, 12:56:06 AM
Mark, definitely innarch the No Mai Tze. I killed several air layers already. It might even be a good idea to innarch them onto clonal rootstocks that are proven to grow well in our soils like what the articles pineislander linked to suggested.

Mark, you may even want to innarch a branch onto your in ground Brewster or Mauritius since we know they are thriving in your soil. Please put me in line for an air layer of your NMT if you are successful!

Simon
I’ll work on getting you one Simon.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: ScottR on March 28, 2018, 11:38:55 AM
Wow Simon I love your energy, you have another interesting experiment going!! Keep us posted! Have you grafted Lychee onto Longan yet? 8)
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Vernmented on March 28, 2018, 12:11:51 PM
I believe Julian Lara grafts Emperor onto Brewster. That is the only way to get Emperor to grow down in the Redlands where they plant in limestone and limestone rubble.

I recently went to a lychee lecture with a grower with 30 years experience. He showed some really great pictures of inoculated root systems with Mycostim brand. I haven't used that brand but I use two other brands of mycorrhizae. He also stressed the importance of windbreaks and heavy mulching. He also applies manure and blends up food scraps into a slurry and puts it under the mulch.

If you can find a healthy tree near by I would grab some soil from the root zone and add it to your pots as well.

I have heard of "Sour Mountain Lychee" being used as a rootstock overseas as well.

Nice post!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: andrewq on March 28, 2018, 05:09:47 PM
I've used mycostim and Mykos. Can't say definitively they made a huge difference.

It's interesting to note that mycostim has fungi plus cottonseed meal, so it is supplement N in additional to mycoses.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on March 28, 2018, 06:17:12 PM
Wow Simon I love your energy, you have another interesting experiment going!! Keep us posted! Have you grafted Lychee onto Longan yet? 8)
Thanks Scott, yes I have tried. The initial graft was successful but I cut the supporting branch too early and killed the graft. Max(fruit4me) has proven the concept works and got fruit from his Lychee grafted onto Longan and I am just waiting for his long term survival report before I plan my next steps. There are reports in literature that there may be long term incompatibility issues but the literature also said the graft works. See this thread for additional details: http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=315.0 (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=315.0)

Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on March 28, 2018, 06:26:39 PM
I believe Julian Lara grafts Emperor onto Brewster. That is the only way to get Emperor to grow down in the Redlands where they plant in limestone and limestone rubble.

I recently went to a lychee lecture with a grower with 30 years experience. He showed some really great pictures of inoculated root systems with Mycostim brand. I haven't used that brand but I use two other brands of mycorrhizae. He also stressed the importance of windbreaks and heavy mulching. He also applies manure and blends up food scraps into a slurry and puts it under the mulch.

If you can find a healthy tree near by I would grab some soil from the root zone and add it to your pots as well.

I have heard of "Sour Mountain Lychee" being used as a rootstock overseas as well.

Nice post!

Hey Vernmented , thanks for the information! I have very high pH soils and have noticed that Mauritius and Brewster grow much better in this type of soil.

I used to work for a company that did research on microorganisms and beneficial bacteria and fungi were some of the things we worked on.

Lychee trees when grown in good environments will naturally acquire the beneficial organisms that help them grow better. A good organic environment with a nice mulch layer will help with this. One paper I read suggested that peat moss increased the likelihood of the root systems acquiring the mycorrhizal fungi.

In one article I read about a decade ago, I believe they named a specific species of mycorrhizal fungi that was especially Fruit promoting in Lychee and I believe the name was “something chinensis or Litchensis”. I’ll have to see if I can find that article again.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on March 31, 2018, 01:23:51 PM
The tops to both my innarched seedlings are starting to push new growth. They were actually already pushing before i innarched and I purposely waited until I saw active growth before grafting but the good news is that the branches continued to push new growth that hasn’t dried up yet. In the innarching process, I cut 1/3 to 1/2 the diameter of the branch off before joining and binding the branches and sometimes the injury causes new growth to dry up. It’s still way too early and I’m still skeptical about the success of these grafts but at least things are looking good so far.

(https://s17.postimg.cc/hysgr0v3f/5_D61_FB72-3_E42-40_DB-_AC5_A-28_A80962_B3_D6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/hysgr0v3f/)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/erxx7dfsb/BCC5378_C-011_D-40_F9-844_F-6_E2403367897.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/erxx7dfsb/)

(https://s17.postimg.cc/qttb1jrln/ED68428_E-0_E46-4_B8_D-8264-107_C5_D515054.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/qttb1jrln/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on May 18, 2018, 01:36:32 PM
The parafilm on the innarch graft is starting to crack along the Union so I know the callous must be forming and healing over. I decided to cut a notch above the graft on the seedling and also cut another notch below the graft on the Emperor in order to divert energy away from my future cuts. You can see the lighter color notches directly above and below the grafting tape.
(https://s9.postimg.cc/4b8tzjb3v/1_A47_B5_A0-0292-457_D-9290-9_F4_FC847_B35_C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/4b8tzjb3v/)

(https://s9.postimg.cc/tu16ck2dn/58_F690_A1-361_C-4549-_BC35-_B5_B6_EDF2_E1_A0.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/tu16ck2dn/)

(https://s9.postimg.cc/3lq1n6pzv/679_C9248-68_CC-4_CA9-_A076-6_B33160_E1_D2_A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/3lq1n6pzv/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Lionking on May 21, 2018, 09:20:36 PM
Simon,

I am new to the Lychee growing so this might be a question that has been asked.
Are the Florida Lychee trees ok to grow out here in So. cal or is it better to purchase a California grown Lychee.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on May 22, 2018, 12:31:38 AM
Hey Lionking,

The Lychee trees from Florida grow perfectly fine here. Mauritius, Brewster, Sweetheart and Hak Ip do well here but Emperor can have issues growing in our high pH soils and high pH city water.

I’m going to see if I get better growth of Lychees when they are innarched onto seedling rootstocks.

Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Lionking on May 22, 2018, 07:43:39 PM
Thanks Simon,

Looking forward to reading your results on your experiment..... good luck!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Ariel on May 23, 2018, 02:15:09 AM
I am performing in Israel, a lychee longan grafting experiment with all varieties I can find here.

A commercial nursery performed a smaller experiment and the success rate, as told me was 50% in such grafts.

An old US report from 1948 clearly specified that both lychee and longans have special anatomy that limits types of grafts.

Propagation of lychees by cuttings is easily done with 88% pf success as told me by one nursery. Others propagate by airlayers.

There were 300 hectares of lychees in Israel and 200 were pulled out by angry growers

It seems that micorhyza is important in various high pH soils here, and the heat and other drying conditions kill it.

Will be happy to show results next year and keep in touch here.

Ariel Shai

Israel
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on May 23, 2018, 12:39:43 PM
Ariel, a couple members here have successfully grafted Lychee onto Longan rootstock, see this link:
http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=315.0 (http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?topic=315.0)

Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on June 18, 2018, 06:44:25 PM
Here’s a quick update on my Emperor Lychee innarched onto seedling rootstocks. Notice that I already notched the Emperor and the seedling. I then snapped the branches. I’m about ready to completely sever the connections.
(https://s22.postimg.cc/d9c121clp/1_F93_D1_A4-9_B77-44_A2-8_F58-7991437_D2_AFA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/d9c121clp/)

(https://s22.postimg.cc/y6896picd/6164047_C-848_A-4474-91_B4-4_F0_B97_D64164.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/y6896picd/)

(https://s22.postimg.cc/eodlqrt4d/F0_BC9040-558_D-4_D2_F-8921-1_F37_E7932_C32.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/eodlqrt4d/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on June 21, 2018, 08:23:15 PM
I finally did it and severed the final connection. Hopefully they can take this heat wave. I’m putting them in partial sun for the next couple weeks to get them acclimated to full sun. You can see that the union has healed up very cleanly.
(https://s15.postimg.cc/lf5p9f7gn/5245944_C-1_C8_D-46_D6-_ACB6-_BF8837_F38_AA9.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/lf5p9f7gn/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/njq2ahlxz/81_B28216-927_C-4609-_BDFF-_A16467_FBD093.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/njq2ahlxz/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/yw2ns9mx3/89914_E04-2217-4_F39-832_C-01_AA19628_AA4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/yw2ns9mx3/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/6j761toc7/8_FBDB98_D-_A09_F-4_E75-80_A2-3455_BB64943_C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/6j761toc7/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/yjb9m2p7r/B1_DD5_DD6-9242-4362-8_B0_D-5734506_F6_A28.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/yjb9m2p7r/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Lionking on June 22, 2018, 12:25:49 AM
Nice job Simon.  Glad to see and read that everything is going well.
And thanks for the info on Florida Lychee trees.
I purchased a Brewster from Palms and More in Fort Lauderdale.  So far the tree is doing great.  It did get a little shipping and transplant from pot to ground shock but i am now  Starting to see new growth.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on June 22, 2018, 09:46:44 PM
Thanks Lionking,

Here’s what the union looks like with the tape completely removed
(https://s15.postimg.cc/tazj9snvr/27_E8_C015-0867-45_A2-8_A4_A-55_CA1_FDF5_F3_A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/tazj9snvr/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/qtns2iw9j/B7_A64_CFE-2_FA1-4_D08-_BC96-1_AFA9953263_A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/qtns2iw9j/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/bxp8uy0af/D00_AD6_B8-_CCC1-4340-_A7_FE-_FA061_F867_B1_D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/bxp8uy0af/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/occ0v94nb/E3461_C64-_EA8_C-4_AA6-_BCC6-521_C479_C6820.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/occ0v94nb/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Lionking on June 23, 2018, 12:41:11 AM
The unions healed up nicely.
Please keep us updated as time goes bye. 
Your experiment success will be helping a lot of us with the way we grow lychee trees.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: marklee on June 23, 2018, 02:25:38 AM
Looks good Simon, I think I'll try some of the varieties I have and put them on the seedlings I have.

Also, I was a Quail gardens today and someone is air layering  a couple of lychees. One is labeled as "Kwai Mi", have you ever heard of that one?
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Guanabanus on June 23, 2018, 03:22:03 PM
Probably the same as Kwai Mai Pink (often with the misnomer, Bosworth #3).  In low chill conditions can be more productive, usually every year, than several other varieties.  Low to medium vigor.  I only observed one tree, between a shell-rock road and a shade-house--- so it got water every night on the shade-house side, and it got lots of Calcium, and drier conditions, on the road-side.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on June 23, 2018, 04:19:56 PM
Hey Mark, I agree with Har but I’m a little confused as well because I’ve heard Kwai Mai Pink being called Bosworth 3. I’ve also heard regular Kwai Mai being called Mauritius. Kwai Mai literally translates into Cinnamon flavor in Cantonese.

The Kwai Mai Pink is a smaller fruit that is sweet and the fruit can get some fungus on it that resembles Anthracnose, maybe it is, but is still highly productive. The Fruit has a weak Lychee/Rose flavor but I still like the fruit because of the lack of acidity.

It may be worth it to try to make sure the tree is not Mauritius before trying to acquire plant material.

Mark, with your huge Lychee tree, I would try to acquire scions from all the top varieties and multigraft your tree assuming air layers of these varieties are not available. Once the grafts take, you can air layer the different varieties.

Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on July 11, 2018, 11:35:50 PM
Quick update of my Emperor Lychee innarched onto seedling rootstock. It is pushing a nice small flush. The tree is in a very small tall pot and I need to up pot it but I’m going to wait till the flush hardens first.
(https://s15.postimg.cc/72a586ttz/1_EF7_B182-8171-4_CA1-9_D53-98_C49_E1_D0_D49.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/72a586ttz/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/5n8kjgl13/8_DA6_BB8_E-_F7_CF-40_F4-_A470-9126_BC108_D64.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/5n8kjgl13/)
Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Lionking on July 12, 2018, 12:01:24 AM
Quick update of my Emperor Lychee innarched onto seedling rootstock. It is pushing a nice small flush. The tree is in a very small tall pot and I need to up pot it but I’m going to wait till the flush hardens first.
(https://s15.postimg.cc/72a586ttz/1_EF7_B182-8171-4_CA1-9_D53-98_C49_E1_D0_D49.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/72a586ttz/)

(https://s15.postimg.cc/5n8kjgl13/8_DA6_BB8_E-_F7_CF-40_F4-_A470-9126_BC108_D64.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/image/5n8kjgl13/)
Simon


Looking good Simon! 
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: hellosf on July 20, 2018, 10:42:41 AM
Very nice, excellent work!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Ethan on July 20, 2018, 11:48:44 PM
Great job Simon, it'll be interesting to watch it grow and fruit!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on July 22, 2018, 08:20:13 AM
Thanks hellosf and Ethan. I will be doing the same innarching experiment with No Mai Tsze and Hanging Green if I can get a hold of a plant.

Simon
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: ScottR on July 22, 2018, 10:19:35 AM
Beautiful work Simon, your tree looks great!
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: snowjunky on October 29, 2018, 01:25:14 AM
Would adding sulfur to the soil to lower the pH be as helpful as using RO/rain water?  Adding sulfur would be cheaper and less work.
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: DurbanDude on October 29, 2018, 04:11:00 AM
Thanks hellosf and Ethan. I will be doing the same innarching experiment with No Mai Tsze and Hanging Green if I can get a hold of a plant.

Simon

Exotica has No Mai Tsze air layers right now, 2' tall $60
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: spaugh on October 29, 2018, 02:47:09 PM
Thanks hellosf and Ethan. I will be doing the same innarching experiment with No Mai Tsze and Hanging Green if I can get a hold of a plant.

Simon

Exotica has No Mai Tsze air layers right now, 2' tall $60

Did you get one?  Post a pic, Im interested if they look decent.  And Mike, seriously look for scales on it.  The plants there often covered in scale. 
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: Gonzo65 on August 17, 2019, 01:56:45 PM
Hey Simon,
Any updates on how the tree is doing?

Thanks
Title: Re: Lychee grafting experiments
Post by: simon_grow on August 17, 2019, 08:48:11 PM
One of my Emperor Lychees grafted onto seedling rootstock was knocked over and dried out. The other one was planted at the orchard at Brads place and unfortunately it was flowering last time I checked up on it. I’ll check out how it’s doing if it’s still alive.

One lesson I learned from these experiments is that micro grafted trees suck because they have such a small root system that they grow relatively slow. Combine this with the fact that I grafted with mature scions and you get a similar result, similar to Mangos, early flowering that unnecessarily wastes stored energy that ultimately stalls vegetative growth.

It is best to grow out the rootstocks to as large as you can reasonably grow before grafting it with mature scions. Grafting Lychees in SoCal should follow the same same rules as grafting Mangos and White Sapote. So far, I have found that grafting these three varieties of fruit on young rootstocks will actually inhibit vegetative growth.

Simon