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« on: July 24, 2017, 11:32:58 AM »
I did a forum search and didn't want to bump up older threads. Just wanted to mention late July 2017, my Diamond River has just started flowering. Strange time I think, but this variety seems strange. In previous forum discussions some people don't like this variety and dismiss it. However, they concede that it does produces fruit when others don't. NOt trying to rub it in but inform there is a spot for this variety if you got space and want a consistent producer. The past month has seen a two week and very hot drought, then flooding rains for the past week (about 3 inches a day in severe thunderstorms) And, it has been Super warm 90F+ every day.
None of my other longan (kohala, biew Kiew, Sri champoo) even flowered this year. But, keeping an eye on them if they respond to the summer weather also.
Hoping to score some late season longan this year! In previous years my diamond river has produced early, mid, and late. sometimes 2nd crops. Strange tree. It is in full sun, never hand watered or fertilized. Been in the ground about ten years. about 15 feet tall. It has a pretty weeping habit. My Kohala and Sri Champoo tower over the diamond river and are going to get hat racked soon as they are too tall.
Blabbing Below:
Also to report on my other tropical fruit trees. I had tons of Glenn mango. About 300 fruit on my tree. Season is over. Early fruit quality was washed out however later on they improved and tasted like canned syrupy peach. Rosigolds, pickering, also produced a lot. Rosigold was really tasty this year. this same rosigold gave me fruit in Dec/Jan also but only a few fruit. Had my first Pitomba. bought a bush in April, planted it, and it fruited. Tasty fruit, glad I got one. Kinda like loquat/apricot flavor. My Jaboticaba flowered and fruited 5 times since January this year. Tons of fruit this year. It has been a wet year (with periods of drought) but I hand water my jaboticaba with rain water only and they are close to the house and I never let them dry out. What a rewarding tree. Takes forever to get to fruiting age but they are ornamental trees to by the time. I'm thinking since last year's Hurricane Matthew tilted all my larger Jaboticaba that it may have stressed the trees into heavy flowering. My Jaboticaba are over 20 years old and have fruited the past ten years or so. Lychee: My tall Mauritius produced about 200 pounds of fruit. The other variety didn't even flower this year. However, they are in partial shade and the mauritius in full sun and about 30 feet tall. sorry for the blabbing, I can type fast (sometimes faster than I can think).