Author Topic: What is the best Lychee Variety for Southern California?  (Read 1802 times)

BonsaiBeast

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What is the best Lychee Variety for Southern California?
« on: March 25, 2019, 01:10:21 AM »
I really want a reliable tree. IS Brewster the way to go? What about Sweetheart?

hawkfish007

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Re: What is the best Lychee Variety for Southern California?
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2019, 04:37:51 PM »
Since no one replied, let me share my limited experience. I have planted sweetheart, mauritious and brewster September/October of last year. Brewster (3 gallon) was purchased from plantogram and rest are locally from Champa (5 gallon). Out of the tree mauritious is the vigorous grower then sweetheart. For some reason, brewster is still struggling, not sure because of the size or quality of the tree from online retailer. I was expecting it to grow the most.

behlgarden

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Re: What is the best Lychee Variety for Southern California?
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2019, 05:52:45 PM »
Not in my yard but I have seen overloaded Brewster's and sweet cliff in my fellow gardener friends. Others I am yet to see. Most sweetheart planting folks haven't had bumper crop or good experience with sweetheart. I am growing sweetheart, Brewster, no Mai the, hakip, kaimana, and peerless. My plants are small grafted on longan and they are thriving and blooming too

simon_grow

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Re: What is the best Lychee Variety for Southern California?
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2019, 07:20:32 PM »
Brewster and Mauritius are recommended for SoCal due to theirvmore reliable production. As you already know, Leo has a huge Brewster that produces a ton of fruit with mostly chicken tongue seeds. I put on several air layers on his tree several years ago but the trees are already planted and some were given to friends.

Leo’s Brewster was unfortunately hat racked a couple years by a garden worker and it is just recovering so probably no fruit this year. Before the butchering of his tree, his tree produced reliably almost every year although he would have some bumper crop years and other years with very little fruit.

I’ve heard reports that Kaimana does well and produces pretty reliably here but the sample size is only a few trees in scattered yards.

Brad and I are growing a bunch of varieties on the farm but it’s going to be years and years before we see any fruit.

Simon

BonsaiBeast

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Re: What is the best Lychee Variety for Southern California?
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2019, 11:23:42 PM »
I put on several air layers on his tree several years ago but the trees are already planted and some were given to friends. 

Simon

Have you been able to identify if this chicken tongue characteristic has carried over to these new trees?

behlgarden

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Re: What is the best Lychee Variety for Southern California?
« Reply #5 on: March 27, 2019, 12:46:53 AM »
I put on several air layers on his tree several years ago but the trees are already planted and some were given to friends. 

Simon

Have you been able to identify if this chicken tongue characteristic has carried over to these new trees?

I have one that bloomed, its small so It may not hold, if it does, I may thin it down down few only. will confirm in later summer.