Longan summer 2017 "Diamond River" flowering

[Central Floridave]

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).   

[simon_grow]

Thanks for the report, sounds like Diamond River will be a good choice for those growing in more tropical regions. Glad you had a nice harvest of fruit this year.

Simon

[fruitlovers]

Diamond River is also a great longan here for those that don't want to resort to potassium chlorate to get the other cultivars to flower and fruit. Diamond River is not only a consistent producer but also a very heavy producer with no need to use chemicals to get it to fruit.

[Donkeys4hire]

Thanks for sharing. I do not have Longan yet, will try and find one soon.

[achetadomestica]

What zone are you in Central Floridadave?
I am in 9b and wondered if it gets too cold for Diamond river? So far fortune eye is flowering every year
for me. But I only got one cluster fruit set this year. The tree is finally getting some size this summer.
Koala flowered last year but not this year?

[Central Floridave]

I'm on South Merritt Island.  Microclimate and protected by large live oak.  I've never seen any damage on longan in 20 years.  2010 winter and I lost coconut and other tender tropicals.  But longan are pretty tough trees. Much tougher than lychee.   I don't do anything to them other than hack them back when they get too big.  There are volunteer seedlings all under the tree and wherever I spit the seed.   Variety I have are kohala (usually fruits every year but not this year), Sri Champoo (very shy bearer), Biew Kiew (Shy Bearer), Diamond River (weird timing bearer).   I could probably get the shy bearers to fruit more if I fertilized, but too lazy.  They grow pretty good with no care though in my yard.  I have fertile soil with 200 year old oak tree debris and deep sandy soil.  It is a good growing environment. I throw wood ash from the fire pit under the trees when I can.  They suffer whatever drought or flood is thrown at them and keep chugging along.  Survived hurricanes as well.     They are also competing for sun with all my other trees, but do have full sun exposure on them.  That is probably the most defining for any fruit tree.  Most of them need full sun to fruit.   Good luck with your trees!  So rewarding to grow your own fruit.     

[LivingParadise]

Mine also began flowering, but in early July. It is it's first year in-ground. It has barely grown at all, but I'm pleased since none of the other longans I've tried to grow here have fared well. All the others succumbed to the spider mite plague fairly quickly, despite spraying with Neem, while this one for some reason has never been touched at all. So if it's sturdier for this hot, humid, dry climate with terrible soil and very aggressive pests, that's perfect for me! I was about to give up on longans...

I'm not expecting to be able to try the fruit until at least next year, but I'm happy to see it flower!

[achetadomestica]

So when you say microclimate does that mean you don't have frost? I remember 2010 was very cold and
also many days in a row in the low 30s for me. I haven't had frost the past two winters but it was 30F for 3 hours
three years ago.

[Central Floridave]

2010 winter, yes had some frost. That was the first time my bird baths under the oaks froze over.  It was pretty bad winter for us.