The Tropical Fruit Forum
Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: Galatians522 on June 07, 2021, 11:27:07 PM
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Amboina is suposedly the earliest lychee cultivar (ripening in April/May). As I understand it, the main knock against it is that the fruits are rather tart. It is also suposed to be difficult to airlayer but grows from seed fairly reliably (if that is a good thing in this case). Does anyone have this lychee or experience growing it?
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http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Litchi/LycheeCultivars11-93.htm (http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Litchi/LycheeCultivars11-93.htm)
Amboina is indeed one of the earliest fruiting varieties. It is not usually rated in the top 30 or so varieties in my district and seems to be a train wreck of poor characteristics. It could be argued that bengal is worse.
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Amboina is one of my few trees that produces in my farm. Quite sour. My 8 year Bengal never had bloom.
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http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Litchi/LycheeCultivars11-93.htm (http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Litchi/LycheeCultivars11-93.htm)
Amboina is indeed one of the earliest fruiting varieties. It is not usually rated in the top 30 or so varieties in my district and seems to be a train wreck of poor characteristics. It could be argued that bengal is worse.
Thanks Mike, I had viewed that chart somewhere before and had difficulty finding it again. I realize that it will not make the "top tier" lychee list, but since it is so early, I thought it would be interesting to have--maybe even cross breed it with an early cultivar with high quality like Sweet Heart. Oddly enough, it was regarded as a regular cropper when tested in Florida.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Litchi/MoreOnLychees9-85.htm&ved=2ahUKEwi4zO2HuonxAhVxnuAKHcW6A0EQFjAAegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw0QOZg9iNJ3ieKvY5fWyI8F&cshid=1623204062208 (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/Litchi/MoreOnLychees9-85.htm&ved=2ahUKEwi4zO2HuonxAhVxnuAKHcW6A0EQFjAAegQIAxAC&usg=AOvVaw0QOZg9iNJ3ieKvY5fWyI8F&cshid=1623204062208)
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Amboina is one of my few trees that produces in my farm. Quite sour. My 8 year Bengal never had bloom.
Does it bear regularly for you, and is the tree a weak grower?
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I have an amboina lychee that i received from PR as an airlayer many years ago. They are not at all hard to airlayer. But the tree has never flowered or fruited for me after more than a dozen years! Also the tree is extremely slow growing. I have a Sweetheart i planted next to the Amboina, and it is about 5x larger, and it fruits. I only have one Amboina tree, so it could have just turned out to be a runt? From it's growth pattern i suspected for a long time that it is a dwarf tree. I am seriously considering removing this tree!
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I have an amboina lychee that i received from PR as an airlayer many years ago. They are not at all hard to airlayer. But the tree has never flowered or fruited for me after more than a dozen years! Also the tree is extremely slow growing. I have a Sweetheart i planted next to the Amboina, and it is about 5x larger, and it fruits. I only have one Amboina tree, so it could have just turned out to be a runt? From it's growth pattern i suspected for a long time that it is a dwarf tree. I am seriously considering removing this tree!
Well, I guess I won't be able to get seeds from you, then. I believe that is all we are allowed to import here in Florida. Do you think that it is possible that the tree is still in a juvenile phase or that there are several strains of this going around since (unlike most other lychees) it has been frequently grown from seed?
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Small size, consistent producer.
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I have an amboina lychee that i received from PR as an airlayer many years ago. They are not at all hard to airlayer. But the tree has never flowered or fruited for me after more than a dozen years! Also the tree is extremely slow growing. I have a Sweetheart i planted next to the Amboina, and it is about 5x larger, and it fruits. I only have one Amboina tree, so it could have just turned out to be a runt? From it's growth pattern i suspected for a long time that it is a dwarf tree. I am seriously considering removing this tree!
Well, I guess I won't be able to get seeds from you, then. I believe that is all we are allowed to import here in Florida. Do you think that it is possible that the tree is still in a juvenile phase or that there are several strains of this going around since (unlike most other lychees) it has been frequently grown from seed?
It's possible. I just assumed that the airlayer was taken from a mature tree. In any case, the tree is over 12 years old, maybe closer to 15, so even from seed it would not be juvenile.
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The big strides made in recent times with new improved varieties and just the sheer number of good lychee varieties getting around now perhaps means some of the marginal older ones should retire from active service. BTW my seedless jumbo planted recently is throwing new shoots. Erdon Lee allegedly the best in the world didn't make the grade for a spot in my yard due to limited space and would have been second best in the yard anyway.
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The big strides made in recent times with new improved varieties and just the sheer number of good lychee varieties getting around now perhaps means some of the marginal older ones should retire from active service. BTW my seedless jumbo planted recently is throwing new shoots. Erdon Lee allegedly the best in the world didn't make the grade for a spot in my yard due to limited space and would have been second best in the yard anyway.
It's not just a question of good varieties, but also of varieties that are consistent bearing in the tropics, where lychees don't usually fruit. This Amboina was billed as a consistent bearer in PR, where lychees don't usually fruit.
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Good is an inclusive term referring to a range of good characteristics including low chill, heavy bearing and vigorous well structured growth not just fruit quality. I was a bit vague I guess.
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Good is an inclusive term referring to a range of good characteristics including low chill, heavy bearing and vigorous well structured growth not just fruit quality. I was a bit vague I guess.
My understanding was that Amboina bore as early as April here in Florida. Do any of the new varieties bear in October in Australia (or whatever the comprable season would be)? If there is something out there with the same season but better quality, you have my full attention.
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Good is an inclusive term referring to a range of good characteristics including low chill, heavy bearing and vigorous well structured growth not just fruit quality. I was a bit vague I guess.
I would be very happy to ditch the Amboina for superior varieties you mention available in Australia, but unfortunately you should understand is NOT available in USA. And getting the plant material into USA gets harder with every passing year.
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Good is an inclusive term referring to a range of good characteristics including low chill, heavy bearing and vigorous well structured growth not just fruit quality. I was a bit vague I guess.
I would be very happy to ditch the Amboina for superior varieties you mention available in Australia, but unfortunately you should understand is NOT available in USA. And getting the plant material into USA gets harder with every passing year.
Even getting lychee from other parts of the US to Florida is hard--I've tried. Are we still allowed to import seeds, or was that just a myth? I have not been able to find any info on-line.
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Good is an inclusive term referring to a range of good characteristics including low chill, heavy bearing and vigorous well structured growth not just fruit quality. I was a bit vague I guess.
I would be very happy to ditch the Amboina for superior varieties you mention available in Australia, but unfortunately you should understand is NOT available in USA. And getting the plant material into USA gets harder with every passing year.
Even getting lychee from other parts of the US to Florida is hard--I've tried. Are we still allowed to import seeds, or was that just a myth? I have not been able to find any info on-line.
Seeds should be ok. Seeds don't carry the erinose mite.