Author Topic: Extending the Lychee Season  (Read 6912 times)

edself65

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 932
  • Judge a tree by its fruit, not by its leaves
    • Round Rock, Texas
    • View Profile
    • Texas Rare Fruit Growers
Extending the Lychee Season
« on: April 07, 2012, 06:46:02 PM »
After seeing the topic Extending the Mango Season I got to thinking about the lychee season! What are the earliest ripening variety and the latest ripening?

Thanks,

Ed

lycheeluva

  • Brooklyn, NY
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 631
  • obsessed with fruit growing, especially lychees
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2012, 07:30:32 PM »
i think the order of the commonly available (in florida)  lychees goes like this

sweetheart, early red, mauritius, hak ip, brewster, emperor.

harry can fill you in on where the less commonly available ( ie read only available in his yard) lychees fit in- such as kamaina, garnet, groff, ohia, sweet cliff, bengal and groff

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2012, 09:36:16 PM »
i think the order of the commonly available (in florida)  lychees goes like this

sweetheart, early red, mauritius, hak ip, brewster, emperor.

harry can fill you in on where the less commonly available ( ie read only available in his yard) lychees fit in- such as kamaina, garnet, groff, ohia, sweet cliff, bengal and groff
You sure Sweetheart is the earliest ?  I would say Early Red is earlier.  Sweet Cliff is a later variety.
- Rob

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #3 on: April 08, 2012, 03:25:42 AM »
Here the last to bear lychee is Kwai Mi Pink (B-3). The Groff is next to last. Both are very late bearing. My Emperor hasn't fruited yet so can't compare that late bearer yet.
Oscar

Squam256

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2337
  • Mangos, trees and budwood for sale
    • USA, West Palm Beach, FL, 33405, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • https://www.facebook.com/TropicalAcresFarms
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #4 on: April 08, 2012, 09:04:46 AM »
Emperor is usually among the latest late-fruiters here. They are kind of finicky trees from what I've observed though.

Mr. Clean

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1186
  • FLMangos.com
    • US, FL, West Palm Beach, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
    • Florida's Finest Mangos
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2012, 02:46:14 PM »
Which is the most reliable lychee tree in south Florida?
www.FLMangos.com

110+ fruit trees/plants; 60+ mango trees; 9 jackfruit; 6 avocado; 3 persimmon; longan; and a dog that keeps raccoons and squirrels away.

lycheeluva

  • Brooklyn, NY
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 631
  • obsessed with fruit growing, especially lychees
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2012, 04:00:16 PM »
lawace-

mauritius is the most reliable cropper in S Florida (and in my opinion its also the best tasting)

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2012, 04:45:41 PM »
lawace-

mauritius is the most reliable cropper in S Florida (and in my opinion its also the best tasting)
I believe Hak Ip is pretty reliable also, and is one of my favs.  As has been stated, a lot of the unreliability here has to do with the weather.  While some may have better luck than others, a lot of the lychee production has to do with the weather over the winter.  As with this year in SFla, very little chill hours = very poor lychee crops (like I said, there are the odd exceptions but overall it does not look good here for lychees this year).
- Rob

Squam256

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2337
  • Mangos, trees and budwood for sale
    • USA, West Palm Beach, FL, 33405, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • https://www.facebook.com/TropicalAcresFarms
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2012, 05:38:31 PM »
Mauritius is definitely the most reliable, which is why it is by far the #1 commercial lychee grown in Florida. While many lychees can be grouped together as 'alternate bearers', Mauritius will typically bear reasonably well maybe 3 out of 4 years, which is pretty good for lychees in Florida and about the best you can ask for.

I do like Mauritius, though the seed to flesh ratio is pretty poor compared to Ha kip. Generally speaking though you should have at least one Mauritius tree if you want to have lychees more years than not down here.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2012, 05:42:24 PM by Squam256 »

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2012, 08:48:38 PM »
From what I have seen, I am not sure I agree that it is the #1 commercial variety in Florida.  I would give that crown to Brewster (sorry, I don't agree with everything Lycheesonline says).  Since there are lychee groves throughout many counties in the state, I am sure there is variance.
- Rob

Squam256

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2337
  • Mangos, trees and budwood for sale
    • USA, West Palm Beach, FL, 33405, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • https://www.facebook.com/TropicalAcresFarms
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #10 on: April 08, 2012, 09:27:26 PM »
From what I have seen, I am not sure I agree that it is the #1 commercial variety in Florida.  I would give that crown to Brewster (sorry, I don't agree with everything Lycheesonline says).  Since there are lychee groves throughout many counties in the state, I am sure there is variance.

Difficult to quantify, but IFAS says Brewster is #2.

Brewster has been getting phased out by a lot of growers because it is the king of alternate bearers.  There are still a lot of old plantings of Brewster so it may still be the most common lychee, but for commercial purposes I think Mauritius is more widely planted, especially in the "newer" lychee plantings like those in western Palm Beach county.

Sweetheart has seen a lot of plantings as well.

lycheeluva

  • Brooklyn, NY
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 631
  • obsessed with fruit growing, especially lychees
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2012, 09:33:07 PM »
seems to be the widely held view that mauritius is the most commonly planted lychee in florida

"'Mauritius' is the major commercial cultivar and bears more regularly than 'Brewster,' which is the second most grown cultivar "

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg051

"the two main cultivars for lychee are 'Mauritius' (85 percent) and 'Brewster' "http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/FLlycheeLongan.pdf

"Mauritius is the leading commercial cultivar in Florida"
http://www.pepesplants.com/lychee-trees.html

BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #12 on: April 29, 2016, 02:37:20 PM »
Instead of starting a new thread I thought I would bring back to life this old one that didn't get much attention.  Does anyone else have any input on the earliest and latest varieties of Lychees?  Does anyone in California have info on early and later varieties here? 

Bill

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #13 on: April 29, 2016, 02:47:32 PM »
Instead of starting a new thread I thought I would bring back to life this old one that didn't get much attention.  Does anyone else have any input on the earliest and latest varieties of Lychees?  Does anyone in California have info on early and later varieties here? 

Bill

Here in Florida, for the "main" varieties, Mauritius is early and Emperor is late.
- Rob

fyliu

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
    • Burbank/Covina, CA 10a
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #14 on: April 29, 2016, 06:56:32 PM »
There's a variety called Third Month Red in China that's supposed to be early. Their regular season starts in May, so March is pretty early.

BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #15 on: April 30, 2016, 02:06:42 AM »
Maybe Harry can chime in here. I have found postings from him saying Emperor is his last Lychee to fruit but I couldn't find what is his first lychee to fruit. Also where does Garnet, Hanging Green and No Mai Tse fruit in the season?  I have Brewster and Kaimana but I am trying to find an early Lychee. Something that hopefully fruits before the mango season starts.

Bill

puglvr1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2039
    • USA, Central, FL xxxxx, Zone 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #16 on: April 30, 2016, 10:58:17 AM »

Here in Highlands County Mauritius ripens around the 3rd week or end of May and Brewster around the 3rd week of June to early July and Emperor around the 4th of July or so...

HMHausman

  • Mod Emeritus
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3366
    • USA, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, Zone 10B
    • View Profile
    • Pines Ticket Defense, LLC
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #17 on: May 18, 2016, 08:13:15 AM »
Instead of starting a new thread I thought I would bring back to life this old one that didn't get much attention.  Does anyone else have any input on the earliest and latest varieties of Lychees?  Does anyone in California have info on early and later varieties here? 

Bill

Here in Florida, for the "main" varieties, Mauritius is early and Emperor is late.

At my house, what we have been calling Hak Ip is the earliest maturing lychee.  Early Large Red and Mauritius are not far behind.  Emperor has always been the last fruit maturing.  I hear Groff can take the honors of latest fruiting but my Groff is small and has never set any fruit.
Harry
Fort Lauderdale, FL 
USA

Pan Dulce

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 307
    • Central Florida
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #18 on: May 18, 2016, 08:20:02 AM »
Starting to drool just thinking about the early ones hitting the end of the week

BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #19 on: May 18, 2016, 10:08:34 AM »
Hi Harry, when does Garnet that you speak so highly of ripen?

Bill

puglvr1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2039
    • USA, Central, FL xxxxx, Zone 9b
    • View Profile
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #20 on: May 18, 2016, 02:02:13 PM »
This picture was from last year May 20, 2015...Picked almost half of them.
5-20-15


and just 2 days shy of being one year ago...taken today...guess its going to be at least 4 weeks later this year...Also half the amount I had last year  :(
Today

« Last Edit: May 19, 2016, 08:44:46 AM by puglvr1 »

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #21 on: May 19, 2016, 12:16:06 AM »
Instead of starting a new thread I thought I would bring back to life this old one that didn't get much attention.  Does anyone else have any input on the earliest and latest varieties of Lychees?  Does anyone in California have info on early and later varieties here? 

Bill

Here in Florida, for the "main" varieties, Mauritius is early and Emperor is late.

At my house, what we have been calling Hak Ip is the earliest maturing lychee.  Early Large Red and Mauritius are not far behind.  Emperor has always been the last fruit maturing.  I hear Groff can take the honors of latest fruiting but my Groff is small and has never set any fruit.
Yes Groff is very late, but in my opinion not very good quality. Best thing it has going for it, besides being very late, is that every fruit is chicken tongue seed (aborted seed). B-3 (Kwai Mi Pink) is also a very late season lychee that is better quality. Earliest fruiting of the cultivars i have is Brewster.
Oscar

HMHausman

  • Mod Emeritus
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3366
    • USA, Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, Zone 10B
    • View Profile
    • Pines Ticket Defense, LLC
Re: Extending the Lychee Season
« Reply #22 on: May 19, 2016, 06:47:41 AM »
Hi Harry, when does Garnet that you speak so highly of ripen?

Bill

Hi Bill.  Well, I wish I could give you a definitive answer.  My Garnet tree was probably planted out sometime in the mid 1990's.  It took some time to set its first crop.  At this point, I would say that time period was way too long.....that much I remember....the exact years, I do not remember. The fruit was quite good and we had some off and on crops for a few years.  Then, my neighbors had a new well drilled and the sediment and other material used in the drilling flooded the area where my tree was located. What ever they were using was not to the liking of my Garnet tree.  It went into decline.  It never bloomed again and has only now getting back to a healthy look leaf-wise.  This year  it again did not bloom.  So, from memory, I would say that it is an early to middle season fruit. I think the last time it set fruit was back in 2010.
Harry
Fort Lauderdale, FL 
USA