Am I toast? Lychee flushing now

[Jaboticaba45]

My lychee is flushing now. Does that mean it won’t flower later this spring😭
The lows in the greenhouse are mid 40s so I don’t know why it’s growing now😤

[shot]

If the highs in greenhouse stay in mid 60s good chance.If those turn out to be leaves you may cut them off and try to reset the clock. Is this tree large enough to hold fruit?

[Jaboticaba45]

If the highs in greenhouse stay in mid 60s good chance.If those turn out to be leaves you may cut them off and try to reset the clock. Is this tree large enough to hold fruit?

Yes it’s about 6’x6’.
Highs in the greenhouse are 80-90 on sunny days like today.
I’ve gotten it to flower before on similar parameters before but I pruned all the flowers off as size was small back then.

[brian]

Your lychee looks amazing.  I have two in containers and they are dying back faster than they grow, been like that for a year or more.  Is yours in the ground?  Maybe that is what I need to try

[Jaboticaba45]

Your lychee looks amazing.  I have two in containers and they are dying back faster than they grow, been like that for a year or more.  Is yours in the ground?  Maybe that is what I need to try

this one is in ground. But I do have some in pots doing well.
Funny how the same tree will do differently at other people's places lol
I got to talk to you more about your greenhouse setup.
I'll try to send a pm one day soon.

[shot]

That's to hot for day temps you can get flowers but most will be "male" at that temp.This is well known documented info from TREC.

[Jaboticaba45]

That's to hot for day temps you can get flowers but most will be "male" at that temp.This is well known documented info from TREC.

Thanks.
It's weird as the temps fluctuate throughout the whole day from 40s to 80s.
I guess given the situation, should I try to pinch the growth off now?
And hope it flowers this spring?

[Timbogrow]

There was a video where someone uses bags of ice on the soil to induce flowers. They said it gives more consistent flowering but it still may not produce fruit.

[Galatians522]

I am pretty sure that you have a purely vegative flush there. Usually, little round buds are visible at that stage on a bloom panicle. You can try one of two options. If you trim back to a mature bud, the tree will likely flush again in the next 2-4 weeks. If you trim to the first bud on the new growth that bud will have to mature before it flushes which will probably delay everything by an extra month or so. Personally, I would try pruning to the mature bud since you are very close to the right temps. Its all a roll of the dice, but I would rather place money on it being cold in the last few weeks of January than I would in "almost March."

[Jaboticaba45]

I am pretty sure that you have a purely vegative flush there. Usually, little round buds are visible at that stage on a bloom panicle. You can try one of two options. If you trim back to a mature bud, the tree will likely flush again in the next 2-4 weeks. If you trim to the first bud on the new growth that bud will have to mature before it flushes which will probably delay everything by an extra month or so. Personally, I would try pruning to the mature bud since you are very close to the right temps. Its all a roll of the dice, but I would rather place money on it being cold in the last few weeks of January than I would in "almost March."

So it's probably best to try to pinch off the new growth now?
I guess then just hope it doesn't make any more moves until it starts warming up lol.

[Galatians522]

So it's probably best to try to pinch off the new growth now?
I guess then just hope it doesn't make any more moves until it starts warming up lol.
[/quote]

Examine it closely. If you don't see the round buds at the tip by now, it is set as a vegative flush. Once the flush gets past about 1/2" or so it is set as growth (or bloom) and will not change. To get bloom, lychee must be actively growing durring the cool temps. If its just started growth (somewhere around 1/8") you get a panicle with pure bloom. If it's further along (around 1/2") when the cold event comes you get a panicle with leaves at the base. Since you have a high degree of control over your greenhouse temps, I would cut back behind the flush to an old bud. That bud will start growing almost immediately. In 2-4 weeks you should see growth. As soon as the buds are visibly growing (around 1/8") you want your night temps in the mid 40s and your day temps around 60 (thanks Shot for pointing that out--I never knew that before). Once the growth passes 1" or so it shouldn't make a difference what the temps are anymore. So, yes I would pinch it back.

[Jaboticaba45]

So it's probably best to try to pinch off the new growth now?
I guess then just hope it doesn't make any more moves until it starts warming up lol.

Examine it closely. If you don't see the round buds at the tip by now, it is set as a vegative flush. Once the flush gets past about 1/2" or so it is set as growth (or bloom) and will not change. To get bloom, lychee must be actively growing durring the cool temps. If its just started growth (somewhere around 1/8") you get a panicle with pure bloom. If it's further along (around 1/2") when the cold event comes you get a panicle with leaves at the base. Since you have a high degree of control over your greenhouse temps, I would cut back behind the flush to an old bud. That bud will start growing almost immediately. In 2-4 weeks you should see growth. As soon as the buds are visibly growing (around 1/8") you want your night temps in the mid 40s and your day temps around 60 (thanks Shot for pointing that out--I never knew that before). Once the growth passes 1" or so it shouldn't make a difference what the temps are anymore. So, yes I would pinch it back.
[/quote]
Thanks everyone for the help.
After inspecting the new growth, I think they were purely vegetative, so I pinched back as much as I could.
I will now work on getting the day temps in the greenhouse down,
Funny thing is the lows in my greenhouse consistently hit the mid 40s. But I guess it's the warm days that are causing it to grow.
I think the lower temps will also discourage new growth anyways. Or at least see new growth in lower temps so there can be flowers. So hopefully when it's springtime, I can see flowers.
or at least that's the theory. Super hopeful...If I can't get it to reliably flower, it may be a problem in the future. I love lychees and already have 2 in ground so, it may be tough.
We'll see after this winter.

[Galatians522]

The high day time temps was a new one for me. Our temps don't fluctuate that drastically here. We might get a 20 or 25 degree swing and very rarely a 30 degree swing (I only specifically remember once in my life). Having a 35-40 degree swing every day is mind blowing to me. If we are going to be mid 40s for a low it will typically be mid 60s the day before and after. My dad remembers and old citrus grower telling him once that you never had to worry about a freeze at night if it got to 65.

[Jaboticaba45]

The high day time temps was a new one for me. Our temps don't fluctuate that drastically here. We might get a 20 or 25 degree swing and very rarely a 30 degree swing (I only specifically remember once in my life). Having a 35-40 degree swing every day is mind blowing to me. If we are going to be mid 40s for a low it will typically be mid 60s the day before and after. My dad remembers and old citrus grower telling him once that you never had to worry about a freeze at night if it got to 65.

I go cheap with propane and let it dip into the low 40s while others will keep their greenhouses at 50+
During the sunny days it will get to 80s and then nights it will drop.
Cloudy days it's better lol.
the plants seem to be ok, and I don't have trouble with anything flowering either except this lychee.
I know there have been pretty crazy swings here too going from the 50s to the teens in a period of hours.
I will plug in my vents again and start to keep the door open during the day to keep the temps down.
Anything for lychee fruits!

[Jaboticaba45]

Could it be possible flowers? I’m having trouble seeing if it is or not.

[shot]

That looks pretty good!Now to see if they have female in them.

[Jaboticaba45]

That looks pretty good!Now to see if they have female in them.

Thanks!
I get confused with flower or leaf flushes as my trees seem to either sync with the FL seasons or my seasons and it can be hard to tell which one.

[Galatians522]

So, how did you come out? Did any of the flush turn out to be bloom?

[Jaboticaba45]

Thanks for checking back!
So it turns out it's gonna be a killer big huge gigantic bloom.
I don't like to brag, but I think this is one of the largest lychee tree that is not in FL and that is grown in a hobby green house!
Now, just hope there's a good percentage of male/female blooms and good pollinators.
I still think it'll take another month for them to start blooming. Right now, it's still slowly growing.

[Galatians522]

Great! Looks like my Dad's lychees will have a good crop as well this year. What variety do you have? Sweetheart?

[Jaboticaba45]

Great! Looks like my Dad's lychees will have a good crop as well this year. What variety do you have? Sweetheart?

Good to hear!
this big one is sweetheart, and not pictured is a small hak ip in ground and a Mauritius in a pot.

[Galatians522]

All 3 of those have large panicles. The first 2 tend to have fewer female blooms in the panicle, though.