Emperor lychee produces fruit every single year

[chrobrego]

Does anyone else have experience with Emperor lychees?  I have a tree that started producing about 4 years ago and has produced loads of fruit every single year since.  I live in Central Florida (Orlando area.).   When I got the tree from a fella in south Florida, I was told this variety hardly produced at all for him. All I can guess is that this tree requires a bit more cold than south Florida typically provides.  Anyway, big nice tasting lychees.  Loads of them.  Does anyone else have this tree, and what is your experience with it?  As an example, my Brewster and Hak Ip produce every other year.  Mauritius is about the same (nothing special) and Sweetheart produces every year as well. Weird to have such random fruit production.

[fruitlovers]

I have a Sweetheart lychee tree. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it fruited here in Hawaii 3 years running with loads of fruit. So obviously they don't need a chill. This is the first year it failed me. But not complaining because it made up for it the last past 3 years!
I really like the taste of this variety, but prefer to pick them a little bit on the green side. When they are fully ripe they get too syrupy sweet for me. When a bit green they have a better sweet/tart balance to my taste buds. Very juicy fruits also!

[Galatians522]

Emperor is far more reliable here in central Florida than in South Florida. I think it is the colder weather we have. On the flip side, we occationally lose Sweet Heart and Hak-Ip bloom to the cold. I am surprised that Emperor is more consistent for you than Mauritius. It has been the most consistent producer over the years in our grove.

[Malia]

What about the soil? Is it more acidic in Central Florida?

[Orkine]

My experience in south Florida is what you have heard.  It often will skip a year or two.
This year was huge though.  Never seen anything like it on a lychee.  The branches were weighed down with fruit with fruit dragging on the ground.  The birds loved it but there was much more than enough for everyone.  If I get nothing the next year or two it will be consistent with what it has done in the past.  I hope with the added age, it will produce again next year but I am just hoping.

[Galatians522]

What about the soil? Is it more acidic in Central Florida?

Yes, our soils tend to be more acidic here in central Florida. I have a soil survey book at work and out of more than 40 soils there are only one or two in my entire county that have alkaline lenses that could remotely impact a tree's growth. All of the slow growing lychees seem to be chlorotic in oolitic (limestone) soil from what I have heard. I have never observed such an issue here.