Ever since I got my greenhouse I have been thinking of all the tropical fruit I can grow in it. I just ordered 2 lychees and a starfruit for fun. Anybody else growing these tropicals?

I grow a few lychees, I have one that is excellent in a SWC. The rest are grown in standard plastic containers for now, and seem to be growing slower and not as healthy looking. As for those who grow in the NE, I know one person who posts over in tropicalfruitforum. He grows using grow lights in New York, and has gotten the lychees to fruit.

Here is my healthiest tree flowering in an 18 gal tote SWC;

'Mauritius' Lychee


So yes they can be grown and fruit in containers :). I am hoping to get about a dozen or so full sized lychees this year (first year it has fruited).

I've had these Pepino melons ripen for me on occasion. Tomato growth habit. A tropical tasty treat fresh out of the garden if lucky enough to get them to ripen up here in zone 5. I'd also like a lychee. Can anyone tell me where the best place to buy one would be?

@ null0. You just might be cheating a little considering your location ;-) . What zone are you in? I didn't know Lychees would produce at such a small size. I knew of several huge Lychee as well as Longan trees in the Naples, FL area when I lived there. They do grow into pretty big trees too!

@ Jason. I currently have several small Star Fruit trees growing that I started from seed indoors last winter. Most of them have really hung in there despite the marginal care I've given them :-/ . I'm hoping they will really take off for me this summer. I plan to give them a good fertilizer and care routine this year. It's the least I can do for them, seeing how hardy they've been for me thus far.

I also have one Sugar Apple (Annona) that I've kept alive going on three seasons now. It's about 2' tall. I also have several Cherimoya and Atemoya that I started from seed last year. Many of the Annonas can start producing fruit in about 3 years when started from a seed. I'm not growing these with the aid of a greenhouse. So, it remains to be seen if I can get them to produce fruit in this scenario.

Maybe I'll get some pics of them posted.......

Trif,

You can buy airlayer lychees from ebay, when they are in season usually in the mid to late spring. There are a couple good ebay sellers of airlayer lychee trees.

Saxonfig,

I am in zone 10a, in Orange County, CA. So I guess you can say its a frost free great grow zone. However, I see no reason any of you guys could not grow and fruit this in a sunny south facing window/indoor location. As you can see, I was able to make it flower nicely in a 18 gal tote container. Also the humidity is less then optimal most of the year in my location (20-40% humidity on average day and night).

By the way Jason. I have little doubt that you will eventually get fruit from your Carambola trees. The greenhouse will make all the difference :-) . I'm not sure about the Lychees though. Only because I've never tried growing them. Neither in KY nor in S. FL.

I look forward to hearing about your progress on these tropicals.

BTW, I may have lychee trees I would be willing to trade in place for a rooted fig tree/cutting or two. I am looking for humid/rain tolerant figs for the South East (FL).