Encanto Farms Nursery > Categories > OT: My First Taste of Sweetheart Lychee

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blueboy1977

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Posts: 459

Just picked the only 2 Lychee fruit my plant produced today. It was a very different experience to say the least. I want sure if they were quite ripe yet as there was still alittle green on the skin but they were delicious! Meaty, Sweet with a tropical citrus/mango/something else I can't quite put my finger on. I think I would still prefer a dead ripe Mango but at the same time I can't wait untill next summer to try them again;) I will add my pics shortly!

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schaplin

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Posts: 662

They look great!

Figfinatic

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Wow you are lucky. Did you buy a tree or grow from seed. What do you do in winter for it?

blueboy1977

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Posts: 459

I bought the tree this past spring at a local fruit tree sale. It stays out side all winter until it drops down to the mid 30s then it goes in the garage. It's in a 25 gallon pot for now.

waynea

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Posts: 1,886

I got zero lychees on my tree this year. It has been a bad year for a lot of us. I am planting a different variety of lychee along with 4 longans. I also have mangos, peach, plum, mulberry, avocado, papaya, carambola, persimmon, banana, pomegranate, ..... I stay busy and that is very important for a retired person.

blueboy1977

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Waynea, sounds like you have your hands full! What part of the world are you in?

hicrystalfan

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Glad you enjoyed the lychee...yes they weren't quite ready....they should have no green on them when you pick them.  They are especially good if you have the patience to refrigerate them before you eat them!

WillsC

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Posts: 1,698

Have a friend that buys 10 pounds of them each year and shares them with us, payback for the peaches we give them.  They are wonderful and as Jeri said cold they are even better.  This year planted two Lychee and two Mango......and while I may be in Florida I'm not warm enough for them like Wayne is.  So now will put a hoop house up to protect them in the frigid Florida winters lol.....the things we do for our plants.   

waynea

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Hi Rob, I live on 4 acres (small but enough for me) in southwest Florida on the border of 9B/10A.

greenfig

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Posts: 3,183

Rob,
Did you plant it from a seed or purchased a plant from a nursery? (will it grow true from a seed?)
What is your experience growing the tree?
Like watering demand, how fast it grows, fertilizing, how much heat it needs to grow happily, etc
Thanks!

WillsC

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Posts: 1,698

While you did ask Rob let me tell you my experiences with them so far....nothing:)  I planted my two as 4 foot tall trees and since then they have not grown at all.  I know they grow in flushes but so far they just sit there.  The mangoes have grown but the lychees, nothing.  I may have to start threatening them.  

greenfig

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Oh, so they need to be in a mood to grow? :)
Do they need to be grafted or seedlings are ok? Where did you get your 4 footers?

WillsC

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Ryan, I am Krista on the board and I drove down to Myakka City and bought them from a private grower. Best way to propagate them is by airlayer, they are as easy as figs in that respect.

hicrystalfan

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Posts: 25

Lychees tend to be slow growers...just be patient with them...you can add compost to help them along. Mangoes grow like weeds.