Lychee (forum)

Chak starts with ...
My tree was flowering nicely and forming small fruits. But now most of the fruits have dropped. Only a handful left. The same happened last year. But 2 years ago, I had about 20 mature fruits. Anyone know what's wrong?

Time: 30th November 2015 2:38pm

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About the Author Chak
Sydney
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Westy1 says...
Lychees are susceptible to water stress as they understorey plants in nature, native to areas with high humidity and rainfall. After fruit set they need to stay constantly moist. This may be why your fruit are dropping.

Time: 30th November 2015 3:06pm

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About the Author Westy1
KENSINGTON GARDENS,5068,SA
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MIke T1 says...
Depends on the variety but they all like full sun and a dry spring.You may have a tropical variety when a subtropical selection would have done better.They love mulch and organic matter and respond well to fertilizer.Dry cool wind and over application or fertilier often cause problems as does salt and chlorides.

Time: 13th December 2015 11:32am

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cairns
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Michael Dang says...
Chek -There is a tree in my area -Wakeley 2176 that is no more than 3 metres high and fully loaded with Lychees in the hundreds.If you are close by I can give you the address so you can check it out for yourself and maybe ask the owner about their growing methods.

Time: 16th December 2015 6:18pm

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wakeley
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Chak says...
Hi Michael,
That would be great. Please email me at chak.khong@gmail.com. Thank you

Time: 17th December 2015 8:24am

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About the Author Chak
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Michael Dang says...
Hi Chak

The owners didn't want me to share his address so I have to respect that.I got their permission to take some photos instead to share with people on this forum.The tree is about 3 metres tall and literally loaded with fruits.They say its a Kwai Mai variety and given the fruits are early it looks like it might be a Bosworth 3 variety.My mouth was drooling just looking at the lychees even though its not even ripe yet.
Pictures - Click to enlarge

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Picture: 6

Time: 18th December 2015 3:25pm

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Brain says...
Bosworth 3 is known as kwai mai pink. Though i have heard of a variety called kwai mai red, which i believe is another name for a traditional variety.

Time: 22nd December 2015 11:30pm

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About the Author Brain
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Michael Dang says...
The lychees where turning red so I knock on the door and asked to buy some.The shape was heart-shaped and colour deep red.Could this variety be SweetHeart that I often read about on American forums.The owner planted the trees 30 years ago so it explains why it has so many fruits.My Bosworth 3 lychee tree is only 5 years old with only 10 fruits but it gives me reassurance that lychees can be grown successfully in Sydney.
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Time: 23rd January 2016 2:14pm

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About the Author Michael Dang
wakeley
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Chak says...
Hi Michael,
If you see the owner, can you ask if any spray is needed (copper, anti fungal), and what fertilizer is used. Thanks

Time: 25th January 2016 2:09pm

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About the Author Chak
Sydney
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Brain says...
very doubtful, unless the owner got a plant smuggled in from the USA.

However that being said, there are quite a few varieties in Australia, so maybe its time to get another.

Time: 25th January 2016 6:33pm

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About the Author Brain
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Michael Dang says...
Chak-I'll send you the address to your private email when I'm going for a walk to the place again over the weekend.I only spoke with the owners daughter as I think the owner's english is limited.She said the tree is only fertilise with grass clipping,manure,egg shells and cows milk.

Time: 27th January 2016 8:25pm

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wakeley
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Mike Tr says...
America has fewer varieties than here and they are mostly renamed. Sweetheart is most likely a smaller fruiting line of FZS. Bosworth 3 is kwai mai pink and a poor option for Sydney being one of the most tropical varieties. Its taste is more sugar water than the rich flavours of other types.

Time: 28th January 2016 8:32am

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About the Author Mike Tr
Cairns
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Tommoz says...
Can't argue with Mike from personal experience but what I can say is that all the advice I've received is contrary to what he is saying.

Kwai Mai Pink is the most cold hardy according to the folks at ALGA, Greg Daley, and most people on TFF.

Not sure of his source that it is tropical type either. Maybe he is confusing it with Tai Tso which was also called Kwai Mi?

I don't think Cairns is optimal weather for lychee as winters are not cool enough. Perhaps that could have resulted in bad results for Mike's Bosworth 3. His negative opinion on its taste is certainly in the minority.

Time: 28th January 2016 4:14pm

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About the Author Tommoz
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Van Leeuwen Green says...
Lychees do not like wet roots so be sure to plant your tree in well-drained soil. They can be planted on a mound to ensure proper drainage. If Lychees are in standing water, it will stunt their growth. Newly-planted trees should be watered 2 to 3 times a week during the first weeks of planting but the watering can be reduced to once a week once the tree has grown. Regardless of where a lychee is planted, several insect groups attack the flowers, fruit, leaves, and branches which cause the fruits to drop. You can refer to this site http://www.vanleeuwengreen.com/services/garden-maintenance to find more about garden maintenance.

Time: 29th January 2016 2:33pm

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About the Author Van Leeuwen Green
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Brain says...
Bosworth 3 is an australian selection, originated in the far north qld, hence it lends itself being tropical. This is opposed to other traditional chinese varieties, which are grown in slightly more colder regions than the tropics.

Bosworth 3 and i have tasted it, can be watery and the favours are diluted. It is still pretty good, especially if one has waited 5 plus years and finally fruited, thought the general arguement is, the better named selections are better in favour. Though of course this is highly subjective.

Time: 31st January 2016 11:54pm

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About the Author Brain
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Mike Tr says...
Not really Brain just the name is.Maybe the 1984 words of Mr Bosworth can shed light.

In the early 1950s I set out to acquire some good lychee trees for my home garden. These were not then available from any commercial nursery in Queensland, so whenever the opportunity offered, I air layered any old trees that I could find around North Queensland.

I knew of one house garden on the eastern outskirts of Ingham, where several lychee trees grew. About the year 1958 I was given permission to take air-layers, after being assured that all the trees had been imported from China. I soon realised I had three very good varieties, and that one was outstanding, as it fruited without fail every year (this is unusual for a lychee tree).

As I acquired air layers from numerous trees and planted them in my trial plot, I soon had quite a collection of varieties, and was advised to number them for convenience, as no one was capable of distinguishing named varieties at that time.

The three trees mentioned were given the numbers 3, 5 & 10 (No. 5 was later identified as wai chee, and No. 10 as red kwai mai). No.3 is still virtually un-named, and is still known as Bosworth No.3. It did seem to fit the pattern of kwai mai pink, but further research has left doubts, so it is still Bosworth No.3.

The early history of these trees is quite clear. A Chinese resident of Ingham asked his brother-in-law to bring some lychee marcots from China, and this he did in 1932, together with several other Chinese trees. Most of the trees were given to a third relative to plant. Two or three of the lychees subsequently died, and when I became interested, the three remaining trees were in poor shape, from neglect and fire. Very soon after I took the air-layers, the house and property changed hands, and the remaining lychees were chopped out. Every Bosworth No.3 in Australia, and there must be many tens of thousands in 1984, is a direct vegetative descendant of that one old tree, brought from China in 1932, and long since deceased. I have been able to establish that the lychee trees were obtained from a town in Southern China called Skekki, not far from the Portuguese territory of Macau.

Research in China in recent years has failed to establish the Chinese name for the variety, which appears to correspond with kwai mai in some respects, but differs quite markedly in others, with different growth and habits.

The Bosworth No. 3 lychees will average 45 to the kilogram, are basically small-seeded and very sweet, and will produce good crops every year, (despite the season, the climate, or the soil type) from New South Wales to Cape York.

H.R. Bosworth


DATE: February 1984


* * * * * * * * * * * * *


Time: 5th February 2016 3:06pm

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About the Author Mike Tr
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Mike Tr says...
Don't take his narrative as absolute.

Time: 5th February 2016 3:07pm

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Brain says...
true true
I also found this article to be quite interesting in trying to work out varieties.

"Identifying Lychee Cultivars and their Genetic Relationships Using ISSR Markers"

http://journal.ashspublications.org/content/128/6/838.full.pdf



Time: 5th February 2016 5:57pm

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About the Author Brain
Sunnybank
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Michael Dang says...
I had my first bosworth 3 lychee yesterday.It was good size ,firm flesh with alot of water content.It was tasty but abit sour.Probably have to wait another week to get it sweeter.I'm really happy to even get any lychees at all so I'm happy with this variety.I think being a consistent cropper is why I bought the tree.Is anyone else growing this variety then please share your thoughts and comments.


Time: 5th February 2016 6:21pm

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About the Author Michael Dang
wakeley
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Miranda says...
I have a four year old tree , got some decent fruit this year. Because of heavy rain , a lot of fruits split before fully ripe . Very nice with tiny small seed. the half ripe fruit not too sweet , very freshing . I love them.

Time: 13th February 2016 4:16pm

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About the Author Miranda
Sydney
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Michael D says...
My bosworth is currently with green fruits but its getting a flush of new growth at the same time.Should I leave the new growth flush or should it be trim off?

Time: 6th December 2016 9:25pm

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