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Green-Seeds.com
Fruits
& Others
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Lychee
 Birds Red-vented bulbul
(Pycnonotus cafer).
Red-whiskered bulbul
(P. jocosus).
Mejiro, Japanese white-eye
(Zosterops japonicus).
Mejiro and bulbus are
serious pests of both immature and ripe fruit. These and most other birds
are protected by State and, in some cases, Federal regulations, and they
may not be trapped or killed without a permit. Shiny objects and streamers
are sometimes used to repel birds, usually with only temporary success.
Bird netting can be used to protect fruiting branches.
Bulbuls are presently
(1990) established only on Oahu, but they have been seen on the neighbor
islands. Sightings of bulbuls beyond Oahu should be reported to the local
office of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii Department
of Agriculture, or the Cooperative Extension Service.
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Cultivars
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Most of the many known
lychee cultivars do not bear regularly or well under Hawaii's conditions.
Lychee cultivars presently recommended for Hawaii are 'Groff', 'Kaimana',
and 'Kwai Mi'. 'Groff' and 'Kaimana' are seedling selections originating
in Hawaii. 'Kwai Mi' is an ancient and important Chinese cultivar.
'Groff'. 'Groff', developed
from a 'Hak Ip' seedling, is an upright tree of medium vigor that bears
somewhat regularly and is often late maturing (late August through September).
Its fruits are dull red and small, 38-42 to a pound, and a high percentage
have abortive seeds.
'Kaimana'. 'Kaimana',
also a 'Hak Ip' seedling, is a medium-sized, compact, rounded tree that
usually matures fruit from mid-June through July. Like 'Groff', it is considered
good-bearing compared with most other varieties in Hawaii. Its fruits are
large, deep red, and 15-20 to a pound, with seeds that are not large in
relation to the amount of flesh.
'Kwai Mi'. 'Kwai Mi'
is a tall, upright, vigorous cultivar that does not bear regularly in Hawaii,
but can bear heavily in good years. It usually matures in May-June, producing
large clusters of bright red fruits that average 30 to a pound.
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Cultural Practice
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Young plants should
be trained to establish good tree structure, avoiding sharp crotch angles.
Air-layered plants tend to develop low branches and should be pruned to
a single leader at transplanting time. Later, pruning should direct growth
into about four well spaced scaffold branches. Acute-angled branches form
weak crotches, which often split, and should be pruned off.
Trees in orchards should
be spaced 30-40 feet (9-12 meters) apart. Closer spacings, e.g., 23 feet
(7 meters) between trees, have been tried elsewhere, but this requires periodic
pruning to control tree size. Temporary trees can be included in the centers
with the idea of increasing early fruit production. These extra trees should
be (but seldom are) removed before serious crowding occurs. Trees in houselots
should be planted 25-30 feet (7.6-9 meters) away from any building, large
tree or other obstruction. One lychee tree fully developed and symmetrical
is better than two or more trees crowded together, competing for space and
sunlight.
Girdling
Girdling, also called
ring-barking, is sometimes done to check growth and to promote increased
flowering. The utility and efficacy of this practice are poorly documented
for lychee cultivars commonly grown in Hawaii. A cut the width of the pruning
saw blade is made in the bark around the branch or trunk. The cut should
form a complete ring and extend through (but not far beyond) the thin, white
cambium layer beneath the bark. Girdling is preferably done in early September
in Hawaii. Different branches are sometimes girdled in successive years
to avoid damaging the tree.
Propping or bracing
branches is advisable when heavy crops occur on trees with weak, sharp-angled
crotches.
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Descriptions
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Family: Sapindaceae
Scientific name: Litchi
chinensis
Origin: Southern China.
Lychee is a round-topped,
long-lived, subtropical evergreen tree growing to 40 feet (12 meters) in
height. Immature leaflets are pale green, often tinged with bronze or pink,
turning dark green and leathery when mature. Leaves are pinnate with one
to five pairs of leaflets. Flowers are small, greenish-white or yellow,
lacking petals, and borne in large numbers on branched, terminal panicles
up to 12 inches (30 cm) long. The fruit is a tubercled, oval to ovoid drupe
about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter by 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches (3-4 cm) long
with rough, brittle, red skin. The fruit flesh is juicy, white, translucent,
and gelatinous, and does not adhere to the seed. The single seed is usually
large but occasionally small and shrunken or abortive. Such abortive seeds
are often referred to as "chicken tongue" seeds.
Lychee is related to
longan (Dimocarpus longan), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), and pulasan
(N. mutabile). Longan fruit, known as "dragon's eye," is similar
to lychee but small and rounder with smoother, dull yellow to light brown
skin and a more aromatic, spicy fruit. Longan grows well in Hawaii, but
fruiting of seedling trees is erratic. Rambutan and pulasan are more tropical
in origin than lychee or longan.
Lychees are and probably
will remain a favorite home garden tree in Hawaii since there is hardly
a more attractive ornamental fruit tree than a well shaped, dark green lychee
tree heavily laden with clusters of bright red fruits.
Although a few commercial
lychee orchards have been planted in Hawaii, they are erratic in bearing
habit and productivity.
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Diseases
No serious disease problems are presently found on lychees in Hawaii.
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Fertilizer
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Preplanting. Severe deficiency of soil phosphorus (P) should be corrected
before planing by thoroughly mixing P fertilizer with the soil. Lime should
be similarly incorporated to bring soil pH above 5.0. Surface applications
of lime and P are not as effective as those that are tilled in. Dolomite
can be substituted for part of the lime to provide magnesium.
Transplanting
At transplanting, mix into the soil in the planting hole 4 ounces (113
grams) of triple superphospate (0-46-0) plus 4 ounces of a complete fertilizer
(containing nitrogen [N], phosphoric acid [P2O5], and potash [K2O]) in
a 1-1-1 or 1-2-1 ratio. Organic soil amendments and fertilizers are useful
to promote tree establishment.
Young trees
For young trees up to three or four years of age, apply a complete fertilizer
beginning after the hardening of the first growth flush after transplanting.
Subsequent applications should be made after hardening of each succeeding
flush, or every two to four months. Apply a total of about 1 pound (454
grams) during Year 1, 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) during Year 2, 2 1/2 pounds
(1135 grams) during Year 3, and 4 pounds (1816 grams) during Year 4. The
fertilizer should be spread evenly around the tree at least 1 foot (30
cm) from the trunk. Stop applying fertilizer in the spring of the third
or fourth year when the tree is large enough to bear a crop the next year.
Bearing trees
Apply fertilizer to
bearing trees immediately after fruit harvest. If rainfall is limited, apply
irrigation water at that time to promote a vigorous vegetative flush. Bearing
trees need less P than developing trees so a fertilizer formulation such
as 10-5-20 is appropriate. Excessive amounts of available N during the winter
will favor untimely vegetative flushes; thus, N application levels should
be calculated so that the N is depleted before a rest period prior to flowering
occurs.
After fruit set, when
the fruits are pea-sized, a supplemental application of 10-5-20 or 10-5-40
will provide adequate potassium for fruit development. This application
should be light because too much N at this time of fruit ripening may cause
fruits to crack during rainy periods.
Amounts of fertilizer
applied to bearing trees vary depending on tree condition and location.
With many fruit trees, a general rule is to apply annually 1 pound (454
grams) of fertilizer for each inch of trunk diameter measured at a height
4-5 feet (1.2-1.5 meters) from the ground. This rule may be difficult to
use with lychee cultivars that have low branches. An alternative method
is to apply 3/4 pound (340 grams) of fertilizer for every year of tree age
reaching the maximum application level around Years 10-12.
Organic soil amendments
and fertilizers are useful to promote tree establishment, but should be
used with caution on bearing trees. Organic N is released more slowly than
most chemical fertilizer N, and it may be more difficult to manage the time
of availability and depletion of N from mulches and manures.
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Flowering
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New growth flushes occur
several times a year. Under suitable conditions, one of these flushes, usually
in the late winter months after January 1, may develop into a flowering
flush. Favorable conditions for flowering and fruiting do not occur every
year in Hawaii, or in any predictable sequence or pattern. When favorable
conditions do occur, flowering takes place between February and April. Fruits
mature three to five months after flowering.
Increases in flowering
and fruit set occur when there is a growth check caused by dry and/or cool
weather after the shoots of the previous growth flush have matured. Flowering
and fruit are usually poor whenever an adequate period or combination of
cool or dry weather fails to occur.
The best climates for
growing lychee have a warm, wet spring and summer followed by a cool, dry
fall and winter. Ideal conditions for lychee production occur in subtropical
Guangdon and Fujian, China, where the trees are planted along dikes and
stream banks as well as in orchard blocks in frost-free, lowland areas.
Temperatures drop below 50F (10C) in January and rise above 90F (greater
than 32C) in the summer. The rainfall averages about 65 inches (165 centimeters)
per year with 80 percent received between March and September.
In Hawaii, excessively
wet weather during October through December initiates vegetative flushing
when the trees should be undergoing a rest period, and these flushes use
stored carbohydrates that is preferably reserved for flowering and fruiting.
Breaking off late-flushing vegetative terminals may inhibit vegetative growth
and result in better flowering.
Warm, humid winter weather
also results in poor fruiting. Rain and wind during flowering interfere
with pollination and increase flower drop.
Many of the cultivars
imported from China seldom, if ever, fruit in Hawaii, regardless of weather
conditions. As a consequence, they should not be planted except in cultivar
collections. Examples of cultivars with this history are 'Kwa Luk', 'No
Mai Tsze', and 'Heung Lai'.
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Fruiting
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When favorable conditions
do occur, flowering takes place between February and April. Increases in
flowering and fruit set occur when there is a growth check caused by dry
and/or cool weather after the shoots of the previous growth flush have matured.
Flowering and fruit are usually poor whenever an adequate period or combination
of cool or dry weather fails to occur. Lack of rain, or low humidity, after
flowering (between February and May) decreases fruit set.
Fruits mature three
to five months after flowering. Strong winds during fruit development also
reduce yields. Weather conditions different from these and more like those
of Guangdon and Fujian, China, are conducive to better fruiting behavior.
In those areas, temperatures drop below 50F (10C) in January and rise above
90F (greater than 32C) in the summer. The rainfall averages about 65 inches
(165 centimeters) per year with 80 percent received between March and September.
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Harvest
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Fruits mature three
to five months after flowering. In Hawaii, early cultivars are harvested
in May and June, late cultivars from mid-July through September. Fruits
are removed from the tree by cutting or breaking the branch off just above
the panicle bearing the fruits. Fruits are harvested after their skins turn
red. Green fruits do not ripen satisfactorily after removal from the tree.
After harvest, fruit
skin color turns reddish-brown in a few days if not refrigerated. Refrigeration
at 32-40F (0-5C) and storage in plastic bags can prolong fresh fruit color
and flavor for about two weeks. Fruit to be stored in refrigeration should
be broken off the panicle, leaving a bit of stem attached. If the fruit
is pulled from the stem, the skin may break, resulting in dehydration and
possibly spoilage. Lychees may be quick-frozen, dried, or canned.
Under current (1990)
regulations, fresh lychee fruits maynot be exported from Hawaii to the U.S.
Mainland or Japan. Frozen lychee fruits may be taken to the U.S. Mainland
after inspect by Hawaii plant quarantine authorities.
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Insects
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Litchi mite, erinose mite (Eriophyes litchii)
Green scale (Coccus viridis)
Hemispherical scale (Saissetia coffeae)
White litchi scale (Pseudaulacaspis major)
Chinese rose beetle (Adoretus sinicus)
Litchi fruit moth (Cryptophlebia ombrodelta)
Koa seedworm, macadmaia husk borer (Cryptophlebia illepida)
Anthurium thrips (Chaetanaphothrips orchidii)
Redbanded thrips (Selenothrips rubrocintus)
Black twig borer (Xylosandrus compactus)
A twig borer (Xylosandrus crassiusculus)
An ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus fornicatus)
A spider mite (Oligonychus biharensis)
Ants.
The erinose mite is
a tiny pest (1/200 inch [0.13 millimeter] long) that cannot be seen without
a microscope, but its damage on lychee is distinctive and often extensive.
Leaflets become curled and distorted and have a velvety brown appearance.
The mites begin their attack on new leaves at the onset of growth flushes.
Early indications of their damage are small, wartlike swellings about 1/16
inch (1.6 millimeters) in diameter on the upper surface of leaflets and
light yellow spots on the corresponding sites on the lower surface. Erinose
mite damage seldom kills lychee trees, but is unsightly. Yield loss as a
result of erinose mite damage has not been demonstrated.
Besides the erinose mite, the most common insect pests of lychee are
the Cryptophlebia spp. (damaging fruits) and thrips and scales (affecting
foliage).
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Location
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Lychees are better adapted
to subtropical than to tropical climates. The best climates for growing
lychee have a warm, wet spring and summer followed by a cool, dry fall and
winter. Ideal conditions for lychee production occur in subtropical Guangdong
and Fujian, China, where the trees are planted along dikes and stream banks
as well as in orchard blocks in frost-free, lowland areas. Temperatures
drop below 50F (10C) in January and rise above 90F (greater than 32C) in
the summer. The rainfall averages about 65 inches (165 centimeters) per
year with 80 percent received between March and September.
In Hawaii, lychees grow
from sea level up to about 2000 feet (610 meters) elevation. Areas with
60-140 inches (152-356 centimeters) rainfall per year are suitable for lychees,
but they can also be grown in drier areas with irrigation. Short periods
of soil waterlogging and light flooding are tolerated, but standing water
is not. Lychee trees are susceptible to wind damage and need good wind protection.
Under less-than-ideal conditions, yields are usually variable and erratic.
This is often the case in Hawaii.
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Propagation
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Seeds. Lychee propagation
from seed is unsatisfactory because cultivars do not reproduce true from
seed. Seedling trees often take 10 years or more to come into bearing.
Air-layering. The most
common method of propagating lychee is air-layering, a technique for inducing
a branch to form roots while it is still attached to the tree, after which
it is removed and planted.
Air-layering is done
when leaves from the previous growth flush have matured. Branches selected
for air-layering should be 1/4 inch (0.6 centimeter) in diameter with one
strong, main leader. A ring of bark 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) wide is removed
from the branch at the point where root formation is desired. The thin cambium
layer beneath the bark is scraped away. For best results, this ringed area
should be left exposed for several weeks until callus tissue begins to form
at the end toward the branch tip. If air-layering is done too soon after
branches are ringed, rooting often fails. This is because freshly exposed
cambium cells may continue to divide and overgrow the ringed area, thus
inhibiting rooting.
The ringed area should
be surrounded by a layer of moss about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) thick and
4 inches (10 centimeters) long. Sphagnum moss is the preferred rooting medium.
The moss should be moist but not wet. A transparent sheet plastic (about
10 inches [25.4 cm] square) is used to hold the moss firmly in place around
the branch and retain moisture. The plastic wrap ends are tied tightly around
the branch with string and sealed with tape to keep rainwater out.
After two to four months,
when several roots have formed and are visible through the plastic, the
air-layered branch is cut off immediately below the plastic. The wrapping
is then removed and the rooted air-layer planted in a suitable container.
Removing about half of the leaves at the time of planting in the container
will prevent excessive moisture loss.
Containers with newly
transplanted air-layered plants should be placed in a shaded area for about
two weeks with a lightweight plastic bag placed over the plant to retain
humidity until the plant begins to put out new growth. Later on, the plants
can be gradually exposed to full sun to "harden."
Transplanting to the
field is best done during a rainy season, but if this is not possible, the
plants should be watered every two to three days until well established.
The trunk and rooted area should not be buried more than 1-2 inches (2.5-5
centimeters) below the level of the soil in the container. Removing about
half of the leaves at the time of transplanting to the ground will prevent
excessive moisture loss.
Air-layered trees usually
taken three to five years from planting to become established and begin
bearing.
Budding. Lychee seeds
are short-lived, losing viability after a few days and are best planted
fresh from the fruit. They should not be refrigerated because this rapidly
destroys viability. Well grown lychee seedlings can be successfully patch-budded
when the bark slips readily. Although not often used with lychee, budding
is an excellent method that produces trees with better root systems than
air-layering. Seedling rootstocks for budding should be 1/3-1/2 inch (0.9-1.3
centimeters) in diameter.
Soils
Lychee is adaptable
over a wide range of soil types from heavy clays to a'a lavas and tolerates
wet soils to some degree. Coral sands are the least desirable soil type.
Acidic soils from pH 5.0 to 6.5 are preferable.
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Green - Seeds Co., Ltd.
81/10B Ho Van Hue Street, Phu Nhuan District, Ward 9, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Tel: +84 (8) 847 6901 - Fax: +84 (8) 844 1392 - Email: info@green-seeds.com
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