Any tall plants in pots that you could place around them? Create a rainforest around them.

-Tom

6 trees are not bad. At one time, I had over 15 structures built to protect my tropical trees from the sun and wind. Now that they've matured, I'm down to about 5. However, I don't have any lychees. I put 4 posts (4x2) about 12" into the soil around each tree, connect the posts at the top with 2x2, then staple shade cloth on top, and window screen around. I've yet to pay you a visit. I'll go to San Diego sometime in the next couple months, hopefully we can meet to check out your collection. BTW, whatever became of your plan to heat the ground for your mangosteen?

Simon,

I hope I am not hijacking your thread, but do your new leaves look like this?

I am also in San Diego and just planted two lychees in my new yard. Most of the new growth looks like the pictures and I was beginning to wonder what the problem is. They have been in the ground for only a few months and when the first growth flush was bad I thought that it was transplant shock, but now that the second growth flush is doing the same thing I was beginning to wonder if I was doing something wrong. If it helps, the varieties are Sweetheart and Hak Ip

Thanks,
Richard

Richard, that's the typical wind damage here in SoCal. yours is not too bad at all to me. you can try to protect it with wind guard since your tree seems still small. but I don't worry too much about it, as long as my trecan get one strong flush annually.

pepperot, I've got some plants around my lychee but I also want to avoid shading out my small lychee trees. The plants around my lychees do seem to help block some of the wind damage.

Hey Newgen, 6 structures isn't too much but my yard is really small, and I plan on planting a few of my lychees in the front yard. I'm hoping to avoid any structures that might get the neighbors mad. Luckily, I live in a ghetto neighborhood with old cars and boats in the front yard so a few structures might not be too bad. As for the Mangosteen, I've completely neglected it and its doing great. I moved it outdoors because my wife complained about all the bugs in the soil and it has put out a set of new leaves that just hardened and it appears another set is starting to pop out. After doing much research and cost analysis, I've concluded that if really wanted to fruit mangosteen here, I would have to go all in and build a heated greenhouse but I don't have the money to do that right now so instead, I'm going to neglect it and see if it survives long enough for me to win the Lottery.

Richard, my leaves look much worse than yours. Some of the leaves on my larger Sweetheart look ok because the canopy protected the new growth that was inside the canopy. The serious damage was done to new leaves that are on the perrimeter of the tree or branches that were sticking out of the canopy. Some of the new growth completely stopped growing, dried up and fell off completely.

Most my lychee trees are still very small and I only intend to protect them from the wind until they are about as big as phase's Sweetheart. At that point, the canopy should give it some protection.

I did a Google search last night and ordered some WILT PRUF. I'll test it out and let everyone know how it works. This product isn't really intended for newly emerging growth. I may have to apply it diluted every day since the leaves will be increasing in size each day.
Simon

Simon, and Phase 0001,

Thanks for the replies and letting me know that what I am seeing is wind damage. I will just let the trees be for this year, but Simon, I will be watching for your experiences with Wilt Pruf.

Richard

I'll keep everyone updated. All my lychees are trying to push new growth right now and I have yet to recieve my Wilt Pruf.

Wilt Pruf didn't work for my lychee trees. I purchased the concentrate and diluted 1:10 as per directions and sprayed several small branches with newly emerged leaves that were enlarging, some were just coming out, and the leaf tips browned and curled like normal. I believe Wilt Pruf will work better at protecting fully formed new growth.

When using Wilt Pruf, it will only protect the areas that are covered with the product. If you spray small and actively growing new leaves and shoots, you may need to spray daily and the film like layers may itself cause problems with Lychees sensitive new leaves.

Simon,

Its all about creating micro climates. The lychee tree below has had no issues with leaf burn since I purchased it.

I am growing the lychee in a self watering container and mulching heavily with pine bark. The location is about 4 ft from the white walls of the home. It gets about 6-8 hours of direct sunlight and good indirect sunlight from light bouncing from the home. In the picture you can see overhanging lemon balm (which is known to attract beneficial insects). The tree is also surrounded by other trees and shrubs on all sides.

I believe all the above conditions are making it a healthy tree.

Simon,

I forgot to mention, what do you amend the soil with? I would install small misters on the tree, it will help increase humidity levels in the canopy of the tree.

Hello nullzero, thanks for the helpful information. Your lychee tree is absolutely beautiful, what variety is it? I have also noticed that the particular microclimates are very important to keep in mind. I mulch my soil with Kellogs and E&B Stone Organic compost, I also innoculated the root zone with redworms, earthworms and leaf litter.

I personally feel that wind protection is much more important than increasing humidity because a couple years ago, my Sweetheart Lychee had an absolutely beautiful growth flush in the summertime. Search "My small but dense Sweetheart Lychee". Notice all the bone dry weeds on the ground, San Diego was in a severe drought at the time and I did not mist my tree with water and the growth flush was the best I've ever had on the tree.

After paying very close attention to how Lychee trees grow in SoCal, I have noticed that Lychee trees that are grown next to other large trees that act as wind breaks, have beautiful large canopies. An example of some beautiful lychee trees in SoCal can be seen at Exotica Nursery in Vista. Although the trees are neglected and in need of pruning and weeding, the leaves and entire canopy are absolutely beautiful on most of the trees.

Some of the smaller trees look like crap however and these smaller trees are planted next to other small lychee trees that won't provide much of a windbreak. Planting Lychee trees next to a wall or house can be a good idea to help with wind damage but we should also remember that the decrease in light may reduce your final harvest.

For some of my smaller lychee trees, I'm considering growing them in my garage under flourescent lights untill they have a canopy about the area of an opened up umbrella before hardening them off and planting outdoors.
Simon
Simon

Hi Simon, I totally understand you not wanting to build 6 different structures for your lychee trees...below is an older thread of a "windbreak" I build for my newly planted Lychee tree. I do know that the new growths is very sensitive to wind. Lycheesonline made it a point to stress just how important it is to protect young emerging leaves from the wind.

Here's what one of the tips lycheesonline.com mentioned on their website.

" The new growth of lychee tree(s) is very delicate and easily damaged by the wind. Wind damage can severely impair the development of a small lychee tree and destroy new growth before it has a chance to develop and mature. Plant your tree in an area that receives some measure of wind protection."color>

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Windbreak for my Lychee tree

Simon,

Thanks for the update on the Wilt-Pruf, I was hoping for a more positive test result. When I planted my trees, I did not realize how sensitive lychees are to wind. I planted one in a fully exposed part of my front yard thinking that the wind damage warnings were meant for really high winds (20 knots +) not the milder winds I see in San Diego most of the time. Hopefully that tree will do ok, but so far it has been pretty beat up (the pictures I posted were of the tree in a much more sheltered location of my back yard).

I think I will follow the advice of keeping my other plants in a very well protected area of my side yard (no wind at all and almost full sun) until they get a lot bigger.

Richard

Simon,

Its a Mauritius Lychee tree. I agree with you and other posts, that the main problem is the wind. Where I have my tree its sheltered from the wind by the house and the surrounding trees.

rtee garden. , I think when your leaves are curls in that manner, you might also have a zinc deficiency. I have the same problem. I am nowtreating my trees with extra zinc.

Simon, thank you for all the information.I have learn a lot from you.

Phase0001, when you prune your tree again,I would love to have some of the scions from the that type of fertilizer do you use. I would gladly pay for the branches that you might just throw away. Email me @ cytology research@aol.com, when you prune again. Thanks