Cultivo de árboles tropicales en macetas e invernadero

Re: Tropicales en macetas/invernadero

Bingo! Encontré un archivo sobre variedades de litchi. Ahí va la información:

Varieties
Professor Groff, in his book, The lychee and the lungan, tells us that the production of superior types of
lychee is a matter of great family pride and local rivalry in China, where the fruit is esteemed as no other.
In 1492, a list of 40 lychee varieties, mostly named for families, was published in the Annals of Fukien. In
the Kwang provinces there were 22 types, 30 were listed in the Annals of Kwangtung, and 70 were tallied
as varieties of Ling Nam. The Chinese claim that the lychee is highly variable under different cultural and
soil conditions. Professor Groff concluded that one could catalog 40 or 50 varieties as recognized in
Kwangtung, but there were only 15 distinct, widely-known and commercial varieties grown in that
province, half of them marketed in season in the City of Canton. Some of these are classed as "mountain"
types; the majority are "water types" (grown in low, well-irrigated land). There is a special distinction
between the kinds of lychee that leak juice when the skin is broken and those that retain the juice within the
flesh. The latter are called "dry- and -clean" and are highly prized. There is much variation in form (round,
egg-shaped or heart-shaped), skin color and texture, the fragrance and flavor and even the color, of the
flesh; and the amount of "rag" in the seed cavity; and, of prime importance, the size and form of the seed.
The following are the 15 cultivars recognized by Professor Groff:
'No Mai Tsze', or 'No mi ts 'z' (glutinous rice) is the leading variety in China; large, red, "dry-and-clean";
seeds often small and shriveled. It is one of the best for drying, and is late in season. It does best when
grafted onto the 'Mountain' lychee.
'Kwa Iuk' or 'Kua lu' (hanging green) is a famous lychee; large, red with a green tip and a typical green
line; "dry-and-clean"; of outstanding flavor and fragrance. It was, in olden times, a special fruit for
presentation to high officials and other persons in positions of honor. Professor Groff was given a single
fruit in a little red box!
'Kwai mi' or 'Kuei Wei', (cinnamon flavor) which came to be called 'Mauritius' is smaller, heart-shaped,
with rough red skin tinged with green on the shoulders and usually having a thin line running around the
fruit. The seed is small and the flesh very sweet and fragrant. The branches of the tree curve upward at the
tips and the leaflets curl inward from the midrib.
'Hsiang li', or 'Heung lai' (fragrant lychee) is home by a tree with distinctive erect habit having upwardpointing
leaves. The fruit is small, very rough and prickly, deep-red, with the smallest seeds of all, and the
flesh is of superior flavor and fragrance. It is late in season. Those grown in Sin Hsing are better than those
grown in other locations.
'Hsi Chio tsu', or 'Sai kok tsz' (rhinoceros horn) is borne by a large-growing tree. The fruit is large, rough,
broad at the base and narrow at the apex; has somewhat tough and fibrous, but fragrant, sweet, flesh. It
ripens early.
'Hak ip', or 'Hei yeh', (black leaf) is borne by a densely-branched tree with large, pointed, slightly curled,
dark-green leaflets. The fruit is medium-red, sometimes with green tinges, broad-shouldered, with thin, soft
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skin and the flesh, occasionally pinkish, is crisp and sweet. This is rated as "one of the best 'water'
lychees."
'Fei tsu hsiao', or 'Fi tsz siu' (imperial concubine's laugh, or smile) is large, amber-colored, thin-skinned,
with very sweet, very fragrant flesh. Seeds vary from large to very small. It ripens early.
'T' ang po', or 'T' ong pok' (pond embankment) is from a small-leaved tree. The fruit is small, red, rough,
with thin, juicy acid flesh and very little rag. It is a very early variety.
'Sheung shu wai' or'Shang hou huai', (President of a Board's embrace) is borne on a small-leaved tree. The
fruit is large, rounded, red, with many dark spots. It has sweet flesh with little scent and the seed size is
variable. It is rather late in season.
'Ch'u ma lsu', or 'Chu ma lsz' (China grass fiber) has distinctive, lush foliage. The leaves are large,
overlapping, with long petioles. The fruits are large with prominent shoulders and rough skin, deep red
inside. While very fragrant, the flesh is of inferior flavor and clings to the seed which varies from large to
small.
'Ta tsao', or 'Tai tso' (large crop) is widely grown around Canton; somewhat egg-shaped; skin rough,
bright-red with many small, dense dots; flesh firm, crisp, sweet, faintly streaked with yellow near the large
seed. The juice leaks when the skin is broken. The fruit ripens early.
'Huai chih', or 'Wai chi' (the Wai River lychee) has medium-sized, blunt leaves. The fruit is round with
medium-smooth skin, a rich red outside, pink inside; and leaking juice. This is not a high class variety but
the most commonly grown, high yielding, and late in season.
'San yueh hung', or 'Sam ut hung' (third month red), also called 'Ma yuen', 'Ma un', 'Tsao kuo', 'Tso kwo',
'Tsao li', or 'Tsoli' (early lychee) is grown along dykes. The branches are brittle and break readily; the
leaves are long, pointed, and thick. The fruit is very large, with red, thick, tough skin and thick, mediumsweet
flesh with much rag. The seeds are long but aborted. This variety is popular mainly because it comes
into season very early.
'Pai la li chih', or 'Pak lap lai chi' (white wax lychee), also called 'Po le tzu', or 'Pak lik tsz (white fragrant
plant), is large, pink, rough, with pinkish, fibrous, not very sweet flesh and large seeds. It ripens very late,
after 'Huai chih'.
'Shan chi', or 'Shan chih' (mountain lychee), also called 'Suan chih', or 'Sun chi' (sour lychee) grows wild
in the hills and is often planted as a rootstock for better varieties. The tree is of erect habit with erect twigs
and large, pointed, short-petioled leaves. The fruit is bright-red, elongated, very rough, with thin flesh, acid
flavor and large seed.
'T'im ngam', or 'T'ien yeh' (sweet cliff) is a common variety of lychee which Professor Groff reported to
be quite widely grown in Kwantung, but not really on a commercial basis.
In his book, The Litchi, Dr. Lal Behari Singh wrote that Bihar is the center of lychee culture in India,
producing 33 selected varieties classified into 15 groups. His extremely detailed descriptions of the 10
cultivars recommended for large-scale cultivation I have abbreviated (with a few bracketed additions from
other sources):
'Early Seedless', or 'Early Bedana'. Fruit 1 1/3 in (3.4 cm) long, heart-shaped to oval; rough, red, with
green interspaces; skin firm and leathery; flesh [ivory] to white, soft, sweet; seed shrunken, like a dog's
tooth. Of good quality. The tree bears a moderate crop, early in season.
'Rose-scented'. Fruit 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) long; rounded-heart-shaped; slightly rough, purplish-rose, slightly
firm skin; flesh gray-white, soft, very sweet. Seed round-ovate, fully developed. Of good quality. [Tree
bears a moderate crop] in midseason.
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'Early Large Red'. Fruit slightly more than 1 1/3 in (3.4 cm) long, usually obliquely heart-shaped;
crimson [to carmine], with green interspaces; very rough; skin very firm and leathery, adhering slightly to
the flesh. Flesh grayish-white, firm, sweet and flavorful. Of very good quality. [Tree is a moderate bearer],
early in season.
'Dehra Dun', [or 'Dehra Dhun']. Fruit less than 1 1/2 in (4 cm) long; obliquely heart-shaped to conical; a
blend of red and orange-red; skin rough, leathery; flesh gray-white, soft, of good, sweet flavor. Seed often
shrunken, occasionally very small. Of good quality; midseason. [This is grown extensively in Uttar
Pradesh and is the most satisfactory lychee in Pakistan.]
'Late Long Red', or 'Muzaffarpur'. Fruit less than 1 1/2 in (4 cm) long; usually oblong-conical; dark-red
with greenish interspaces; skin rough, firm and leathery, slightly adhering to the flesh; flesh grayish-white,
soft, of good, sweet flavor. Seed cylindrical, fully developed. Of good quality. [Tree is a heavy bearer], late
in season.
'Pyazi'. Fruit 1 1/3 in (3.4 cm) long; oblong-conical to heart-shaped; a blend of orange and orange-red,
with yellowish-red, not very prominent, tubercles. Skin leathery, adhering; flesh gray-white, firm, slightly
sweet, with flavor reminiscent of "boiled onion". Seed cylindrical, fully developed. Of poor quality. Early
in season.
'Extra Early Green'. Fruit 1 1/4 in (3.2 cm) long; mostly heart-shaped, rarely rounded or oblong;
yellowish-red with green interspaces; skin slightly rough, leathery, slightly adhering; flesh creamy-white,
[firm, of good, slightly acid flavor]; seed oblong, cylindrical or flat. Of indifferent quality. Very early in
season.
'Kalkattia', ['Calcuttia', or 'Calcutta']. Fruit 1 1/2 in (4 cm) long; oblong or lopsided; rose-red with darker
tubercles; skin very rough, leathery, slightly adhering; flesh grayish ivory, firm, of very sweet, good flavor.
Seed oblong or concave. Of very good quality. [A heavy bearer; withstands hot winds]. Very late in
season.
'Gulabi'. Fruit 1 1/3 in (3.4 cm) long; heart-shaped, oval or oblong; pink-red to carmine with orange-red
tubercles; skin very rough, leathery, non-adherent; flesh gray-white, firm, of good subacid flavor; seed
oblong-cylindrical, fully developed. Of very good quality. Late in season.
'Late Seedless', or 'Late Bedana'. Fruit less than 1 3/8 in (3.65 cm) long; mainly conical, rarely ovate;
orange-red to carmine with blackish-brown tubercles; skin rough, firm, non-adherent; flesh creamy-white,
soft; very sweet, of very good flavor except for slight bitterness near the seed. Seed slightly spindleshaped,
or like a dog's tooth; underdeveloped. Of very good quality. [Tree bears heavily. Withstands hot
winds.] Late in season. There are numerous lychee orchards in the submontane region of the Punjab. The
leading variety is:
'Panjore common'. Fruit is large, heart-shaped, deep-orange to pink; skin is rough, very thin, apt to split.
Tree bears heavily and has the longest fruiting season-for an entire month beginning near the end of May.
Six other varieties commonly grown there are: 'Rose-scented', 'Bhadwari', 'Seedless No. 1', 'Seedless No. 2',
'Dehra Dun', and 'Kalkattia'.
In South Africa, only one variety is produced commercially. It is the 'Kwai Mi' but it is locally called
'Mauritius' because nearly all of the trees are descendants of those brought in from that island. In South
Africa, the fruit is of medium size, nearly round but slightly oval, reddish-brown. Flesh is firm, of good
quality and usually contains a medium-sized seed, but certain fruits with broad, flat shoulders and
shortened form tend to have "chicken-tongue" seeds.
There have been many other introductions into South Africa from China and India but most failed to
survive. In 1928, 16 varieties from India were planted at Lowe's Orchards, Southport, Natal, but the
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records were lost and they remained unnamed. A Litchi Variety Orchard of 26 cultivars from India, China,
Taiwan and elsewhere was established at the Subtropical Horticulture Research Station in Nelspruit.
Tentative classifications grouped these into 3 distinct types–'Kwai Mi' ['Mauritius'], 'Hak Ip' (of high
quality and small seed but a shy bearer in the Low-veld), and the 'Madras', a heavy bearer of choice fruits,
bright-red, very rough, and with large seeds, but very sweet, luscious flesh.
The first lychee introduced into Hawaii was the 'Kwai Mi', as was the second introduction several years
later. The high quality of this variety (sometimes locally called 'Charlie Long') caused the lychee to become
extremely popular and widely planted. The Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station imported 3
'Brewster' trees in 1907, and various efforts were made to bring other types from China but not all
survived. A total of 16 varieties became well established in Hawaii, including 'Hak Ip' which has become
second to 'Kwai Mi' in importance.
In 1942, the Agricultural Experiment Station set out a collection of 500 seedlings of 'Kwai Mi', 'Hak Ip'
and 'Brewster' with a view to selecting the trees showing the best performance. One tree of outstanding
character (a seedling of 'Hak Ip') was first designated H.A.E.S. Selection 1-18-3 and was given the name
'Groff' in 1953. It is a consistent bearer, late in season. The fruit is of medium size, dark rose-red with
green or yellowish tinges on the apex of each tubercle. The flesh is white and firm; there is no leaking
juice; the flavor is excellent, sweet and subacid; most of the fruits have abortive, "chicken-tongue" seeds
and, accordingly have 20% more flesh than if the seeds were fully developed.
'No Mai Tsze' has been growing in Hawaii for over 40 years but has produced very few fruits. 'Pat Po
Heung' (eight precious fragrances), erroneously called 'Pat Po Hung' (eight precious red), somewhat
resembles 'No Mai Tsze' but is smaller; the skin is purplish-red, thin and pliable; the juice leaks when the
skin is broken; the flesh is soft, juicy, sweet even when slightly unripe; the seed varies from medium to
large. The tree is slow-growing and of weak, spreading habit; it bears well in Hawaii. Nevertheless, it is not
commonly planted.
'Kaimana', or 'Poamoho', an open-pollinated seedling of 'Hak Ip', developed by Dr. R.A. Hamilton at the
Poamoho Experiment Station of the University of Hawaii, was released in 1982. The fruit resembled 'Kwai
Mi' but is twice as large, deep-red, of high quality, and the tree is a regular bearer.
'Brewster' is large, conical or wedge-shaped, red, with soft flesh, more acid than that of 'Kwai mi', and the
seeds are very often fully formed and large. The leaflets are flat with slightly recurved margins and taper to
a sharp point.
There were many other introductions of seeds, seedlings, cuttings or air-layers into the United States, from
1902 to 1924, mostly from China; also from India and Hawaii, and a few from Java, Cuba, and Trinidad;
and these were distributed to experimenters in Florida and California, and some to botanical gardens in
other states, and to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama, Honduras, Costa Rica and Brazil. Many were killed by
cold weather in California and Florida.
In 1908, the United States Department of Agriculture brought in 27 plants of 'Kwai mi'. At the same time,
20 plants of 'Hak Ip' were imported and these were sent to George B. Cellon in Miami in 1918. A tree of
the 'Bedana' was introduced from India in 1913. In 1920, Professor Groff obtained seedlings of 'Shan Chi'
(mountain lychee) from Kwantung Province, together with air-layers of 'Sheung shu wai', 'No mai ts 'z',
and 'T' im ngam' (sweet cliff). The latter was found to bear more regularly than 'Brewster' but exhibited
nutritional deficiencies in limestone soil.
Most of the various plants and rooted cuttings from them were distributed for trial; the rest were kept in
U.S. Department of Agriculture greenhouses in Maryland.
'Bengal'–In 1929, the U.S. Department of Agriculture received a small lychee plant, supposedly a seedling
of 'Rose-scented', from Calcutta. It was planted at the Plant Introduction Station in Miami and began
bearing in 1940. The fruits resembled 'Brewster' but were more elongated, were home in large clusters, and
the flesh was firm, not leaking juice when peeled. All the fruits had fully developed seeds but smaller in
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proportion to flesh than those of 'Brewster'. The habit of the tree is more spreading than that of 'Brewster';
it has larger, more leathery, darker green leave's, and the bark is smoother and paler. The original tree and
its air-layered progeny have shown no chlorosis on limestone in contrast to 'Brewster' trees growing
nearby.
'Peerless', believed to be a seedling of 'Brewster', originated at the Royal Palm Nursery at Oneco; was
transplanted to the T.R. Palmer Estate in Belleair where C.E. Ware noticed from 1936 to 1938 that it bore
fruit of larger size, brighter color and higher percentage of abortive seed than 'Brewster'. In 1938, Ware airlayered
and removed 200 branches, purchased the tree and moved it to his property in Clearwater. It
resumed fruiting in 1940 and annual crops recorded to 1956 showed good productivity-averaging 383.4 lbs
(174 kg) per year, and the rate of abortive seeds ranged from 62% to 85%. The 200 air-layers were planted
out by Ware in 1942 and began bearing in 1946. Most of the fruits had fully developed seeds but the rate of
abortive seeds increased year by year and in 1950 was 61% to 70%. The cultivar was named with the
approval of the Florida Lychee Growers Association. Two seedling selections by Col. Grove, 'Yellow Red'
and 'Late Globe', Prof. Groff believed to be natural hybrids of 'Brewster' ´ 'Mountain'.
In northern Queensland, 'Kwai Mi' is the earliest cultivar grown, and about 10% of the fruits have "chicken
tongue" seeds. 'Brewster' bears in mid-season and is important though the seed is nearly always fully
formed and large. 'Hak Ip' is also midseason and large-seeded there. 'Bedana' is grown only in home
gardens and the fruits have large seeds unlike the usual "chicken tongue" seeds of the fruits of this cultivar
borne in India i
'Wai Chi' is late in season (December), has small, round fruits, basically yellow overlaid with red; the seed
is small and oval. The tree is very compact with upright branches, and prefers a cooler climate than that of
coastal north Queensland where it does not fruit heavily. The leaflets are concave like those of 'Kwai Mi'.
A very similar, perhaps identical, cultivar called 'Hong Kong' is grown in South Queensland. 'No Mai'
bears poorly in Queensland and seems better adapted to cooler areas.
Blooming and Pollination
There are 3 types of flowers appearing in irregular sequence or, at times, simultaneously, in the lychee
inflorescence: a) male; b) hermaphrodite, fruiting as female (about 30% of the total); c) hermaphrodite
fruiting as male. The latter tend to possess the most viable pollen. Many of the flowers have defective
pollen and this fact probably is the main cause of the abortive seeds and also the common problem of
shedding of young fruits. The flowers require transfer of pollen by insects.
In India, L.B. Singh recorded 11 species of bees, flies, wasps and other insects as visiting lychee flowers
for nectar. But honeybees, mostly Apis cerana indica, A. dorsata and A. florea, constitute 78% of the
lychee-pollinating insects and they work the flowers for pollen and nectar from sunrise to sundown. A.
cerana is the only hive bee and is essential in commercial orchards for maximum fruit production.
A 6-week survey in Florida revealed 27 species of lychee-flower visitors, representing 6 different insect
Orders. Most abundant, morning and afternoon, was the secondary screw-worm fly (Callitroga
macellaria), an undesirable pest. Next was the imported honeybee (Apis mellifera) seeking nectar daily but
only during the morning and apparently not interested in the pollen. No wild bees were seen on the lychee
flowers, though wild bees were found in large numbers collecting pollen in an adjacent fruit-tree planting a
few weeks later. Third in order, but not abundant, was the soldier beetle (Chauliognathus marginatus). The
rest of the insect visitors were present only in insignificant number. Maintenance of bee hives in Florida
lychee groves is necessary to enhance fruit set and development. The fruits mature 2 months after
flowering.
In India and Hawaii, there has been some interest in possible cross-breeding of the lychee and pollen
storage tests have been conducted. Lychee pollen has remained viable at room temperature for 10 to 30
days in petri dishes; for 3 to 5 months in desiccators; 15 months at 32° F (0° C) and 25% relative humidity
in desiccators; and 31 months under deep-freeze, -9.4° F (-23° C). There is considerable variation in the
germination rates of pollen from different cultivars. In India, 'Rose Scented' has shown mean viability of
61.99% compared with 42.52% in 'Khattl'.
Climate
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Groff provided a clear view of the climatic requirements of the lychee. He said that it thrives best in
regions "not subject to heavy frost but cool and dry enough in the winter months to provide a period of
rest." In China and India, it is grown between 15° and 30° N. "The Canton delta ... is crossed by the Tropic
of Cancer and is a subtropical area of considerable range in climate. Great fluctuations of temperature are
common throughout the fall and winter months. In the winter sudden rises of temperature will at times
cause the lychee ... to flush forth ... new growth. This new growth is seldom subject to a freeze about
Canton. On the higher elevations of the mountain regions which are subject to frost the lychee is seldom
grown . . . The more hardy mountainous types of the lychee are very sour and those grown near salt water
are said to be likewise. The lychee thrives best on the lower plains where the summer months are hot and
wet and the winter months are dry and cool."
Heavy frosts will kill young trees but mature trees can withstand light frosts. Cold tolerance of the lychee is
intermediate between that of the sweet orange on one hand and mango and avocado on the other. Location,
land slope, and proximity to bodies of water can make a great difference in degree of damage by freezing
weather. In the severe low temperature crisis during the winter of 1957-58, the effects ranged from
minimal to total throughout central and southern Florida. A grove of 12-to 14-year-old trees south of
Sanford was killed back nearly to the ground; on Merritt Island trees of the same age were virtually
undamaged, while a commercial mango planting was totally destroyed. L.B. Singh resists the common
belief that the lychee needs winter cold spells that provide periods of temperature between 30° and 40° F (-
1.11° and 4.44° C) because it does well in Mauritius where the temperature is never below 40° F (-1.11°
C). However, lychee trees in Panama, Jamaica, and other tropical areas set fruit only occasionally or not at
all.
Heavy rain or fog during the flowering period is detrimental, as are hot, dry, strong winds which cause
shedding of flowers, also splitting of the fruit skin. Splitting occurs, too, during spells of alternating rain
and hot, dry periods, especially on the sunny side of the tree. Spraying with Ethephon at 10 ppm reduced
splitting in 'Early Large Red' in experiments in Nepal.

 

Re: Tropicales en macetas/invernadero

Junior:

tocas un tema clave al mencionar 'la temperatura mínima para la fructificación'. O sea, las 'hardiness zones' son muy útiles para saber si el árbol sobrevivirá, pero más allá de eso, no aclaran para nada si dará frutas, ni siquiera las condiciones climáticas...

Por ejemplo: aplicando varios de estos modelos, vemos que la costa gallega puede estar en la zona de resistencia 9b, o incluso (Vigo, O Rosal, Vilagarcía) 10, ya que hiela muy poco o nada, y los inviernos son muy suaves. Pero esos dos, que son los mismos de la Florida superior e inferior, respectivamente, son engañosos: nuestro clima no es Florida. El verano no llega a sus cotas de insolación y elevada temperatura.

Sería interesante encontrar algún sitio/página/libro que listase precisamente esos 'mínimos' de temperatura/sol para conseguir fruto, que es de lo que se trata.

Un saludo

 

Re: Tropicales en macetas/invernadero

...Cierto. Ese es un tema al que yo nunca presté atención, dado que en Canarias no tenemos ese problema. Más bien me centré en variedades de litchi que no requieren temperaturas bajas para fructificar, tema han estudiado mucho en Hawai. Voy a intentar tomarme algo de tiempo estos días para releer mis archivos...

Saludos!

 

Re: Tropicales en macetas/invernadero

Tespis eso es dificil de responder ya que muchas especies y variedades tropicales florecen en invierno. Tengo entendido que lo que menos resiste de una planta son las flores. Por ej las flores de mango resisten 4C pero el arbol mucho mas.

Supongo que lo ideal es que elijas variedades que florezcan fuera del invierno. Menciono que lo ideal para las tropicales es darle un periodo seco en el invierno y otro humedo y caluroso en el verano.

Bueno hay algo que se llama microclima...en libros he leido que si la pones en una pendiente eso o detrás de una pared a tal dirección también hay menos frío. Hablamos de 4 a 10C mas. Eso mas cubrirlas debería ser suficiente.

E_junior el litchi normalmente solo necesita 100 horas de frio. seguro que te fructifica.

 

Re: Tropicales en macetas/invernadero

Ahí pueden ver las caracteristicas de algunas variedades http://www.tropicalfruitnursery.com/

litchi,mango,aguacate y todo eso.

 

Re: Tropicales en macetas/invernadero

Precisamente el mío está plantado en tierra, no en maceta..
Por eso te comentaba que es medio enano por naturaleza, porque fuera de su ambiente ideal no se desarrolla mucho, aunque sobreviva bien.