Can you grow lychees in NSW?

You can grow them in northern New South Wales, but they are a tropical fruit, so most are grown in Queensland, and that’s where Chris Curling and her husband John have their nine hectare fruit farm, 75 kilometres north of Brisbane.

What season do lychees grow in Australia?

Australia has the longest lychee production season in the world producing fruit from late October to late March. Lychee growing regions in Australia include tropical Far North Queensland, Central Queensland, South East Queensland and Northern NSW.

Can you get lychees in Australia?

Lychees are grown in Queensland and New South Wales. The harvest season begins in October in far north Queensland and moves down through to New South Wales until early April.

How much space do lychee trees need?

If you have the land, the optimal spacing for a lychee tree is a 15′ radius from the center of the trunk in all directions. If you leave 10 or more feet access between rows this implies a row spacing of 40′.

Where can I pick lychees in NSW?

It is well worth the trip to this farm in Boambee for those who want the unforgettable experience of eating fresh lychees straight off the tree. It is located at 169 South Boambee Road Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450.

What month is lychee season?

The real season for fresh lychee fruit is mid-June to mid-July. Far too many growers sell partially ripe lychees in a rush to get their fruit to market.

How long does it take a lychee tree to bear fruit?

Harvesting. Lychee trees will take at least five years to mature before bearing any fruit. You must expose the tree to cold temperatures for at least 100 hours in the winter if you want it to bloom and then bear fruit, and the female flowers have to be pollinated.

Are lychee trees easy to grow?

Lychee is a fragile plant, so protect it from strong winds and also from frost. Growing well down the east coast of Australia, from Cairns to Lismore, lychee produces its optimal harvest during a dry spring, as rain, as well as overhead watering, can damage the flowers, reducing your harvest.

Where can I pick lychees in Sydney?

The rest of the lychee is sold at markets in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. It is well worth the trip to this farm in Boambee for those who want the unforgettable experience of eating fresh lychees straight off the tree. It is located at 169 South Boambee Road Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450.

How do you harvest lychee fruit?

You should only ever pick an individual lychee if you plan on putting it straight into your mouth. Instead, harvest lychees in clusters, using pruning shears to snip off stems that have several fruits on them.

How long does it take for a lychee tree to produce fruit?

Lychee trees will take at least five years to mature before bearing any fruit. You must expose the tree to cold temperatures for at least 100 hours in the winter if you want it to bloom and then bear fruit, and the female flowers have to be pollinated.

Do lychee trees bear fruit every year?

Lychee trees grow in recurrent cycles of growth followed by periods of dormancy. Typically, a South Florida lychee tree will experience 4 – 6 annual growth flushes depending on the age and size of a tree.

Who is the family behind lychee farm?

Our family team includes myself (John), wife Kerry and our son, David. Our farm is located on the Fraser Coast of Queensland at Tiaro. We are one of the largest growers of lychees in Australia. The orchard has 3,000 lychee trees consisting of 5 different varieties so that we can extend the short season with early and late fruit.

What is a lychee tree?

The lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a subtropical tree from the Sapindaceae family and is thought to have originated from southern China. The lychee is an evergreen tree which grows to heights of more than 20 m.

How long does it take to make lychee liqueur?

Our first Lychee liqueur was produced in 2010 from 800kg of hand peeled lychees. From that we made 900 bottles of Lychee Liqueur, these were sold in just 6 weeks. We knew then we needed to investigate how we could do this without so much labour by our following lychee season.