Has anyone had experience with growing longan trees?

Especially in cool temperate regions, and if you've got them to fruit.
Also if you've had experience with grafting them and what different varieties you have, and what you've found to fruit the best etc.? (again, especially those growing them in cool temperate regions).
Also if anyone has grown and kept them small and in a pot, and if they've still fruited. If so, did you trim the roots or just prune it's branches? or did you have a dwarf variety?

Would appreciate the guidance, as I'm currently growing a longan inside (seedling), and looking into grafting it, keeping it alive in the cool temperate region that it's in, and I'm not quite sure whether to keep it in a 60L black garbage bin pot, or to put it in the ground. And whether it will survive if I put it outside and in the ground. I so want it to survive and flower and fruit! Where I am, it's extremely rare to get frosts, but it is a cool temperate region.

I'm new to this forum, and any help would be greatly appreciated. If anyone knows of other fruit growers forums please tell me.

hope you can help
cheers!
Fern

Hi fern,
I have an air-layered Kohala longan growing in a large container in my greenhouse. I've not gotten it to fruit yet. I keep having issues with the foliage. The tree will flush beautifully and like crazy. Once the tree is looking good, it will start losing leaves...prompting a pruning to get another flush going. I know my tree has been touchy on overwatering and I'm currently having a minor thrips issue. Both could be contributing to my woes. I also need to check to see if I have it in way too big a container. Air-layered plants are not know for their impressive root systems.

I did do an air-layer on this tree prior to a major pruning. Oddly enough, it took and is now growing fine. Only about 18" tall or so but should do well. No experience in grafting these. I haven't seen any plants offered as grafted specimens, only air-layered. Grafting may cause the plant to grow slower.

I believe the longan will do better in a region where it can receive a long chill period. A google search will get you some good info on their requirements. You may be able to plant your tree outside once it is in shape to do so. I'd wait until it was larger for this though. You could check out GardenWeb's tropical fruit forum. Lot of folks from Florida on this site and I believe several have longans growing.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/tropicalfruits/

hi jay
thanks for telling me about your longan tree. I'm thinking of marcotting my kohala seedling when it's a bit bigger.
Yes, I have done a google search, but I'm wanting to find actual growers, those who have experience growing longan trees (not fact sheets).

Grafting, in my experience (with apples, pears and stone fruit) hasn't slowed the growth of the trees, rather it's enabled the trees to fruit sooner. I'm hoping that by grafting the longan, it will fruit sooner.

Now, I know that there's dwarf varieties of lychees, and I'd like to hear from a grower who's experimented with grafting different lychee and longan rootstock and varieties, and what's worked and what hasn't, so I don't have to make the same mistakes. And also about keeping longan in a container and keeping them happy and healthy.
I wasn't able to find this information in a google search.

cheers
Fern