Every average plant lover now has yucca palms and the like at home. Orchids, carnivorous plants and olive trees are no longer special. Instead, try something completely new: grow a lychee tree! Everything you need to grow lychee can be found in any supermarket.
How to grow lychee at home?
To grow lychee at home, soak the seed core of a ripe fruit in warm water for 24 hours. Plant it in loose, nutrient-poor substrate and keep the soil moist. Place the plant in a bright, warm location and water regularly with low-lime rainwater. Fertilize sparingly with low-s alt fertilizer every four to six weeks.
Growing a lychee tree
The lychee tree originally comes from the subtropical areas of southern China and from there began its triumphal march around the world. You can grow a tree relatively easily from the seeds of the lychees available in the supermarket. All you need is one or more seeds from ripe fruits. You can tell whether a lychee is really ripe by the color of its shell. This should be as dark as possible and no green or greenish areas should be visible. Soak the core in warm water for 24 hours and then plant it in a loose, nutrient-poor substrate. Keep the soil moist. Within about 30 days you will see the first delicate greens peeking out of the soil.
The optimal location
In the subtropics it is warm and very humid all year round. The short winters, on the other hand, are comparatively dry. In our latitudes a lychee would die outdoors, it is simply too cold and uncomfortable. Only in the warm summer months do the sensitive plants feel comfortable in a sheltered spot in the garden or on the balcony. Otherwise, you should ensure a bright and warm location all year round. It is particularly important that the temperature does not fall below 12 °C, and additional lamps should provide sufficient light, especially in the winter months.
The right substrate
Litchis need loose, permeable and slightly acidic soil with a maximum pH of 7. In addition, the soil must not be too nutrient-rich, otherwise the roots cannot develop well. A mixture of loamy garden soil and coarse sand is best suited. Alternatively, you could also mix equal parts of potting soil, sand and clay together. It is also important that the soil you bring in is free of harmful germs. That's why you should sterilize the substrate you mixed yourself in the microwave.
Lychee Tree Care
While growing a lychee tree from the seed is quite straightforward, further care is even more demanding. Lychees are very sensitive and only grow under optimal conditions.
Watering and fertilizing correctly
If you want to plant lychees, you should know that they only require a little water and fertilizer. Water your tree regularly with low-lime rainwater, preferably using a spray bottle. On the other hand, you should only fertilize every four to six weeks and only very sparingly with a low-s alt fertilizer (€19.00 on Amazon). An organic fertilizer is best.
Repotting a Lychee Tree
Repot the seedling for the first time as soon as it already has three to four leaves. Choose a pot that the lychee tree can stay in for the next few years. However, since the tree grows slowly, the pot does not have to be large. Instead, it is more important that the pot has a drainage system, because lychees do not tolerate waterlogging. Do not remove the seed core when repotting, as the plant will continue to feed on it for some time.
Tips & Tricks
Once your lychee tree has grown larger and older, you can propagate it. Lychees are usually not propagated on plantations via seeds, but rather via cuttings. You can also try this at home. Place the cutting in a glass of water until it develops roots. Then you can plant it.