You can get exotic fruits such as lychees in every well-stocked supermarket in this country. Beautiful plants can often be grown from their seeds, which, if cared for properly, can also thrive in Germany. Lychees and other exotic plants are wonderful houseplants for lovers of unusual plants that not everyone has.
How to successfully plant a lychee seed?
To plant a lychee seed, you must first peel it and soak it in water for 24 hours. Then place in potting soil mixed with sand, about 1-2 cm deep and to the side. Choose a location that is bright and warm and keep the substrate moist. Germination occurs within about 30 days.
Selection and preparation of the seed core
Litchis are available commercially between November and March and in the summer months of July and August. If you would like to grow small trees from the seeds of the fruits you have purchased, then you should, if possible, plan this project in the summer months - then the weather is optimal for the lychees that come from the subtropics. Choose fruits that are as ripe as possible for collecting seeds. You can tell how ripe a lychee is by the color of the peel; it should be as dark as possible. If in doubt, you can let the selected fruits ripen for a few more days. However, don't put them in the fridge because lychees don't tolerate cold very well.
How to prepare a lychee seed
- Carefully remove the thin peel and pulp without damaging the core.
- Wash the core under running lukewarm water.
- Remove the shiny brown skin.
- Soak the core in stale, room temperature water for approx. 24 hours.
- Only use fresh seeds for planting. Those that have already dried are no longer capable of germinating.
Once you've done that, you can plant your lychee seeds.
Planting a lychee seed correctly
Take a small plant pot with drainage holes at the bottom so excess water can drain away. Lychee plants do not tolerate waterlogging. A mixture of potting soil with a little coarse sand is best suited as a substrate - the lychee likes it airy and loose. Insert the core into the soil about one to two centimeters deep and cover it loosely. The core should lie on its side. Place the plant pot in a bright and warm location, but not in direct sunlight. Keep the substrate moist but not wet. It is best to use a spray bottle to moisten the soil (€7.00 on Amazon). The lychee will germinate within about 30 days. Once the small plant has developed three to four leaves, it can be moved to a larger pot. Water them regularly, but go easy on fertilizer.
Tips & Tricks
Too much fertilizer will harm your lychee plant. Lychees are very slow-growing trees and therefore require very few nutrients. Fertilize every four to six weeks with a little liquid fertilizer, but use a maximum of a quarter of the specified amount.
