How to Grow Lychee Fruit

The Lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a tropical fruit tree in the soapberry family. It is native to southern China and grows wild in Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. It is an evergreen that grows to 15 meters and bears edible drupes that are more than an inch in diameter. This fruit is red or pink with a large seed that should not be eaten. Here's how to grow lychee fruit.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Ensure the planting site will have full sun and a temperate climate. Mature trees can withstand only a light frost and young trees will need to be protected from cold, heat and high wind.

2. Select rich soil, with deep alluvial loam being ideal. The pH should be around 6.5 and lime may need to be added to reduce the acidity.

3. Keep the soil moist but well-drained. The lychee can withstand brief flooding but not standing water. The water table should be at least four feet below the surface and continually moving.

4. Propagate the lychee primarily by air-layering. Girdle a branch of a tree and allow it to callus for one to two days. Apply a mixture of sticky mud and chopped straw or dry leaves and wrap it with burlap.

5. Water the branch frequently so that it develops roots. Cut off the branch after about 100 days and increase the diameter of the earth ball to about one foot. Grow the air layer in a sheltered nursery for more than a year before gradually exposing it to full sun and setting it out in the orchard.

Resources

• Learn more about growing lychee fruit.