How to Plant a Lychee Tree

The unusual fruit of lychee.

Lychee trees are fruit-producing trees that are also sometimes called leechee trees, litchi trees and mamoncillo chino. Although these trees are originally from areas in southern China, they are cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Lychee trees produce a plethora of yellow-green flowers from late December to April, depending on the region. The flavorful, sweet, round to heart-shaped fruit are high in potassium and appear approximately 140 days after flowering. Lychee trees grow best in regions where winters are dry and cold and summers are hot and humid.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Garden hoe
• Shovel or rototiller
• Soil amendment
• Rubber mallet

Instructions

1. Locate a suitable planting site for the lychee tree that is in full sun. The ideal location should be between 25 and 30 feet from other trees or structures, as recommended by the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

2. Measure out an area in the location you have selected between 3 and 10 square feet. Use a garden hoe to eliminate any sod as well as all weeds and their roots from this area. This is particularly important for planting in sandy or rockland soils.

3. Turn over the soil in the planting area to a depth of approximately 16 to 20 inches. You can use a rototiller, a shovel or a garden fork. Remove all garden debris, such as rocks, rotting vegetation or sticks as you turn over the soil.

4. Lay a 3- to 4-inch layer of sphagnum peat moss, aged compost or well-rotted cow manure over the topsoil in the planting area. Mix the amendment down into the top 12 to 14 inches of soil. Using organic matter will improve the fertility and drainage capabilities of the soil.

5. Dig a planting hole in the middle of the area you have cultivated that is three to four times the width and about three times the depth of the planting pot the lychee tree is currently growing in.

6. Lay the pot containing the lychee tree on the ground or on a sturdy table. Use a rubber mallet or a hammer to strike along the base of the pot, near the drain-holes, until you can free the pot from the root system.

7. Backfill the planting hole with the native soil and organic matter until it is about 1/3 full. Plant the lychee tree into the planting hole so it is just at, or slightly above (about 1 inch) the level it was growing at in its original container. If necessary remove the tree from its planting hole and scoop in a few shove fulls of soil until you are sure the lychee tree will be sitting at the correct level in the planting hole.

8. Pour water into the hole until it is full, then fill the rest of the planting hole full with soil once all the water has settled.

Tips & Warnings

• Fertilize lychee trees less than 4 years old with between 1/4 and 1/2 lb. of fertilizer every eight weeks. The first application should be in late February and the final application no later than August. Use a 6-6-6-2 or similar granular fertilizer.

• Water the lychee tree regularly throughout its growing season but withhold water during the winter once trees are established..

References

• California Rare Fruit Growers: Lychee Trees
• The University of Florida: LycheeTree Growing