Content
- Breeding a lychee - challenge for fans of exotic plants
- Cultivation of a lychee tree
- The optimal location
- The right substrate
- Care of the lychee tree
- Right watering and fertilizing
- Repotting a litchi tree
- Tips & Tricks
Breeding a lychee - challenge for fans of exotic plants
Yucca Palms and Co. has meanwhile every average plant lover at home. Even orchids, carnivorous plants and olive trees are no longer special features. Try something new instead: pull a lychee! Everything you need to grow lychee can be found in every supermarket.
Cultivation of a lychee tree
Originally, the lychee came from the subtropical areas of southern China and from there began its triumphal procession around the world. From the cores of the lychees available in the supermarket you can pull a tree relatively easily. All you need is one or more seeds of ripe fruits. Whether a lychee is really ripe, you can tell by the color of its shell. This should be as dark as possible, and no green or green 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 earth moist. Within about 30 days you will see the first delicate green out of the earth.
The optimal location
In the subtropics it is warm all year round and very humid. By contrast, the short winters are comparatively dry. In our latitudes, a lychee would go outdoors, it is just too cold and uncomfortable. Only in the warm summer months feel the delicate plants on a sheltered spot in the garden or on the balcony well. 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, also especially in the winter months additional lamps should provide enough light.
The right substrate
Lychees need a loose, well-drained and slightly acidic soil with a maximum pH of 7. In addition, the soil must not be too rich in nutrients, because otherwise the roots can not form well. The most suitable is a mixture of loamy garden earth and coarse sand. Alternatively, you could also mix potting soil, sand and loam in equal parts. In addition, it is important that even ingested soil is free of harmful germs. Therefore you should make the self-mixed substrate germ-free in the microwave.
Care of the lychee tree
While the cultivation of a lychee tree from the seed core succeeds quite uncomplicatedly, further care is all the more demanding. Lychees are very sensitive and grow only in optimal conditions.
Right watering and fertilizing
If you want to plant lychees, you should know that they only need very little water and fertilizer. Water your tree regularly with low-caliber rainwater, preferably with a spray bottle. On the other hand, you should only fertilize every four to six weeks, even if it is very sparingly with a low-salt fertilizer. The best is an organic fertilizer.
Repotting a litchi tree
The seedling is replanted for the first time as soon as it has three to four leaves. Choose a pot in which the litchi tree can stay for the next few years. However, as 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 during repotting, as the plant will consume it for some time.
Tips & Tricks
Once your lychee has gotten bigger and older, you can multiply it. Usually lychees are propagated on plantations not on their seeds, but on cuttings. You can also try this at home. Put the cuttings in a glass of water until it develops roots. Then you can plant it.