Many amateur gardeners dream of someday creating a real tropical garden at home. Rare exotic plants do not have to be bought from nurseries. You can simply plant them using the seeds left over from eating the fruit. This simple method can also be used to grow a lychee tree. This plant loves moisture and warmth. The flower grower will have to create the appropriate conditions for him. In this review, we will look at how lychee grows and what difficulties its cultivation involves.
In vivo
Lychee is a rather unusual fruit. It has a subtle pleasant aroma, reminiscent of a mixture of strawberries and grapes. China is considered the birthplace of this fruit. It is also grown today in Thailand. Lychee loves a warm and humid climate. The minimum air temperature should be kept at +19 degrees Celsius. Thesetropical conditions are considered the most comfortable for growing the crop in question.
In its natural environment, the lychee tree can reach a height of 30 meters. It usually gives a rich harvest. The tree looks unusually beautiful during the flowering period. Small small buds, neatly combined into inflorescences, have a delicate sweetish aroma. After some time, fruits begin to form in place of the flowers. When ripe, they acquire a pink-orange color. From this, the crown of the plant becomes brighter. The lychee harvest season lasts all summer and another half of autumn. At this time, you can always find fresh fruits on the shelves of local fruit shops.
Description
Before considering how lychee grows at home, we should talk about the main characteristics of this fruit. It has a dense, bumpy skin, unsuitable for eating. You can remove it by prying it with the edge of a knife. Inside the fruit has one dark brown bone. Do not rush to throw it away by eating the fruit itself. You can easily grow a small tree out of it.
Grow Chinese plum at home
Let's move on to a more detailed consideration of the conditions for growing lychee fruit. Chinese plum grows at home very well. If you create comfortable conditions for an exotic plant, it can grow up to 2.5 meters in height. The big advantage of lychee is dense dark green leaves. They are decorative. Even if flowering fails, the plant will still delight you with itsaesthetic appearance.
Often, gardeners are interested in whether it is realistic to grow lychees in their backyards. If you live in the Krasnodar Territory or the Crimea, then you can try to grow lychee in the open field. True, it is first recommended to germinate a bone at home in a pot. When grown in the garden, the plant should be protected from frost and cold winds. Too low air temperature can lead to the death of the plant. The first reaction to adverse environmental conditions will be the dropping of leaves and the appearance of cracks on the branches and trunk.
Choose fruit
How to grow lychee at home? Is it possible to grow a full-fledged tree from a stone? Let's dwell on this in more detail. This is quite real, and many flower growers venture into such an experiment. However, a sprout from a seed does not always appear. To grow litchi from a stone, you still need to choose the right fruit, extract and prepare the seed. Plus, a young plant needs constant care.
The first thing to do is to choose a suitable seed for planting. The chances of growing a beautiful and he althy plant will be higher if you take a seed from a fresh ripened fruit. Today, you can buy the fruits of such a tropical crop as lychee in the supermarket, but it is much better to get the fruit directly from Thailand or China.
When choosing a fruit, be sure to pay attention to the integrity of the skin. It should not have darkened areas, dents, rot or mold. The fruit should be firm and elastic. The bone after extraction should not be stored for a long time. You can start growing right away. It is better to plant several seeds at the same time. This will greatly increase your chances of success.
Preparing planting material
How does lychee grow? What do you need to plant this plant at home? Once you have selected the right fruit and removed the pit, you will need to spend some more time preparing it. First, the seed must be wrapped in a damp cloth and placed in a shallow container. Periodically, the matter must be moistened with water. After about 5-6 days, the bone should swell. There may even be a sprout. After that, the lychee should be transplanted into a pot. Cultivation is carried out both at home and in a greenhouse. If you take the sprout into the open air, it can quickly die.
Is it possible to somehow speed up the process of seed germination? Experienced flower growers recommend trying to use growth stimulants such as Zircon, Extra, Energen, Ecosil.
Do you always need to prepare seeds? To answer this question, it is enough to look at how lychee grows in nature. If the seed was extracted from a ripe fruit, then the probability of its germination will be high and without the use of any growth stimulants.
Choose soil
So what do you need to know about this? Before placing the stone in a permanent place in the pot, you need to think about preparing the soil. How it growslychee tree? It will feel best in a soil mixture consisting of universal soil and peat, mixed in a ratio of 1: 2.
What should be the pot for growing lychee?
Another important issue is the choice of capacity for growth. The lychee pot should not be too large. Drainage elements, such as pebbles, expanded clay or small pebbles, should be laid at the bottom of the tank. This will protect the root system from decay. Some flower growers recommend using walnut shells as drainage. Drainage should be approximately ¼ of the height of the pot. You should also check if there are holes on the bottom of the container to drain excess liquid.
Planting a plant
Let's take a closer look at this aspect. Planting material prepared in advance should be placed in the ground to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. After planting, the plant should be watered abundantly. Since litchi can only be grown at home by creating a special microclimate, the pot should be covered with a plastic dome or plastic wrap. This will help create a greenhouse effect in the container.
Where is the best place to put a pot of lychee? It has already been said that the plant loves a tropical climate. Therefore, it is best to put a container with a young sprout in a warm place. In the autumn-spring period, you can place the pot near the heaters, however, it should be borne in mind that watering should be more frequent.
About 2-3 weeks after planting, subject tounder all conditions, a sprout should appear above the soil surface. At first, the lychee will grow very quickly. The first leaves are usually quite large. Having reached a height of 20-40 cm, the tree stops its growth. At this time, the active formation of the root system begins.
How to care?
This issue should be given special attention. So, we have already considered what a lychee fruit is, how a tree grows and whether it is possible to get it from a bone at home. Now it’s worth talking about caring for this plant. When 5-7 leaves appear on the stem, lychee can be transplanted into a larger pot. Thus, you will create optimal conditions for the formation of the root system.
When caring for a tropical plant, it is important to follow certain requirements. Lychee loves heat, but it is better not to expose it to direct sunlight. Due to the destructive effect of ultraviolet light, dark spots may appear on the surface of the leaves. Therefore, do not place the pot on the sunny side. Try to find a warm place without drafts for accommodation.
Illumination is of great importance for proper growth. Lychees need to be illuminated 12 hours a day. In the cold season, artificial lighting will have to be used for this purpose.
Lychee needs frequent watering. The soil in the pot should not become dry, but the plant should not be flooded either. Once every couple of days you can do spraying. It can be very difficult to create the right level of humidity at home, so spraying moistureshould be a must-have.
At home, for growing lychee, you will definitely need to use top dressing. Thanks to the enrichment of the soil with minerals and nutrients, the tree should grow faster. The first time you can fertilize 3 months after planting the lychee in the ground. The second top dressing can be made only after a year.
During the first two years of a plant's life, its crown should be formed. To do this, cut the branches. Pruning is also carried out for sanitary purposes, removing dried leaves and branches from the plant. Too often cut the plant is not worth it, as this may adversely affect the flowering process.
Growing problems
What difficulties may flower growers face when they decide to grow lychee at home? Here are just a few of the most common problems:
- root rot;
- spider mite damage;
- Attack of whiteflies and aphids.
To prevent damage and death of plants, you should regularly inspect the lychee for damage.
Conclusion
In this review, we have examined in detail how lychee grows. Photos of plants, information about the features of care and recommendations from experienced growers will help you grow this unusual tropical plant at home.
