How to Grow Lychee? Two Super Practical Planting Methods Taught to You
Lychee has relatively high climate requirements and is relatively difficult to manage, so many people have taken quite a few detours when choosing to grow lychee. So how do you grow lychee? Below, I will share 2 super practical lychee planting methods with you!
1. Planting method for potted lychee
Potted lychee is mostly grown for ornamental purposes, generally used to decorate and beautify the home environment, and when it enters ordinary households it is mainly managed through dwarfed products and potted cultivation. In terms of plant height, about 100 cm is often suitable, and in order to control the plant shape and achieve the goal of dwarfing, methods such as reducing the amount of soil in the pot, controlling water and fertilizer, and manually removing buds can be adopted for management, so as to achieve the ornamental effect.
1. Light
Lychee has relatively high light requirements. Even when grown as a potted plant, it generally needs to be placed in a sunny location. This is because with sufficient light, the plant can effectively promote photosynthesis, thereby ensuring more robust growth. Moreover, if sufficient light is provided during the flowering and fruiting stages, it can promote flowering and fruiting, promote fruit development, and thereby improve fruit quality. However, if the light is too strong, water evaporation is also greater, so flowering and pollination are also more difficult. During the fruit-bearing period, however, sufficient light is needed to enhance fruit color and improve fruit quality.
2. Temperature
The normal growth of lychee is greatly affected by temperature, especially during the flowering and fruiting stages, when it is often more sensitive to temperature. The root system of lychee often grows fastest in a temperature environment of 23°C-26°C, while new shoots can only sprout smoothly when the ambient temperature reaches above 16°C. Usually, the plant grows fastest in an environment of 24°C-29°C. When the temperature reaches 13°C, lychee will gradually flower, and when the temperature reaches 20°C-24°C, flowering is most vigorous, but in order to ensure normal flower bud differentiation, the temperature during the flowering period is generally required not to exceed 27°C. It can be seen that lychee, as a fruit tree, relatively prefers warmth.
3. Watering
The growth of lychee requires sufficient water, especially to promote the sprouting of new shoots. Generally, it should be watered thoroughly once a week; otherwise, under water shortage conditions, the sprouting of the plant will be affected to a certain extent. When water is sufficient, it often grows with luxuriant branches and leaves, and it is also relatively conducive to growing mature fruiting branches. After heading, watering should also be appropriately increased to promote the growth of flower spikes, while during the fruit expansion period the demand is often greater, which can promote the growth and development of the fruit. However, if too much water is given and water accumulates in the pot, it often easily causes fruit drop, and may also cause downy mildew on the fruit.
4. Fertilizing
Because the growth of young potted lychee trees is often relatively weak, mainly due to poor root distribution and the limitations of flowerpot size and soil volume, in the first two years after potting and planting, the main approach is generally to apply dilute, decomposed chicken manure water, soybean cake water, or compound fertilizer water, combined with chemical fertilizers, following the principle of light fertilizer applied frequently. Appropriate topdressing can accelerate the rapid formation of the lychee canopy and lay a good foundation for flowering and fruiting.
5. Pruning
Potted lychee is generally pruned in all four seasons, but mainly in spring, summer, and winter. Spring pruning is usually carried out from March to May each year; summer pruning is mostly carried out during the midsummer period from July to August; winter pruning generally starts in December and continues until February of the following year. However, pruning is generally mainly for removing diseased and pest-infested branches, overly dense branches, and old, weak, and thin branches. Proper pruning can not only promote the sprouting of new branches, but also maintain a good plant shape.
6. Shaping
The shaping of lychee is generally completed within 2-3 years after potting and planting. Usually, plants with a low trunk and evenly and compactly distributed main branches are pruned into a semi-rounded canopy. Keep 3-5 main branches in different directions on the potted plant, and cultivate 2-3 secondary main branches on each main branch, ultimately forming the backbone of the potted lychee. When the branching angle formed between the main branches and secondary main branches is relatively small, it can be adjusted by pulling, propping, and pushing until the required angle is reached, thereby making the potted plant shape more attractive.
7. Pests and diseases
Lychee trees are relatively prone to attack by pests and diseases such as anthracnose, stink bugs, inchworms, and leaf gall midges, so during usual care and management, it is necessary to provide the plant with a good growing environment to avoid infection by pests and diseases. Once affected by these pests and diseases, spray pesticides promptly to kill them. The pesticides that can be used include thiophanate-methyl, prochloraz, Baitai, abamectin, dichlorvos, fenvalerate, and others, which should be diluted with water in appropriate proportions before spraying.
2. Open-field lychee planting methods
1. Propagation by grafting seedling stock
Most lychee is planted on hills and slopes, where the soil usually has low organic matter content, is relatively shallow, and has poor water and fertilizer retention capacity. If soil management is neglected, the growth and development of lychee will be seriously affected.
Lychee mycorrhizae prefer aeration, and loose, airy soil is conducive to root growth and development. Young orchards are generally loosened and weeded 5-6 times each year. In summer and autumn, high temperatures and humidity cause weeds to grow rapidly, so loosening and weeding should be done more often. In spring, soil temperature is relatively low, while in winter the surface is dry and rainfall is low, so weeds grow more slowly and tillage is done less often.
The main contents of soil improvement in lychee orchards include deep plowing to mature the soil, thickening the soil layer, and increasing organic matter. Its purpose is to improve soil physical and chemical properties, increase fertility, and create good conditions for root growth. The soil improvement method is to open ring-shaped trenches or 2 parallel fertilizing trenches outside the original planting hole.
2. Soil management under the canopy
The root system of young lychee trees is relatively sparse and weak, and they have mycorrhizae symbiotic with certain fungi. The growth of mycorrhizae requires a relatively well-aerated soil environment. Therefore, the soil around the trunk under the lychee canopy must be fertile, loose, and rich in organic matter to facilitate the formation of mycorrhizae and the rapid development of the root system. Therefore, the soil under the canopy should be loosened in time, more organic fertilizer should be applied, and the ground should be covered to prevent hardening.
3. Soil management outside the tree basin
In young lychee orchards, in order to increase economic income, short-term crops should be intercropped between rows, such as vegetables, leguminous green manures, and other low-growing crops. Combined with intercropping, multiple applications of fertilizer, irrigation, and soil loosening should be carried out, and after harvesting the intercrops, the stems and green manure should be turned into the soil to increase organic matter and improve the soil.
In the second and third years after planting, the soil around the outer edge of the tree plate must be improved in a planned way. The specific method is to dig trenches 50 cm deep and 40-50 cm wide outside the original planting hole in autumn and winter, and press about 100 kg of weeds, leaves, or green manure plus 1.5 kg of superphosphate into each plant each year, then cover with soil. The first time for digging and pressing green manure fertilizing trenches is on the east and west sides of the seedling, the second time on the north and south sides of the seedling, or dig a circle along the outer edge of the canopy.
4. Fertilizing
Fertilizing can begin one month after planting. Within two or three years, the main goals are to increase root volume and promote and strengthen shoots. Master the principle of “one flush, two fertilizers” or “one flush, three fertilizers”: when the terminal bud of the branch shoot begins to sprout, apply a quick-acting fertilizer mainly based on Liguo International high-nitrogen macroelement fertilizer to promote rapid new shoot growth and leaf growth. When the new shoot has basically stopped growing and the leaf color changes from red to green, apply the second fertilizer to promote the new shoot to turn green rapidly and thicken the branches and trunk. After the new shoot turns green, apply the third fertilizer to accelerate the maturation of the new shoot. Young trees have few roots and weak fertilizer absorption capacity, so Liguo International lychee foliar fertilizer can be sprayed each year.
The fertilizer and water management of 1-2 year old young trees after planting can promote root group development and the total leaf area of branches and shoots. After the lychee young trees survive planting, their roots are few and weak and their absorptive capacity is also weak, so heavy fertilizer and large amounts of water are not suitable. Fertilization should follow the principle of using decomposed high-quality fertilizer, mainly nitrogen supplemented with a small amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer, being refined and applied frequently and lightly.
Young trees in the year of planting can be given dilute fertilizer water 1-2 times per month. In the second and third years, the main goals are to increase root volume and promote and strengthen shoots. Each time the terminal bud of a branch shoot begins to sprout, apply a quick-acting fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer to promote rapid new shoot growth; when the leaves turn from red to green, apply a second fertilizer to promote the branch shoot to turn green rapidly, improve photosynthetic efficiency, and accumulate nutrients. A third fertilizer can also be applied after the new shoot turns green to accelerate its maturation and shorten the shoot period.
As for the fertilizing method, in the first year young trees are best given Liguo International lychee water-soluble fertilizer poured within the tree plate. After the second year, shallow trenches can be opened on the soil outside the canopy, fertilizer applied, and then covered with soil. In dry conditions, irrigate in time.
Leaves absorb fertilizer quickly and at a high rate, so after the new shoots turn green, foliar fertilization can be carried out by spraying the leaves with propolis potassium dihydrogen phosphate to promote the rapid maturation of branch shoots. However, special attention should be paid to the concentration, because too high a concentration easily burns the leaves. In high temperature and drought conditions, the concentration should be appropriately reduced. Young lychee trees have weak and shallow roots and are easily affected by changes in surface soil moisture. Under high temperature and drought conditions, if there is too little soil moisture, it will inhibit the sprouting and growth of branch shoots and may even cause the plant to die. Therefore, in the dry season, attention should be paid to irrigation and moisture retention. In the rainy season, attention should be paid to draining accumulated water.
5. Watering
Irrigation and drainage: water is an important component of the lychee tree body. Young lychee trees have few and shallow roots and are greatly affected by changes in surface soil moisture. Under conditions of soil drought and dry air, attention should be paid to watering to retain moisture. In the rainy season, prevent water accumulation in the planting hole; if the plant sinks, the planting position should be appropriately raised to facilitate normal growth.
6. Weeding
Weeding and loosening the soil help the soil become loose and aerated and can promote root development. Young trees can be weeded and loosened in combination with the management of intercrops. In summer and autumn, high temperatures and frequent rain cause weeds to grow quickly and the soil to harden easily, so weeding and loosening should be done more often. In winter and spring, temperatures are low and dry, weeds grow slowly, and weeding and loosening are done less often.
Young trees have shallow roots, so within the root zone the soil should be loosened to a shallow depth of 8-10 cm, while outside the rhizosphere range it can be as deep as about 15 cm.
7. Pruning
The shaping and pruning of young lychee trees requires that young trees can develop a trunk 30-40 cm high. With 3-4 evenly distributed main branches at suitable angles, the objects of pruning are crossing branches, overly dense branches, weak small branches, and flower spikes that are not allowed to bear fruit.
Pruning can use methods such as branch pruning, pinching, branch pulling, branch hanging, and propping open. Branches that can be either pruned or not pruned should be temporarily retained so that nutrients can be effectively used to expand the canopy.
In the past, young lychee trees were rarely pruned, so the canopy was messy, with too many and overly thin branches, severe pests and diseases, and weak growth. Pruning should be carried out once every winter to cut off overly dense shaded branches, crossing branches, overlapping branches, diseased and pest-infested branches, weak branches, and dead branches, so that nutrients can be effectively used to expand the canopy and so that the canopy is ventilated and light-transmitting, reducing pests and diseases.
After each new shoot matures and before the next new shoot sprouts, keep overly vigorous water sprouts and upright branches at 20-30 cm and cut them back.
When pruning young trees, pay attention to canopy balance; do not let one side be high and the other low, or one side wide and the other narrow. If there is a relatively large difference in strength between backbone branches, suppress the strong and support the weak.
8. Bagging
Orchards with the necessary conditions can bag the fruit clusters when the lychee fruit is about 50% ripe and the base of the fruit begins to turn red. This can prevent insects and disease, and also prevent bats, retain moisture, lower temperature, prevent sunscald, protect against fruit damage, reduce evaporation, increase the temperature inside the bag, and promote fruit ripening. Special fruit bags, transparent plastic film bags, or translucent kraft paper bags can be used. The bags are cylindrical, about 30-40 cm long and 20-25 cm wide, with length and width determined by the length and size of the fruit cluster. Punch some small holes about 0.5 cm in diameter on them, cover the fruit cluster, tie the upper part, and leave the lower part slightly open. Before bagging, spray pesticides for pest and disease control. When harvesting, pick the fruit cluster together with the fruit bag.
Note that lychee trees like high temperature and high humidity and prefer light and sun. Their heredity requires relatively low temperatures during flower bud differentiation, but minimum temperatures of -2 to -4°C will cause freezing damage. During the flowering period, clear, warm weather that is not dry and hot is most favorable. Too low humidity, continuous cloudy and rainy weather, dry and hot weather, or strong north winds are all unfavorable for flowering and pollination. Adverse disastrous weather during the flowering and fruiting period can cause flower and fruit drop and even total crop failure.