Lychee (Litchi) - an exotic fruit, which is also called Chinese plum. In appearance, the fruit resembles strawberries, but in the middle it has white flesh and a large oblong bone. Lychee tastes like grapes, but with a little astringency. Under natural conditions, the plant can be found in the tropics and subtropics of Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, India and Cuba. But if you want, you can get a lychee plant from a stone at home, growing does not cause much trouble.
Lychee - what is this plant, a brief description
This culture belongs to the Sapinda family. The plant is a tall evergreen tree, the height of which reaches from 10 to 30 m. The culture is characterized by a spreading lush crown. The leaves of the lychee are pinnate, large. Each of them consists of separate segments of a lanceolate form, pointed to the edge. The upper surface of the plates is dark green in color, glossy, with a bluish coating on the back.
Lychee is also called the "dragon's eye"
The peculiarity of the plant is that its flowers do not have petals, therefore they resemble small cups of a greenish and yellow hue. Ripening occurs after 120-130 days from the end of flowering, in late May - early June. At the same time, the top peel of the lychee acquires a red tint. The size of the fruit is 2-4 cm. The lychee’s flesh is juicy with a pleasant odor, reminds jelly in consistency. The upper surface of the fruit is pimply.
The harm and benefits of lychee fruit
Exotic fruit has a high content of minerals and vitamins. It is useful for cardiovascular diseases, as it lowers the level of bad cholesterol, prevents the formation of plaques, and restores the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels.
Pectins contained in lychee normalize the digestive organs, eliminate inflammation and have an enveloping effect. The fetus is considered an aphrodisiac, as it improves sexual function and increases libido.
Important! It is necessary to introduce lychee into the diet gradually, starting from 1 pc. per day, and increasing to 10-20 fruits.
Despite the benefits of lychee fruits, in some cases they can be harmful to health. The fruit is unusual for many people, so it can cause allergies. It is also not recommended to use it with the established diagnosis of diabetes.
Lychee can be consumed fresh and used for conservation.
How to grow lychee fruit in a stone pot at home
Lychee in the middle lane is a rarity, as the culture is thermophilic, and it is impossible to grow it in open ground. Therefore, plant seedlings are difficult to find in nurseries. But if desired, it can be grown at home from the seed. As a houseplant, lychee reaches a height of 2.5 m. At the same time, it forms a beautiful, magnificent crown. In the presence of favorable conditions, the plant even bears fruit. But for this venture to be successful, you need to know how to grow lychee from the bone, and what it will take.
What conditions are needed
For successful cultivation of lychee, it is necessary to provide the plant with warm and humid conditions that are characteristic of the tropics. The plant loves light, so it is important to provide good lighting. Exot also needs regular top dressing, spraying foliage in hot periods of the year and a timely transplant.
Bone preparation, how to sprout
In order to grow lychee from a stone at home, it is necessary to purchase ripe fruit without signs of damage to the skin and dents. The fruit should have a strong smell, translucent juicy pulp and peel of a red tint.
Lychee seed retains germination for a short period of time, so it must be removed from the fruit before planting. Initially, the bone must be separated from the pulp, washed under water and wrapped in a damp cloth. In this form, it should be until the sprout hatch. This usually occurs after 6-7 days. During this period, the fabric must be kept moist.
Sprouted Lychee Bones
Soil preparation
A special substrate is required for planting. For its preparation, it is necessary to combine and mix thoroughly the following components:
- 2 parts of turf;
- 1 part humus;
- 1 part of sand;
- 1 part peat.
In addition, perlite should be added to the soil, which will improve its air and moisture permeability. For disinfection, the substrate must be poured with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate or add 1 tsp. the drug "Fitosporin M" per 1 liter. This will reduce the chance of root decay.
Important! If necessary, the finished substrate can be purchased at the store, choosing the soil marked "For seedlings."
Landing rules
Lychee should be grown in pots 15 cm high with drainage holes. The procedure for landing:
- Lay a layer of expanded clay 1.5 cm thick at the bottom of the container.
- The rest of the volume is filled with a nutrient substrate.
- Water the soil well and wait until the moisture is completely absorbed.
- Plant lychee seeds sprouted to a depth of 2 cm, sprinkle with earth and slightly level the surface.
- Cover the container with foil and put in a bright place with a temperature of + 25 ... +27 degrees.
Lychee seed in the presence of favorable conditions quickly grows
The first shoots should appear in 3-4 weeks. During this period, it is necessary to keep the soil slightly moist, ventilate the container regularly and remove any condensation. When sprouts appear, the lychee pot is rearranged on the windowsill and the content temperature is reduced to +20 degrees, which will slow down the growth of the aerial part, but will increase the development of roots.
How to care for a sprout after planting
Knowing how to properly grow lychee fruit from seed at home, anyone even a beginner grower can cope with it. But, in order for the plant to fully develop in the future and please with its healthy appearance, it is necessary to provide it with full care.
Illumination and temperature
When the lychee seedling grows a bit and gets stronger, it needs to be provided with a sufficient amount of light. The best option may be the east or west window, but with shading from direct sunlight. The daylight hours should be 12 hours, so in winter in the evening it is necessary to turn on the lamps.
Note! The temperature of the content, regardless of the season, should not fall below +20 degrees. Otherwise, the plant may die.
Watering rules and humidity
Lychee needs high humidity - about 70-80%, so it is recommended to spray the foliage regularly, once every 2 days. In particularly hot periods, wide containers with water must be placed next to the plant in order to increase the evaporation area.
For the full growth of lychee, it is necessary that the soil is always slightly moist. Therefore, watering should be carried out when the topsoil is dried. To do this, use settled warm water. It is best to carry out humidification through a drip tray.
Important! Lychee does not tolerate stagnation of moisture in the soil, therefore, overflows should not be allowed.
Top dressing and soil quality
Lychee seedlings grow rapidly at the initial stage and reach a height of 20 cm within a few weeks after seed germination. But after such a breakthrough, the seedling growth rate noticeably decreases, and the plant stays below 30 cm in the first 2 years of life, as it actively builds up the root system. During this period, you need to regularly transplant (1 time every six months) and update the substrate in a pot. This will allow lychee to receive the full range of nutrients.
In the future, you need to transplant the plant every spring until its height reaches 1 m. After that, it is recommended to update only the top layer of the substrate.
Lychee needs regular feeding
When grown at home, lychee needs regular feeding. To do this, use fertilizers for decorative flowering plants. You need to make them every 10 days.
Important! In winter, in the absence of additional lighting, top dressing should be reduced to 1 time a month.
Growing problems, diseases and pests
When growing lychee at home in a pot, the plant is often affected by pests and diseases. This occurs when the conditions for development are not consistent, which leads to a decrease in immunity.
Possible problems:
- Rotting of the roots. The disease develops with excessive watering and low temperature maintenance. A characteristic feature is frisky withering of the leaves with regular watering.
- Shield. This pest feeds on lychee juice. When a plant is affected, growth slows down, yellow dots appear on the leaves. You can detect the pest on the shoots and on the back of the leaves.
- Aphid. A small insect that feeds on the juice of young leaves of a plant. The pest forms whole colonies. As a result of damage, the leaf plates of the plant are deformed.
At the first sign of pests, treatment must be carried out
How to deal with them
When the roots rot, it is possible to save the plant only at the initial stage. To do this, you need to transplant it, remove all the rotted parts of the roots, and pour it with Previkur Energy or Maxim.
In case of lychee damage by pests, it is necessary to spray the foliage twice with Actellik or Fitoverm. Re-treatment is carried out after 5-7 days.
Lychee is an exotic plant that can be grown at home. It is able to bloom and form fruits, starting from the age of three. To do this, you only need to follow the basic requirements for caring for the plant.
