how to get lychee tree to fruit

It does, however, need a certain number of chilling hours in order to set fruit, between 100-200 hours of standard chilling. This means that if your lychee won't produce, you might have to trick the tree a bit to get it to fruit. First off, lychee trees grow in regular cycles of growth followed by dormancy.

How long does it take for lychee tree to produce fruit?

Harvesting. Lychee trees will take at least five years to mature before bearing any fruit. You must expose the tree to cold temperatures for at least 100 hours in the winter if you want it to bloom and then bear fruit, and the female flowers have to be pollinated.

What is the best fertilizer for lychee tree?

Young trees (less than 4 years old) should be fertilized with 0.25 to 0.50 lbs (0.11 to 0.22 kg) of a complete fertilizer every 8 weeks (Table 3). Fertilizer mixtures containing 6 to 8% nitrogen, 2 to 4% available phosphorus, 6 to 8% potash, and 3 to 4% magnesium are satisfactory.

How do you induce flowering in lychee?

Lychees have a reputation as drought tolerant, but you need to irrigate newly planted lychee trees regularly during the first few seasons. After the trees mature, however, irrigation can reduce flowering. Stop water the trees during the fall and winter until they bloom. This usually produces more flowers.

Why are my fruit trees not producing fruit?

Poor Pollination. The third most common reason for failure of the trees to bear fruit is lack of, or poor, pollination. ... The better the pollination in apples and pears the larger the fruit. In order for pollination to be successful the flowers must receive healthy pollen at the proper time.

Do lychee trees bear fruit every year?

Lychee trees grow in recurrent cycles of growth followed by periods of dormancy. Typically, a South Florida lychee tree will experience 4 - 6 annual growth flushes depending on the age and size of a tree.

How much water do lychee trees need?

Lychees should not be in standing water, as it will stunt their growth. Newly planted trees should be watered 2 to 3 times a week during the first weeks of planting, but can be reduced once the tree is established.

How can I make my lychee grow faster?

The rule of thumb for fast growth is "once a month" applications of a balanced fertilizer during spring and summer. We have doubled the size of some of our trees in a single growing season through aggressive fertilization.

Do lychee trees need full sun?

No remember, lychees don't like much wind, so put it in a spot where there's no wind, plenty of sun and it'll do brilliantly.

What month do litchi trees bloom?

These litchi trees produces flowers in the month of August –September and fruits mature in the month of December and January. These trees belong to Shahi, Rose Scented, Early Seedless, Dehradun, Shahi, Maclean, Green and Calcuttia varieties.

How fast do lychee trees grow?

Lychee trees don't begin producing fruit for 3-5 years from planting – when grown from cuttings or grafting. Trees grown from seed, may take up to 10-15 years to fruit.

Can Lychee be grown in pots?

Because lychee is a tropical tree, it isn't an option for many gardens. However, although this tree can be quite large outdoors, it is possible to grow lychee in pots. You may be able to find a young tree at a nursery, but you can also start a tree from the seeds.

Is Lychee self pollinating?

Self-pollination may occur in lychee, however, flowers are generally recognised as self-sterile and require insects to transport pollen from anther to stigma for fruit to set (Badiyala and Garg 1990; DuToit 1994; McGregor 1976).

What is the best fertilizer for fruit trees?

Fruit trees making less than desirable growth may need fertilization. Apply a balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10, in early spring before bud break. The recommended rate is 1/10 pound of actual nitrogen per year of tree age. (Tree age is the number of years since the tree was planted in the home garden.)

Which fruit trees grow the fastest?

Strawberries, blackberries and raspberries are some of the fastest-growing fruits. They produce the fastest fruiting the second year, compared to blueberries that can take three to five years before producing berries. Fruits generally take longer to mature than vegetables, but some are faster than others.

What is the best time to fertilize fruit trees?

Spring is the best time for fertilizing fruit trees, because that's when they need plenty of energy to push out new leaves and nurture baby fruits.

Is there a dwarf lychee tree?

Planting & Care. The Emperor Lychee Tree (Litchi chinensis 'Emperor') is a beautiful tropical dwarf tree that produces large, juicy fruit larger than that of the regular Lychee tree.

How do you look after a lychee tree?

Always water in well after planting to settle the soil around the roots. Mulch around the base with organic mulch like bark chips, sugarcane or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk. Water deeply, once every 2-3 days, depending on weather conditions. Once established, water deeply once every week.

Is eating too much lychee bad for you?

When eaten in moderation as a part of a healthy diet, lychees do not have any known adverse health effects. However, lychees have been associated with brain inflammation in South and Southeast Asia.

Are lychee trees fast growing?

There's a reason the Lychee Tree has been popular for thousands of years. Actually, there are many reasons. To start with, the tree combines oriental style with tropical beauty and offers one of the most delicious fruits that a gardener can harvest. It's a slow grower that can achieve heights of more than 40 feet.

Why is my lychee tree dying?

Drought stress can cause dried out leaves and defoliation of lychee trees. Lychee growers recommend growing lychee in a full sun site with protection from wind. Though they will require deep watering during periods of drought, they are otherwise infrequently watered to allow them to grow their own deep, vigorous roots.