Hi! I loved your post about growing an avocado plant from a seed, and the other day I was eating some fresh lychees and thought it would be cool to try to grow those seeds also. Do you have any tips on how to start them, and what will happen if I do?
Thanks,
Rachel
We reviewed a book a few weeks ago called Don't Throw It, Grow It (Storey, 2008) by Deborah Peterson. The entry for lychee (also spelled litchi) [p. 134], gives growing the fruit a rating of "easy," citing one person's experience of growing a lychee tree indoors to the height of 6 feet in about three years. You'll definitely need bright light.
Here's how Peterson says to grow Litchi (her choice of spelling):
Dried and canned litchi nuts can be bought every day of the year in Chinese groceries but these will not grow. You need to find fresh litchi nuts. To start the seeds, first remove the skin and eat the delicious pulp. Plant the seed in a moistened peat pellet withing five days of taking it from the fruit. The seeds should sprout in about two weeks.
Allow the seedlings to grow in the pellets until root fill the pellet bottoms. At this point, transplant each pellet to a 4-inch flower pot. Fill one-third of each pot with moist potting soil. Place the pellet on the soil, fill in around it, and barely cover it with soil. Place the pots in a bright window.
Has anyone grown a lychee tree from seed?
• Buy Don't Throw It, Grow It: 68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps by Deborah Peterson, $10.95
Related: Good Question: Identify This Mystery Fruit!
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According to the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida "Lychee trees do not come true from seed, and seedling trees may take 10 or more years to bear fruit. Air layering is the most common method of propagation."
view txtoast's profile
Where is the article on growing avocados? I can't find it?
view dozens's profile
I can't find the avacado thing either...
view alyssazor's profile
It was actually posted on AT:SF ....
How to Grow an Avocado Tree
view faith's profile
I have 2 small lychee plants started from seed -- of course you have to get the seeds from fresh lychees. Coincidentally, they are in a small window box-type planter with an avocado. The lychee has beautiful, shiny, narrow green leaves. I followed the instructions in The After-Dinner Gardening Book by Richard W. Langer (Ten Speed Press 1992, originally published in 1969). I planted the seeds directly into the soil and they grew. Nothing fancy required.
view jsg's profile
I grew a nice little lychee plant - it did great for 4 or 5 years (though it didn't get anywhere close to 6 feet) until the cats killed it... I just stuck it in a pot and watered it. I plant pretty much everything. Right now I have a 3' apple tree and a 2' lemon tree growing on my counter.
view badifat's profile
Like txtoast said with the lychee tree, it is also unlikely that one will get avocados from a single avocado tree as according to wikipedia, avocado tree "is only partially able to self-pollinate, because of dichogamy in its flowering," and it would require "grafting to maintain a predictable quality and quantity of the fruit."
Just a little info for those planning to grow avocado trees to enjoy their avocado berry, it would probably be unlikely.
Happy growing.
view callbob's profile