How many years does it take for a litchi tree to bear fruit?

Introduction to Planting Lychee Trees

Lychee trees prefer an environment with high temperature, high humidity and plenty of sunshine. They need relatively low temperatures during the flower bud differentiation period, but if the temperature drops below minus 2 to minus 4 degrees Celsius, they will suffer from frost damage. Sunny, warm but not dry weather is most favorable during the flowering period.

Lychee trees can be propagated all year round, but they are easiest to take root in spring from March to April. Generally, early-maturing varieties can be planted earlier, in February and March, and mid-maturing varieties are planted in early to mid-April. Lychee trees are very long-lived, some living for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Lychee trees are mostly planted in Guangdong, and are also cultivated in Fujian, Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Taiwan. The main cultivated lychee varieties include March Red, Round Branch, Black Leaf, Huaizhi, Guiwei, Niumici, Yuanhong, Lanzhu, Chenzi, Gualü, Crystal Ball, Feizishao, and Baitangpeng.

After several years of planting, the lychee tree bears fruit

It takes a long time for seed-propagated lychee trees to bear fruit from planting, and they need 10-15 years of care before they can start to bear fruit.

Litchi mycorrhiza needs aeration, so the soil needs to be loosened frequently to prevent soil compaction, which is beneficial to the growth and development of the root system. Generally, the soil should be loosened and weeded 5-6 times a year. When loosening the soil, apply more organic fertilizer and cover the ground to prevent soil compaction.

Grafted litchi trees bloom and bear fruit

The grafted lychee tree has a short growth cycle and can produce a small amount of fruit after 3-4 years of care. It can bear fruit when the crown width grows to more than 1 meter.

Potted lychee tree with fruits

Potted lychee trees need 5-7 years of care before they can bear fruit. If the potted lychees are solid seedlings, then the fruiting time will be slightly longer, usually 7 to 9 years before a small harvest is available.

Why don't lychee trees bear fruit?

During the flowering period of litchi trees, if they encounter extreme weather such as low temperature, continuous rain, strong north wind, etc., it will be difficult for pollination to occur, which will cause flowers and fruits to fall, or even a loss of harvest. If the litchi tree maintenance environment lacks light, it will cause the branches and leaves to grow too long, making it difficult to bear fruit.

Key points for planting litchi trees

Litchi trees must be pruned in a timely manner during their growth period, and the relationship between the main branches and side branches must be coordinated. This must conform to their growth characteristics and adapt to the local natural environment and cultivation conditions, thus laying a good foundation for early fruiting, high yields, and stable yields. The flower spikes of young trees under three years old must be removed in a timely manner to facilitate branch growth and crown formation.