Lychee from the bone at home - growing and care
Content:
Litchi is an exotic fruit also called Chinese plum. In appearance, the fruit resembles a strawberry, but in the middle it has white pulp 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 wish, you can get a lychee plant from a seed at home, cultivation will not cause much trouble.
Lychee - what kind of plant is it, a short description
This culture belongs to the Sapindovye family. The plant is a tall evergreen tree, the height of which reaches from 10 to 30 m. The culture is distinguished by a spreading lush crown. The leaves of the lychee are pinnate, large. Each of them consists of separate lanceolate segments, pointed to the edge. The upper surface of the plates is of a dark green hue, glossy; on the reverse side, there is a bluish bloom.
Lychee is also called "dragon 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. Fruit ripening occurs after 120-130 days from the end of flowering, in late May - early June. In this case, the upper rind of the lychee becomes red. The size of the fruit is 2-4 cm. The flesh of the lychee is juicy with a pleasant smell, and its consistency resembles jelly. The upper surface of the fruit is pimply.
The harm and benefits of lychee fruit
The exotic fruit is characterized by a high content of minerals and vitamins. It is useful in cardiovascular diseases, as it lowers the level of bad cholesterol, prevents the formation of plaques, and restores the elasticity of the vascular walls.
The pectins contained in lychee normalize the functioning of the digestive system, eliminate inflammation and have an enveloping effect. The fruit is considered an aphrodisiac as it improves sexual function and libido.
Despite the benefits of lychee fruits, in some cases, they can be harmful to health. The fruit is unusual for many people, and therefore can cause allergies. It is also not recommended to use it with an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.
Lychee can be eaten fresh and used for preservation
How to grow lychee fruit in a pit pot at home
Lychee in the middle lane is a rarity, since the culture is thermophilic, and it is impossible to grow it in the open field. Therefore, plant seedlings are difficult to find in nurseries. But if desired, it can be grown at home from a bone. As a houseplant, lychee reaches a height of 2.5 m.At the same time, it forms a beautiful, lush crown. In the presence of favorable conditions, the plant even bears fruit. But in order for this venture to be successful, you need to know how to grow lychees from a bone, and what is required for this.
What conditions are needed
For the successful cultivation of lychee, it is necessary to provide the plant with warm and humid conditions that are typical for the tropics.The plant loves light, so it is important to provide it with good lighting. Also, the exotic needs regular feeding, spraying the foliage in hot periods of the year and timely transplantation.
Preparing the seed, how to germinate
To grow lychees at home from a bone, you need to purchase a ripe fruit without signs of damage to the skin and dents. The fruit should have a strong odor, translucent juicy pulp and a red skin.
The lychee seed remains viable 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 hatches. This usually happens after 6-7 days. During this period, the fabric must be kept moist.
Sprouted lychee bones
Soil preparation
For planting, you will need a special substrate. To prepare it, it is necessary to combine and thoroughly mix the following components:
- 2 pieces of turf;
- 1 part of humus;
- 1 part sand;
- 1 part peat.
Additionally, perlite should be added to the soil, which will improve its air and moisture permeability. For disinfection, the substrate must be watered with a saturated solution of potassium permanganate or 1 tsp. the drug "Fitosporin M" for 1 liter. This will reduce the likelihood of root rot.
Landing rules
Litchi should be grown in 15 cm pots with drainage holes. Landing procedure:
- Lay a layer of expanded clay 1.5 cm thick at the bottom of the container.
- Fill the rest of the volume with a nutrient substrate.
- It is good to water the soil and wait until the moisture is completely absorbed.
- Plant the sprouted lychee seeds to a depth of 2 cm, sprinkle with earth and slightly level the surface.
- Cover the container with foil and place in a bright place with a temperature of + 25 ... + 27 degrees.
Lychee seed sprouts quickly under favorable conditions.
The first shoots should appear in 3-4 weeks. During this period, the soil should be kept slightly damp, the container should be ventilated regularly and any condensation collected should be removed. When sprouts appear, the pot with lychee is rearranged on the windowsill and the temperature of the content is reduced to +20 degrees, which will slow down the growth of the aerial part, but will enhance the development of roots.
How to care for a sprout after planting
Knowing how to properly grow a lychee fruit from a stone at home, anyone, even a novice florist, can cope with this. 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 conditions
When the lychee seedling grows up a little and gets stronger, it needs to be provided with a sufficient amount of light. The best option may be an east or west window, but shaded from direct sunlight. The duration of daylight hours should be 12 hours, therefore, in the winter in the evening, it is necessary to additionally turn on the lamps.
Watering rules and humidity
Lychee needs high air humidity - about 70-80%, so it is recommended to regularly spray the foliage, once every 2 days. In especially hot periods, it is necessary to additionally place wide containers with water 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 dries up. For this, settled warm water is used. It is best to humidify through a drip tray.
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 growth rate of the seedling is noticeably reduced, and the plant remains 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 (once every six months) and update the substrate in the pot. This will allow the lychee to receive the full range of nutrients.
In the future, it is necessary to transplant the plant every spring until its height reaches 1 m. After that, it is recommended to renew only the top layer of the substrate.
Lychee needs regular feeding
When grown at home, lychee needs regular feeding. For this, fertilizers are used for decorative flowering plants. They need to be entered every 10 days.
Growing problems, diseases and pests
When growing lychees at home in a pot, the plant is often affected by pests and diseases. This occurs when the conditions for development do not match, which leads to a decrease in immunity.
Possible problems:
- Decay of roots. The disease develops with excessive watering and low temperatures. A characteristic feature is the rapid wilting of foliage with regular watering.
- Shield. This pest feeds on lychee juice. When the plant is damaged, growth slows down, yellow dots appear on the leaves. You can find the pest on the shoots and on the back of the leaves.
- Aphid. A small insect that feeds on the sap of the young leaves of the plant. The pest forms entire colonies. As a result of damage, the leaf plates of the plant are deformed.
At the first signs of pests, treatment needs to be carried out
How to deal with them
When the roots decay, the plant can be saved only at the initial stage. To do this, you need to transplant it, remove all rotten parts of the roots, and pour it with Previkur Energy or Maxim.
In case of damage to the lychee by pests, it is necessary to spray the foliage twice with the preparation "Actellik" or "Fitoverm". Re-processing 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 from the age of three. To do this, you only need to comply with the basic requirements for plant care.
