How to plant lychee to bear fruit

The planting results of lychee need to meet the conditions of sufficient light, suitable soil, proper water and fertilizer management, reasonable pruning, and pest control.

1. Adequate Light

Litchi is a typical tropical and subtropical fruit tree that requires at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. When planting, choose sunny and unobstructed plots to avoid being adjacent to other tall trees. Insufficient light can cause excessive growth of branches and leaves, hinder flower bud differentiation, and directly affect flowering and fruit setting rates. Adequate light is particularly important during the flowering and early fruiting stages, otherwise a large number of flowers and fruits may fall.

2. Soil suitability

Litchi is suitable for growing in slightly acidic sandy loam or loam soil with a pH value of 5.5-6.5, and the soil depth should be above 80 centimeters. Before planting, soil improvement should be carried out by mixing decomposed organic fertilizers to enhance water and fertilizer retention capacity. Excavate drainage ditches for soils with high groundwater levels or heavy and compacted soil to prevent water accumulation and root rot. It is recommended to cultivate with ridges when planting, and a ridge height of 30-40 centimeters can effectively improve the root growth environment.

3. Water and Fertilizer Management

Apply balanced compound fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium every month during the young tree stage, and adjust the fertilization plan according to the phenological period of the resulting tree. Apply phosphorus and potassium fertilizers during the flower bud differentiation stage, supplement with quick acting nitrogen fertilizers after flowering to maintain fruit, and reapply organic fertilizers after fruit harvesting to restore tree vigor. Irrigation should keep the soil moist but not waterlogged, and appropriate water control should be implemented during the flowering period to promote flower bud differentiation. Water supply should be ensured during the fruit swelling period. Excessive fertilization or drought can lead to fruit drop and reduced yield.

4. Trimming and shaping

Cultivate the main trunk or open crown for the first three years after planting, retaining 3-4 main branches. After harvesting the fruit every year, the tree should be pruned in a timely manner, removing overly dense branches, crossed branches, and diseased branches, and shortening the fruiting mother branch to promote new shoot germination. During summer, control the pruning of excessively long branches, and during winter, trim and retain robust autumn shoots as the fruiting mother branches for the following year. Reasonable pruning can improve ventilation and light transmission, and increase the proportion of fruiting branches.

5. Disease and pest control

focuses on the prevention and control of lychee downy mildew, anthracnose, stem borers, leaf rollers and other diseases and pests. Thoroughly remove diseased branches and fallen leaves during winter garden cleaning, and spray stone sulfur mixture before sprouting. Pay attention to monitoring downy mildew during the flowering period and prevent stem borers from damaging the fruit during the young fruit stage. Adopting a combination of biological and chemical control measures to avoid spraying pesticides during the flowering period that may harm pollinating insects. Reasonably control the concentration and frequency of pesticide use to prevent pesticide harm.

Litchi cultivation needs to last for 3-5 years to enter the peak production period, and scientific management should be maintained during this period. In addition to the key technologies mentioned above, attention should also be paid to the selection of varieties, configuration of pollination trees, and prevention of cold and freezing. It is recommended to regularly test soil nutrients and adjust management measures according to tree vigor. When encountering persistent abnormal fruit drop or large-scale pests and diseases, it is necessary to promptly contact the local agricultural technology department for diagnosis and treatment. By implementing comprehensive management measures, the yield and quality of lychee can be significantly improved.