Author Topic: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?  (Read 1712 times)

sapote

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1020
    • USA, CA, Burbank, 10a
    • View Profile
How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« on: April 07, 2021, 07:23:49 PM »
I bought a 7 gal tree last year -- newly cut air-layer --  and it's time to plant it on ground.
As all air-layer the young tree has roots developed way under the top soil level in the container pot, and so should I clear off the top soil until the root exposed and plant it with the top roots level with the top soil?

I understand that most people instructed to plant the new tree at the same level with the soil, but this seems wrong as the soil cover the bark and not where the top roots, and this can lead to rot.

Edited: I believe it is 3 gal and not 7 gal as I thought.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2021, 07:50:46 PM by sapote »

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3355
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2021, 07:55:00 PM »
I have one too I might put in the ground, I am curious what the answer is

BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2021, 08:08:35 PM »
I would not up pot the plant until see roots through the drainage holes.  Then up pot it to a bigger pot.  Keep doing this until it fills a 15 gallon pot.  If you put it into the ground now you will have to worry about sun burn and other issues.  If you keep it in a pot it is easy to move it to an area with more shade if it starts to burn.  Small Lychee plants grow slow until they reach about a 15 gallon size.  Then they grow faster and can be  put into the ground.

Bill

BestDay

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 860
  • Long Beach, CA 10B 22
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2021, 08:10:19 PM »
And make sure it has mulch to protect the surface roots.  When you up pot it adjust the height so that the upper most roots are 1-2" under the soil line.

Bill

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2021, 08:33:17 PM »
I have one too I might put in the ground, I am curious what the answer is

You are gonna plant a lychee in the ground in Pennsylvania?
- Rob

cbss_daviefl

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1259
    • USA, Southwest Ranches,FL 33331, 10B
    • View Profile
    • bfgtropicals.com
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #5 on: April 07, 2021, 08:34:27 PM »
Because it is an air layer, the standard rules for seedlings and grafted trees do not apply. The soil level does not matter because there are no crown roots to be concerned about. I would keep the same level or you can plant it a little deeper than soil level.  The tree will probably form new roots closer to the soil surface if it has not already.
Brandon

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3355
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #6 on: April 07, 2021, 09:09:23 PM »
Good to hear there's no rush in getting it out of the container. 

sapote

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1020
    • USA, CA, Burbank, 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #7 on: April 07, 2021, 09:48:25 PM »
Because it is an air layer, the standard rules for seedlings and grafted trees do not apply. The soil level does not matter because there are no crown roots to be concerned about. I would keep the same level or you can plant it a little deeper than soil level.  The tree will probably form new roots closer to the soil surface if it has not already.

Very interesting. I had done a a few air-layering and of course the roots developed in the middle of the bag of moss or soil.
So the varieties of trees that work with air-layer don't have issue with bark buried under the soil? Does this mean -- hypothetically -- I could dump a foot of soil higher than the established soil around my 10 yrs old Longan and Lychee without killing them?

sapote

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1020
    • USA, CA, Burbank, 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #8 on: April 07, 2021, 09:56:18 PM »
I would not up pot the plant until see roots through the drainage holes.  Then up pot it to a bigger pot.  Keep doing this until it fills a 15 gallon pot.  If you put it into the ground now you will have to worry about sun burn and other issues.  If you keep it in a pot it is easy to move it to an area with more shade if it starts to burn.  Small Lychee plants grow slow until they reach about a 15 gallon size.  Then they grow faster and can be  put into the ground.

Bill

Hi Bill,

So I had made the mistake of planting young Lychee trees too early before, and killed 3 of them (3 trials and all failed) after the hot SoCal summer. I was always wonder why my usually green thumbs didn't work with Lychee, for many years, regardless if watering with tap water or fish pond water.
Roots through drain holes? I thought it only has surface roots. It will be tough to move a 15 gal Lychee tree full with fruits :)

Btw, I sure will have some Edward mangoes to eat this year. I see fruitlets on the new big cluster of flower. Many thanks for the scions, Bill.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2021, 09:57:54 PM by sapote »

Galatians522

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1824
    • Florida 9b
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #9 on: April 07, 2021, 10:05:44 PM »
Very interesting. I had done a a few air-layering and of course the roots developed in the middle of the bag of moss or soil.
So the varieties of trees that work with air-layer don't have issue with bark buried under the soil? Does this mean -- hypothetically -- I could dump a foot of soil higher than the established soil around my 10 yrs old Longan and Lychee without killing them?
[/quote]

We actually did this to some trees in our grove that were planted too low and a couple of them died. If you plan to do this, try to keep the soil away from the trunk a couple feet (kind of like a donut with the tree planted in the hole). I don't think it would be a problem to add soil gradually, but 12" is a lot to adjust to in one shot.

Seanny

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1119
    • Garden Grove, Orange County, California, 10B
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #10 on: April 07, 2021, 10:58:36 PM »
If you add a foot of dirt the bottom roots could die from lack of oxygen.
Fill up over a few months.

My AL Hak Ip had a curved trunk so I planted deep.
A month later I added 8” of sand to cover the curve.
I’ve been watering away from the root ball.
Only water the trunk once a month.
It’s doing ok so far.

Tommyng

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 294
    • Acreage florida
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #11 on: April 08, 2021, 07:51:23 AM »
Keep the soil just at the top roots, then mulch but keep it away from the trunk.  it will develop its crown roots from that. You don’t want to suffocate them. I had lychee trees struggle when my father planted our original trees, they finally did better when I cleared about a foot deep of dirt to reach the crown roots.
Don’t rush, take time and enjoy life and food.

sapote

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1020
    • USA, CA, Burbank, 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2021, 10:41:21 PM »
Keep the soil just at the top roots, then mulch but keep it away from the trunk.  it will develop its crown roots from that. You don’t want to suffocate them. I had lychee trees struggle when my father planted our original trees, they finally did better when I cleared about a foot deep of dirt to reach the crown roots.

This sounds like a safe method. Some trees are very sensitive to crown roots being covered: my 6 yrs old plum and 50+ yrs pomegranate were killed when we leveled the yard for pavers and covered them about 4 to 6" and they gone, sadly. 

gnappi

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1974
    • South East Florida (U.S.A) Zone 10A
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2021, 11:05:09 PM »
I have one too I might put in the ground, I am curious what the answer is

You are gonna plant a lychee in the ground in Pennsylvania?

This site NEEDS a like button :-)
Regards,

   Gary

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3355
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2021, 11:11:17 PM »
I have a heated greenhouse :)

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2021, 11:53:54 PM »
I have a heated greenhouse :)

Not sure that in itself is sufficient.
- Rob

Galatians522

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1824
    • Florida 9b
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2021, 09:45:57 AM »
Brian, I see that you have some beautiful citrus in your greenhouse as well as some more tender tropicals. This is a good sign that you will be able to keep lychee alive in my opinion. I think the biggest challenge that you will have is polination. Lychee needs insect polination, so if your tree blooms at a time or in a place where there are no insects to pollinate the flowers, I think your chances of getting fruit are slim. Also, from my observations, pollen is not as viable in cold weather (this may be variety specific as well). Maybe you could keep the tree dormant by withholding water until later in your spring.

brian

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3355
    • Pennsylvania (zone 6) w/ heated greenhouse
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #17 on: April 10, 2021, 09:58:30 AM »
Time to start beekeeping!

Galatians522

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1824
    • Florida 9b
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #18 on: April 10, 2021, 04:44:58 PM »
As a bonus, lychee makes good honey.

bsbullie

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9621
    • USA, Boynton Beach, FL 33472, Zone 10a
    • View Profile
Re: How to plant a air-layered Lychee young tree?
« Reply #19 on: April 10, 2021, 06:02:04 PM »
As a bonus, lychee makes good honey.

Most definitely.  Although one if the best I had was from a beekeeper in the Gainesville area,  cantaloupe honey.
- Rob