Unlocking the Mystery of Lychee’s Growth Time
If you’re a fan of exotic fruits, then lychee must be on top of your list. The sweet and juicy flesh encased in a rough textured skin is simply irresistible. But have you ever wondered how long it takes to grow this delectable fruit? Well, let’s dive into the mystery.
The Slow but Steady Start
The journey of a lychee tree starts with a small seedling that can take up to three years to bear fruit. Yes, you read that right – THREE WHOLE YEARS! That might seem like an eternity for someone who wants their lychees ASAP, but patience is indeed a virtue when it comes to growing these trees.
The Blooming Beauty
Once the tree reaches maturity (around four years old), it will start producing clusters of fragrant flowers during springtime. These flowers may only last for one or two weeks before they wilt away, but during this time, pollination occurs.
The Fruitful Outcome
After successful pollination, the fertilized flowers develop into green-hued oval-shaped fruits that can measure between 1-1/4″ and 1-1/3″ in diameter. These fruits remain on the tree until late summer or early fall before they are harvested by hand.
Patiently Waiting for Harvest Time
Even though harvesting time heavily depends on environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall patterns, mature plants usually produce crops annually once they cross their four-year threshold age bracket. So if you’ve got some space in your backyard garden and want to enjoy fresh lychees every year patiently waiting till harvest time is key!
In conclusion, growing lychee requires lots of patience since it can take around three years just for the plant to bear fruit. But once the tree starts producing, you can expect a yearly crop of juicy fruits that’ll be worth every second of wait!
