CEBU, Philippines – Lychees may seem to be a rather exotic plant to have in your own garden, but as exotic as it may be, it is a good choice of fruit. I tried by putting the fresh seeds aside, wrapped in soaked cotton, inside an empty cotton bud tub and stored in a dark place until the seeds sprout. Having benefited from being soaked and left moist all throughout, all five seeds (one that sprouted into a twin) did sprout after just over a week.
Planting/gardening is a great hobby, which if done properly, can result in great achievements that can be passed on for years to come. This isn’t just about lychee seeds but about any seed that we usually discard after eating its fruit. What a waste this may be, for an infinite number of plants could be grown from these seeds.
Using some basic steps for potting the plant, we began by planting all the seeds in a single pot using good earth and watering it each day, using a spray, to avoid washing the roots out of the earth. Once they pierced through the soil and began to grow, we transferred them into separate pots to avoid the plants competing with each other for nutrients and sunlight. It is best to store and use rainwater to feed the plants as compared to tap water that has more nutrients and minerals.
I have to admit that I am not a plant expert, but it is easy to try and have a wonderful time with this rewarding garden activity. Having thought at first that growing my own plants could be difficult, I figured it is easy to learn the basic techniques as you go along. You can’t succeed unless you’ve tried. I am very much looking forward to eat my very own produce, let’s just hope that my lychee tree would bear some fruit one day.