Lychee leaf help

I finally managed to germinate lychees (all in the same pot). They are still small. The smallest one is doing ok. The second one is taller with beautiful red leaves with green tips. The tallest one actually has smaller leaves, and I have noticed they are going shrivelly and black at the tips instead of green! Please, what is wrong with it?

 

Never tried growing lychees, well done.:thumb:

It sounds like the atmosphere is too dry or possibly they would like a little less light as they are still young.

 

It might have been that one didn't like it when I removed the see-through bag the pot had on top of it whilst they were germinating; that would have given them less humidity and more light. I've moved them a bit away from the window and give them a mist each day now and they seem fine. In fact, they are now way too big for their pot; I noticed their roots have grown through the drainage holes! Time for a repot.

 

Each year I grow a few lychees but have never got them beyond about 6" - 7" tall before the leaves do exactly as you've described jw. In the past I've done a bit of research and - like much internet research - it's contradictory.

Some sites say the edges of the leaves go brown because of over watering and that in winter the soil should be allowed to go dry as dust before watering and, when the growth begins in Spring, they should be fed every week. Other sites say they should be kept 'moist' at all times, but can't stand being 'flooded'. Some suggest growing in ericaceous compost while others make no mention of the type of compost. And again, some say they don't like being in full sun, others say they do.

I think the only thing to do is, next time, look on the container you've bought them in, see where they were grown and try so far as is possible, to replicate the conditions of that country.

All that said, assuming you/we get them to carry on growing, the trees can get up to 40' (s00k) tall but, like so much grown from seed, seldom come 'true' or indeed fruit. I shall probably continue to stick a few in a pot (love lychees and it seems a shame to 'waste' what looks like a viable seed), but I shan't be heartbroken if nothing happens. Better luck with yours.

 

The two largest lychees have totally green leaves now, apart from the smaller one has decided to go another funny colour on the tip of some of its leaves, like a browny colour, to go with the black. It seems ok apart from that. :skp: It might be because one of the lychee roots broke a little when I repotted it because it was stuck in the drainage hole, or maybe it's the soil (I ran out of sand to mix with that one).

The tallest one is mainly ok now! The smallest lychee does not seem to be doing anything in particular but it's not dead or shrively. I will have to wait and see what happens. At the moment they're all still alive at least.