Oops. Sounds like I'm not off to a good start. I did try some with the moist paper towel/bag method but they rotted. I'm just trying it for fun - I have recently been growing lemon, fig, goji, avocado, pomegranate, kiwi and star fruit from this method, so just thought I'd try out lychee as well. I live in Southwestern Ontario (Canada), so I'm doing this all indoors.

I just soak overnight and then put in sterile media.

To prevent rotting, you should scrub the seeds and give them a good cleaning first. Some people give them a quick soak in dilute bleach for a few minutes.

My first question is where did you get fresh lychee this time of year. In the East, I see see the fruit sold in the Summer months. Assuming the seed is viable (i.,e., you obtained good seed), I would just soak in water overnight and then plant in sandy soil. It's a subtropical, so some bottom heat would be helpful this time of year (assuming you're in the Northern Hemisphere with some kind of cool/cold season). I have some around that probably should be potted up in the Spring. In the Summer, I just plant the fresh seeds into a pot and leave them outside to germinate.

I bought them around Christmas time in a local Asian produce store. I have planted them in soil and they are in relatively humid conditions so we'll see what happens.

spacecowmoo,

I do agree with that lychee seedlings take many years to fruit and as Parker has pointed out, 9-14 years isn't surprising to me. I have some seedlings that are already 8 years old and they have not fruited yet. If you wish to have fruit sooner, get an air layered or grafted one. These will start fruiting even at 3-4 ft in height. I understand where you are, it will not be possible to grow them in the ground, but you surely can plant them in the pot medium and still expect some fruit out of them.

dont be frustrated by the time. you may get lucky and it fruits earlier, even if not... 10 years from now you will look back and think....

man... i could be having lychee right now...

the best time to plant a tree is last year, the second best time is right now.

also, you can graft to it and maybe have fruit in 3 years.

one thing i learned about lychee, they like live soil. worm castings or compost tea would work once they get a few weeks old , or, right now certainly wouldnt hurt.... i think they depend on mycorrhizal fungi more than some other plants.... also, when it gets larger... mulch !