not sure about the surroundings, but wind is also one of the biggest problems that kills new growth.

good luck with your lychee.

what are your plans for fertilizing and watering? what type of soil do you have?

Parker,

The sooner you plant it to the ground, the better ... from my own experience. Whenever I look at my mature trees, I always ask this question what if I hadn't planted it years ago ... probably it would still stay stunted sitting in a pot. There are many plants in my yard that are in this situation, not because I don't want to plant them, but simply I'm desperately out of space already .... lol!

That said, Sweetheart does take some years to grow bigger since it's a semi dwarf variety. It took mine almost 7 years to produce a small crop. Although it did bloom almost every year, the blooms would always drop off until last year when it reached its maturity in fruit production. This year, it's doing a very weird thing. It isn't blooming at all. I wonder if it has decided to become an alternative year bloomer ...

Anyways, I think you're going to love this plant because the fruit is really worth laboring for. All the best to your new member of the yard :)

Southern California is pretty dry. This isn't Florida. I was hesitant about planting it out in full sun for fear the leaves would get baked and dried out. Fortunately I have not noticed this over the last two days. I think Andi C may be right, the tiny new leaves appear to be able to take the sun, but their growth is easily deformed by the wind. Trying to keep the plant well watered.

I put some mulch down.

by far wind is the biggest issue with new growth. someonr tried misting their lychee and didn't appear to make a difference.

and over fertilizing has killed a bunch of lychees

Don't fertilize it. Put some compost or osmocote, but absolutely no chemical fertilizer or you'll kill it. It also needs PLENTY of water and a wind screen for a while will help it get established. They love the humid conditions here in Florida, so sun is never a problem. The leaves might get baked in your humidity conditions, but without full sun, you'll never get fruit. Just keep it well watered, and you should be fine I would hope though. Good luck!

Here is a picture of my $20 sweetheart lychee tree that I just bought and planted.

This is going to be another bad year for lychee here in SW Miami due to no long cold temperature. People here will be air layering their lychee again. At least I am getting a good bargain on air layer trees.

I root pruned a few Lychees that I bought from a local nursery before up-potting. Lost all of their foliage but are alive at the trunk. Going to wait a few weeks and hope to get new growth. They seem to be quite delicate.

Love the Lychee Parker! When healthy they make a beautiful tree!

I up potted my sweetheart from 15g to 45g. I removed only a couple fibrous and encircling roots - the plant didn't like it and dropped a couple leaves. I'm thinking that they don't tolerate root pruning.

not sure what I'm going to do when repotting

Andi, thats the dilemma, long term potted plants need root pruning every so often or they will go on a decline. Hmm maybe rinsing the roots would be better or gently massaging the old dirt off?

update: The little lychee is doing well.