- Grow lychee trees in areas where winter temperatures rarely drop below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Pick a spot in full sun where the soil drains well. Lychee trees grow best in acidic soil with a pH range between 5.5 and 7.5. When planting a young tree, give it 25 to 30 feet of space to grow and mature. Keep an area 3 to 5 feet in diameter free of grass when planting a lychee in a lawn area.
- Plant lychee trees in fall as the weather cools down and the winter rains approach. Loosen the soil for planting by digging out an area three times as deep and wide as the nursery pot. Mix the soil from the hole with compost for a mix of half soil and half compost. Refill the hole until it is the same depth as the nursery pot. Remove the lychee tree from the nursery pot and hold it upright in the center of the hole. Backfill the soil and rake it smooth, then soak the area with water.
- Mulch lychee trees with seasoned compost, bark or wood chips. Spread the mulch 2 to 6 inches deep. Extend the mulch from the area under the outer branches up to 6 inches from the base of the trunk. Add mulch once a year to bring the levels up to 2 to 6 inches deep. Fertilize lychee trees every other month. The University of Florida recommends using 6-6-6-2, 8-3-8-3 or 4-4-8-3 formulated fertilizer. Water the trees once a week or when the top 4 inches of soil dries out.
- You can prune lychee trees to remain small or allow them to reach their full height depending on the affect you want in the landscape. Lychee trees naturally form a neat round shape. To keep the natural shape, prune only to remove dead or broken branches and diseased wood. Harvest lychee fruits when they ripen in late summer and early fall by clipping the fruit clusters from the tree. Use clippers to sever the stem to avoid damaging the tree.