Lychees are a beloved Mauritian fruit, with the harvest season (November–January) marking a highlight of the summer. The sweet, fragrant fruit is eaten fresh, and Mauritius is known for producing high-quality lychees. Trees are long-lived and can produce for over 50 years.

Local names: Letchi, Litchi, Lychee

Months: September, October, November

Plant grafted or air-layered saplings from September to November. Trees need several years to establish before fruiting.

• Soil type: Deep, well-drained acidic loamy soil
• pH: 5.0–5.5
• Compost: Dig a large planting hole and mix with compost and pine bark mulch to maintain acidity. Avoid alkaline soils.

• Seed type: Air-layered or grafted saplings (seed-grown trees take 10+ years to fruit)
• Spacing: 8–10 metres between trees
• Watering: Regular watering for young trees. Mature trees need deep watering during dry spells, especially during fruit development.
• Sunlight: Full sun (8+ hours daily). Protect young trees from strong winds.

Organic options:

• Compost
• Cow manure
• Fish emulsion
• Acidifying mulch (pine needles)

Chemical options:

• NPK 10-10-10 twice yearly
• Iron chelate for yellowing leaves

Fruit fly

• Natural remedy: Protein bait traps and fruit bagging with mesh
• Chemical fallback: Malathion bait spray

Erinose mite

• Natural remedy: Sulphur spray on new growth
• Chemical fallback: Abamectin

• Days to maturity: 5–7 years from grafted sapling; fruits mature 80–100 days after flowering
• Indicators: Skin turns from green to pink-red. Fruit is plump and the skin bumps flatten slightly. Taste test is the best indicator.
• Yield tips: Harvest entire clusters with a short branch section. Handle gently — lychees bruise easily and brown quickly.

• Duration: 3–5 days at room temperature, 2 weeks refrigerated
• Temperature: Refrigerate at 1–5°C for best shelf life
• Tips: Store in a perforated plastic bag to maintain humidity. Freeze whole lychees (peel before eating) for off-season enjoyment.