To choose the best fertilizer for lychee trees, there are several factors you need to consider thoroughly. With rich experience in gardening, garden product testing, and data analyzing, our team has listed the 6 top picks for you:
Here are the best fertilizers for lychee tree you can buy in 2024:
- Slow Release: Jobe's 02612
- Best For Root Growth: EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food
- Best For Bountiful Crops: EZ-gro Citrus Tree Fertilizer
- Best For Sweet Lychees: Down to Earth Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix 6-2-4
- Best For Big Lychees: Fertilome 10822
- Best For Leaf Production: Nelson Plant Food
| 6 Best Fertilizers For Lychee Tree | ||
|---|---|---|
Slow Release | Jobe's 02612 | |
Best For Root Growth | EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food | |
Best For Bountiful Crops | EZ-gro Citrus Tree Fertilizer | |
Best For Sweet Lychees | Down to Earth Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix 6-2-4 | |
Best For Big Lychees | Fertilome 10822 | |
Best For Leaf Production | Nelson Plant Food | |
Slow Release: Jobe's 02612
- Ideal for low-caring lychee gardens – 60-day lasting effects
- Mess-free and odorless – capsule form
- Not for lychee trees under 3’ tall
For lychee trees that are not too picky about acidic soil, this slow-release fertilizer from Jobe, with a professional 8-11-11 ratio, will be a great choice.
Unlike liquid products, it is odorless, mess-free, and leaves no wasteful runoff. It’s also suitable for beginner gardeners.
Each capsule constantly feeds for up to 60 days and the best part is that it provides macronutrients deeply to the active roots, making the tree explode in growth.
| Jobe's 02612 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 1 pound (160 counts) |
Fertilizer Analysis | 8-11-11 |
Highlight Features | 60-day lasting effects capsule form |
The slow-release Jobe's 02612 can feed your lychee trees for up to months before the next refeeding, which is so convenient.
Best For Root Growth: EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food
- Ideal for root growth - rich content of potassium
- Economical – 100 capsules for 4-year supply for a single lychee tree
- No complaint
As stated above, the Jobe’s 02612 is too much for lychee trees under 3’ tall and that’s where the EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food comes into place.
The product includes 100 small-sized capsules that are premeasured for ease of use.
It has a rich content of potassium, along with numerous organic plant nutrients, soil life and humates, and trace minerals in the form of instant supply to your plants, boosting their root growth and keeping them from potential diseases.
Another thing we love about this fertilizer is its versatility. You don't have to worry if you have bought too much as it can be used for other fruit plants such as avocado, banana, orange or meyer lemon trees.
| EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 4 Ounces (100 capsules) |
Highlight Features | rich content of potassium 100 capsules for 4-year supply for a single lychee tree |
The EarthPods Premium Fruit & Citrus Plant Food is the best option that you find doing excellent in boosting root growth.
Best For Bountiful Crops: EZ-gro Citrus Tree Fertilizer
- Fast effects – liquid form
- Easy to measure – including a measuring cup
- Helping for bountiful crops - The 20-3-19 ratio
- Require diluting with water
- The handle on the top is a bit difficult to pour the liquid out
The EZ-gro Citrus Tree Fertilizer provides all the nutrients that your lychee trees need during the fruit-production stage.
The 20-3-19 ratio provides an ample amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for plants to thrive. Moreover, it is added with iron and magnesium to prevent common nutrient deficiencies, boosting the plant to bear larger fruits.
In the form of liquid, this fertilizer product works faster than normal Green Green in the market as it directly provides concentrated nutrients to the root.
| EZ-gro Citrus Tree Fertilizer Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 32 ounces |
Fertilizer Analysis | 20-3-19 |
Highlight Features | liquid form including a measuring cup The 20-3-19 ratio |
The EZ-gro Citrus Tree Fertilizer offers essential nutrients for bountiful crops of lychees.
Best For Sweet Lychees: Down to Earth Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix 6-2-4
- Friendly to organic production – OMRI-listed formula
- Producing nutritious and delicious fruits – a good source of potassium
- Probably attracting pets
For sweet lychees, the Down to Earth Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix 6-2-4 could be what your plant needs. Aside from providing all the essential nutrients for limb and trunk growth, the OMRI listed formula has good sources of calcium and potassium to help bear more nutritious and delicious fruits.
But take note that although this fertilizer product doesn’t have unpleasant odors, it might attract pets due to the fish bone meal in the ingredient.
| Down to Earth Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix 6-2-4 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 5 pounds |
Fertilizer Analysis | 6-2-4 |
Highlight Features | OMRI-listed formula potassium content |
Providing a rich source of potassium, the Down to Earth Organic Fruit Tree Fertilizer Mix 6-2-4 is a wonderful option for sweet and tasty lychees.
Best For Big Lychees: Fertilome 10822
- Beat for big lychees – OMRI-listed formula with rich nitrogen content
- No need to repurchase many times – available in 20-pound bag size
- Prevention of poor fruit set and little leaf disease – including zinc
- A bit pricey
- Wish its bag had a zipper for easy storage
If you want to encourage lychee trees to bear bigger fruits, feed them with an organic, high nitrogen fertilizer like the Fertilome 10822.
Besides, this fertilizer mix includes zinc, which is great to protect those lychee trees on heavily leached acid soils from zinc deficiency and other related consequences like poor fruit set and little leaf disease.
Follow the instructions and you’ll see a noticeable change in the next crops.
This bag weighs 20 pounds to require less repurchasing, which is convenient for feeding a big lychee garden.
| Fertilome 10822 Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 20 pounds |
Fertilizer Analysis | 19-10-5 |
Highlight Features | OMRI-listed formula with rich nitrogen content available in 20-pound bag size including zinc |
For those who are looking forward to big lychee fruits, you should feed the trees with the Fertilome 10822
Best For Leaf Production: Nelson Plant Food
- Boosting the plant’s comprehensive development & leaf production - a balance 12-10-10 ratio of N-P-K
- Helping lychee trees to survive winter months
- Expensive
The fact that lychee trees take many years to recover when leaf nutrient concentration drops under critical levels. During the growing stage, it is important to feed them with fertilizer for leaf production.
A typical example is the Nelson Plant Food with a balanced 12-10-10 ratio of N-P-K.
While phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium boost comprehensive development of lychee trees as well as helping them survive winter months, the extra content of nitrogen spurs on leaf growth.
| Nelson Plant Food Specifications | |
|---|---|
Size | 4 Pounds |
Fertilizer Analysis | 12-10-10 |
Highlight Features | a balance 12-10-10 ratio of N-P-K |
The Nelson Plant Food might be your best option if you’re looking to feed lychee trees for leaf production with minimum impacts on the soil.
How To Choose The Best Fertilizer For Lychee Tree?
Nutrients
Aside from potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen, lychee trees need magnesium, iron, zinc, and manganese to grow healthily, bloom, and produce fruits. The volume of each macronutrient is varied depending on each growing stage.
According to the USDA National Nutrient, young lychee trees need around 3 to 4% magnesium, 6 to 8% potassium, 2 to 4% phosphorus, and 6 to 8% nitrogen, 20 to 50% of which should be in organic form.
But during the fruit-bearing stage or for >4-year-old lychee trees, it is recommended not fertilizing nitrogen because that could enhance new foliage to grow and limit (or even eliminate) the blooming and producing capability.
Take note that chelated iron is more effective to lychee trees growing in high-pH, calcareous soils while iron sulfate should be applied in acid to neutral-pH soils.
Type Of Application
There are two types of fertilizer application: dry or liquid.
Dry Applications Of Fertilizer
Dry applications of fertilizer are commonly in the form of spikes, capsules, or granules and they are the slow-release type – which takes several months up to a year to fully break down or decompose.
It is perfect for those gardeners who want to provide consistent multiple sources of nutrients to their trees in the least labor-required method. They are also hassle-free and don’t burn the tree root system.
Liquid Applications Of Fertilizer
Liquid applications of fertilizer, or wet fertilizers show results sooner than the slow-release, which is suitable for those who want to offset the loss of plant nutrients quickly.
However, they could be messy when diluting with water and/or potentially cause root burns due to overfeeding.
Which one to choose?
Choosing the type of fertilizer applications depends on the soil pH level, growing stage of the plant, and your purpose (as stated above).
Pro tips:
Liquid applications are more suited on younger lychee trees and in highly acid soils while dry applications are best for mature trees and in acid to neutral-pH soils.
Organic Or Inorganic Fertilizers? Organic fertilizers
They are made with plant- or animal-based materials that are either an end product or a byproduct of naturally occurring processes like compost, leaves, and manures.
This type of fertilizer is best for organic gardens.
Pros
- Avoid leaf and root damage threat
- Reduce the use of pesticides
- Eco-friendly
- Help microbes thrive
- Improve soil structure
Cons
- Nutrient levels are commonly low
- Not all products are produced equally
- Costly
Inorganic fertilizers (or chemical fertilizers)
They are artificially made with inorganic materials and contain synthetic chemicals or minerals.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Convenient to use
- Contain ready-to-use essential nutrients
- Fast releasing
Cons
- Potential threat to the plant if overuse
- Accumulate toxic wastes
- Nutrients are prone to be washed away (leaching)
Which Brands Make The Best Fertilizer For Lychee Tree?
Jobe’s
One of the most popular brands specializing in home and garden products in the US. Jobe’s is headquartered in Texas and owns multiple large-scaled manufacturing facilities across the country. Their product lines are vast, up to 200 options to meet everyone’s garden needs.
Earthworm Technologies
We love Earthworm Technologies for many good reasons. They are a US brand that provides a more eco-responsible solution to grow healthy plants plus the products are easy to use. The customer service is very responsive.
EZ-gro
EZ-gro is known for offering numerous plant stimulators and agricultural specialty nutrients adopting their unique formulations for greenhouses, turf, vegetable, and fruit. They are also one of rare fertilizer distributors in the US that provides a full line of phosphite liquids.
All of their products are EPA/CFIA certified organic-garden-friendly.
FAQs
How do you fertilize a lychee tree?
To fertilizer a lychee tree, please consult this tutorial video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL2dQt0l5PY
How can I make my lychee grow faster?
To make your lychee trees grow faster, transfer the tree and soil to larger pots (with a good drainage system) every spring until they grow to the desired size.
How often do you fertilize lychee trees?
Fertilizer lychee trees after each subsequent flush of growth: one pounds of fertilizer for the 1st year, 1.5 pounds for the 2nd year, and 2.5 pounds for the 3rd year.
How do I get my lychee tree to fruit?
To get your lychee trees to fruit, allow them to expose at least 100 hours in cold temperatures (usually during the winter)
How do you induce flowering in lychee?
To induce flowering in lychee, the tree requires to be grown in an area with hot and humid weather during spring through fall and cold weather in the winter.
Conclusion
Each member of our team is a seasoned gardener with years of testing and analyzing different garden-related products, especially fertilizers.
For this roundup, we also interviewed some experts and researched the critical features that the best fertilizers for lychee trees should have. That’s why we feel absolutely confident about each of our picks.
