Acid-lover

Lychee Soil Mix

Acid-loving, slow to establish, and worth the wait.

Why Lychee needs its own blend

Lychee wants an acid root zone and hates wet feet while young. This blend runs slightly acid with sulfur in place of lime, drains sharply, and carries the trace minerals lychee needs to push new growth and eventually flower.

What the blend does for the plant

  • Holds the Low pH

    Elemental sulfur in place of lime keeps the root zone in the acid range these crops want.

  • Keeps Iron Available

    At lower pH, iron and magnesium stay available so leaves hold their color.

  • Drains for the Wet Side

    Black cinder keeps windward ground from staying saturated around young roots.

  • Builds Biology

    Compost and mycorrhizae widen the root system's reach as the plant establishes.

What's in the Blend

Volcanic topsoil Body and cation exchange We stock
Cured compost Organic matter and biology We stock
Black cinder Drainage and aeration We stock
Biochar Water and nutrient holding We stock
HVO base blend Broad organic soil feed We stock
Elemental sulfur Lowers and holds an acid pH Hilo sourced
Kelp meal Potassium, trace minerals, rooting Hilo sourced
Rock dust / silicon Broad micronutrients, iron availability Hilo sourced
Mycorrhizae Root symbiont, widens nutrient reach We stock

Planting tips: acid-loving fruit trees

  1. Plant high and drained: Choose a well-drained spot or mound. These trees establish slowly and rot easily in wet ground.
  2. Shelter young trees: Lychee, longan, and coffee are tender when young. Give some wind shelter and afternoon shade the first year.
  3. Keep the pH low: Do not lime around these trees. If leaves yellow between the veins, the pH may be drifting up.
  4. Mulch, off the trunk: Mulch out to the drip line to hold moisture and feed biology, kept a hand's width off the trunk.
  5. Be patient with fruiting: Lychee and longan can take years to bear. Steady soil and even moisture beat pushing them hard.

Get this blend

  • Request the full blend

    We mix it to order from our topsoil, cinder, compost, and the amendments above, tuned to your site and plant age.

    Request the Avacado Blend 

  • Already have your soil? Get the pack

    The Acid-Lover Nutrient Pack is the amendments and biology only, in a foil pouch. Add it to your own base. Serves Coffee, Lychee, Longan.

    Shop the nutrient pack 

Growing something not on the list?

We blend to order from what we stock and what we bring in bulk from Hilo. Tell us the plant and the site, and we will spec a mix.

Request a Custom Mix