How to Germinate a Longan Seed

Eaten fresh off the tree or canned in syrup, the fruit of the longan tree is not as sweet as its relative, the lychee, but it has its fans. Longan trees grow to 40 feet in height, with a 45-foot spread. New burgundy-colored foliage and yellow flowers offer landscape interest before the tree bears clusters of brown fruit. The longan's seed is black and round and loses viability shortly after removal from the tree, so make sure the seed you have is fresh. Find a spot for the longan seedling to live for awhile because it shouldn't be transplanted into the landscape for two to three years after germination.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl
• Seed germinating mix
• Nursery pot
• Heat mat

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Soak the longan seed in a bowl of room temperature water for 24 hours.

   • 2

     Plant the longan seed immediately after removing it from the water soak. Push it 3/4 inch deep into a nursery pot filled with seed germination mix. Water the mix until water drains from the bottom of the pot.

   • 3

     Set the thermostat on the heat mat to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the nursery pot on top. Provide indirect sun and keep the soil moist. The longan seed typically germinates within 10 days.

   • 4

     Gradually reduce the heat on the heat mat when the longan seed sprouts. Reduce the heat over the course of a week, keeping the soil moist at all times, until the mat is turned off.