Propagation

a) Air layering:

• Air-layering is done from spring to rainy season (June/July).
• Select healthy and vigorous one year old twigs and remove 2 cm wide ring of bark just below a bud.
• IBA or Rooton may be applied at cut portion for early and more rooting.
• The cut is surrounded by mud ball containing moss (2 parts damp moss and 1 part of soil from the basin of old litchi tree) and wrapped with polythene sheet. Both ends are tied with fine rope to make it air tight.
• When sufficient roots are formed in about 2 months, the branch is cut below the soil or sphagnum moss and potted in a nursery.
• July to October is the most appropriate time. About 6 months old air-layered plants should be planted in permanent field in monsoon.

b) Stooling

• It involves cutting a 2.5 years old litchi plant in the month of February at 25cm from the ground level.
• After a month 6-8 side shoots appear. Except one shoot all the other shoots are selected for stooling in the month of June.
• A ring of bark 3cm wide, 20cm from the tip of the shoots is removed. A paste of IBA (25mg) and Lanolin (10g) is applied to the ringed area.
• Ten days later, soil is mounded around the base of the newly developed shoots so as to cover 10-15 cm of the stem above the ring to encourage adventitious roots. This causes the shoots to root profusely in 2 months.
• The rooted shoots are separated from the mother plant in the month of September and immediately planted in nursery beds or pots.