longan

The longan plant should be watered regularly throughout the year to keep it healthy and growing. During the active growing season (May to October) the plant should be watered on a weekly basis, ensuring the soil is moist but not overly saturated. During the winter months (November to April) water the plant less frequently, allowing the soil to almost dry out between waterings. It is important to not let the soil dry out completely as this can cause the plant to suffer. To prevent overwatering, or creating water-logged soil, it is best to check the top inch of soil every few days to determine whether or not it is time to water. A great way of gauging when to give your longan plant a drink is to lift the pot to see if it feels surprisingly light, or if the area near the roots is dry.

Longan plants need direct sunlight in order to properly grow and produce fruit. Ideally, the longan plant should receive a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight each day during the growing season. This should be increased to 8–10 hours of direct sunlight a day during the fruiting period in order to ensure quality fruit production. If the plant does not receive enough direct sunlight, this will stunt its growth and flower and fruit setting may be reduced.

Longan trees should be pruned every year, in December or January, to remove branches that are crossed, growing straight up, or dead in order to promote new growth and maintain a healthy tree. Longan trees should have a light pruning each year where no more than 1/3 of the total branches are removed. Heavy pruning should only be done every 3 years in order to prevent shock to the tree.