There are no excuses for not having a lime tree! It does not matter if you have a lifestyle block, a small yard, a rooftop, a balcony or even an office carpark – a lime tree will be a fantastic companion either planted into the ground or grown in pots.
A slice of lime in your glass of water or squeezed as a flavour booster in Asian dishes is a fantastic ways to add a fresh flavour.
Citrus Tang – How to Grow a Lime Tree
Lime trees grow happily in most places around the world, from Latin America to Tahiti. Limes grow well in New Zealand, too, as long as simple propagation and care rules are applied. The main reason limes have adapted to so many geographical latitudes is because it is a cultivar plant. Specific rootstocks have been chosen to withstand local environments and diseases.
Most lime trees you purchase from your local nursery or garden centres are grafted trees, which of course will guarantee the success and longevity of your small trees. Growing lime trees from seed has been done in the past and there is plenty of literature around on how to do it. But the seeds often don’t carry the same genetics of the mother plant and you may end up with just a beautiful ornamental tree with low fruit-bearing capacity. Lime trees are evergreen with large deep green foliage that is quite sharp with robust spines along the branches. The lime fruit are deep green and not yellow like lemons.
In subtropical climates, lime trees can fruit all year around. Frosts are not ideal so it may pay to keep the tree at a manageable size and cover with frost cloths during winter.
Lime trees can fruit and flower at the same time making it hard to choose the perfect time to prune or even spray it for citrus pests such as aphids, borer beetle or whitefly. Even if you choose organic oils to treat pest infestations you can still harm your good pollinator friends.
If your soil is boggy or sandy, you can plant lime trees by digging a hole twice as wide and deep than the root ball, work the dug-up soil with peat and other organic matter. Fill two-thirds of the hole with the new mix, position the tree and fill the remaining gaps until you fully cover the root ball. Mound a hill above the ground while keeping the tree collar above the soil.
Tips to get the most from limes
Maintain
Soil must be slightly acidic and well drained. Wet feet are a common cause of failure of survival in lime trees. Consistent water is necessary, so that the soil doesn’t dry out too quickly. However, established trees will reach for deep water with long roots.
Harvest
Limes are rounder and smaller than lemons. Limes are harvested prior to ripening, while the lime is still green. If left on the trees, limes will turn yellow but at that point the fruit will have lost that zesty aroma and tart flavour. To determine whether a green lime is ripe enough for harvesting, gently twist one from the stem of the lime tree and cut it open.
Store
Limes stay fresh for a week at room temperature if kept out of sun. Ideally, place limes in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They should keep for a month. You can also juice the limes and freeze the juice in ice cube trays.
