Citrus × aurantiifolia
Lime
Common names: Key lime, Mexican lime, Sour lime
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below 3 °C
- Pruning
- Mar–Apr
- Harvest
- Jan, Feb, Oct, Nov, Dec
- Flowering
- Apr–Aug
- Spacing
- 150 cm, rows 150 cm
- Water need
- Medium
Photo: Averette at English Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Lime, botanically Citrus × aurantiifolia, originates from Southeast Asia and is the small, highly aromatic and sour relative of the lemon. It grows as an evergreen, thorny shrub or small tree and usually stays at 1 to 2 m in height when grown in a container. The glossy green leaves and the white, strongly fragrant flowers are ornamental in their own right, and flowers and fruit often hang on the branch at the same time. The round fruits, 3 to 5 cm in size, are rich in seeds and remain green to pale yellow. They are usually harvested between October and February, once they feel plump and heavy. Their juice and finely grated peel give drinks, dressings, desserts and fish dishes a fresh, tart note. In cooler regions the lime is strictly a container plant: it is noticeably more sensitive to cold than the lemon and needs a bright, frost-free and not too cold winter quarters from October to May.
Care instructions
Place the lime outdoors from mid-May (calendar week 20) in full sun and a wind-sheltered spot, and gradually acclimatise it to the sun over the first few days. Protect the pot from harsh midday sun, for example with a light-coloured outer pot, as overheated roots can no longer take up water. Water evenly with rainwater or standing, low-lime water as soon as the top layer of soil is dry, and never let water stand in the saucer. Bring the lime indoors in October, before nights fall below 10 degrees Celsius. Common mistakes to avoid include waterlogging, a winter location that is too cold or too dark, which causes the plant to drop its leaves, and dry heating air, which attracts scale insects and spider mites. In that case, spray the plant with water or wipe the insects off with a soft cloth.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
HarvestJan–Feb, Oct–Dec
FloweringApr–Aug
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, loamy
The lime grows in loose, humus-rich, free-draining soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. In a container, use citrus compost or a container-plant compost that you mix with sand or expanded clay, and put a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot. Compacted, wet soil quickly leads to root rot. In the long run, hard water raises the pH and turns the leaves yellow, so it is better to water with rainwater.
Feeding
Heavy feeder
Months
Apr–Sep
The lime is a heavy feeder and wants regular food from April to September. In a container, add liquid fertiliser for citrus or flowering plants to the water every one to two weeks. In spring you can additionally work some mature compost or horn shavings into the top layer of soil. From October to March you do not feed. Yellow leaves with green veins often point to nutrient deficiency or water that is too hard.
Pruning
Prune the lime in March or April, shortly before you put it outside. Remove dead, crossing and inward-growing shoots and shorten overly long shoots so that a loose, airy crown forms. Cut off water shoots that shoot steeply upwards completely. Wear gloves, the thorns are sharp. Hard pruning costs flowers; it is better to prune lightly more often than hard once.
Overwintering
The lime is not hardy and easily drops leaves at temperatures below about 10 degrees. In October, move it into a very bright room at 10 to 15 degrees, for example a conservatory or a bright stairwell. Water sparingly, but never let the root ball dry out completely, and do not feed. If light is lacking, a grow lamp helps. After the Ice Saints in May, put it back outside.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- From seed
- Grafting
You buy most limes as grafted plants; nurseries graft them onto strong citrus rootstocks. You can raise them yourself from cuttings: in summer, cut semi-ripe shoot pieces about 10 cm long, remove the lower leaves and insert them in loose, moist seed compost. With bottom heat and high humidity under a propagator lid, they root after a few weeks. Plants also grow from freshly sown pips, but they need many years to flower for the first time and stay thorny for a long time.
For your garden
Grow Lime yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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