Lime trees (Citrus aurantifolia) develop into small shrub-like trees with fruits smaller than lemons. Lime trees grow best outside in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. Lime trees enjoy growing in good-draining, rich soil in the full sun. They do not tolerate salty soil or heavy clay soil. With more growing tips, lime trees stay healthy and produce plenty of fruit, which is full of vitamins and citric acid.
How to Grow Lime
Where to Plant?
Choose the site carefully for strongest tree growth and full production of limes. Lime trees are sensitive to cold and frost and should be planted in a full sun location that is protected from winds. Frost damage on the tree leaves begins to occur at 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and wood damage or death may occur when temperatures drop below 29 degrees. A south or southeast site in the home landscape provides the most light in relation to the house position. Plant a young lime tree at least 12 feet from fences, walls and buildings so it does not lean and grow into nearby sunlight.
Optimum growth is achieved by planting in soil with good drainage. Lime trees thrive in sandy-loam or average garden loam. These soils have adequate organic matter content for nutrient requirements and they drain well. Most of the lime tree roots are active in the top 3 feet of soil, where drainage is very important. Standing water rots the roots. Lime trees and all citrus trees grow best when the soil is allowed to dry out to 50 percent of its water-holding capacity before watering again.
How to Plant?
Many people choose to purchase a lime tree from a local nursery rather than grow them from seed . Once you have purchased your lime tree, you will need to plant it. The steps for how to plant a lime tree are pretty much the same whether you plan on planting it in the ground or in a container.
First, when growing lime trees, make sure that where your lime tree will be planted will receive plenty of sunshine. If at all possible, choose a location that gets the southern sun.
Second, make sure the drainage is excellent. If you pay attention to no other lime tree tips, you must pay attention to this one. Growing lime trees in soil that does not have excellent drainage will kill your lime tree. Amend the soil in improve drainage to make sure that your lime tree will never be exposed to standing water. If planting in the ground, make sure the soil around the tree is a little higher than the ground outside the planting hole to prevent the pooling of water around the lime tree.
Third, when backfilling the hole or container, be sure to make sure that the soil is firmly in place around the root ball. If a pocket of air is created, the tree will die. Tamp the soil continually or water the soil every few inches while you backfill.
Watering
Pruning
Suckers grow below the graft union on lime trees. These are rootstock shoots and do not grow the desired citrus variety. The new shoots should be cut off the tree with pruners. Snipping the thorns off the branches does not harm the lime tree. This makes handling the tree easier, resulting in fewer scratches while picking fruit. So you don’t transfer disease to the tree, make sure to use sterilized pruning tools.
How to Harvest
All limes turn yellow when completely ripe. This does not mean that they are over-ripe or really lemons. Limes are commercially marketed as a green fruit, so they are picked while the skin is still green. Limes are the most flavorful while still green and just developing a yellowish tint to the skin.