8. Buy and Plant Your Kaffir Lime Tree During the Warm Months
I advise students to buy their plant during the warm months of spring, through summer and into early fall as during those months, your garden is likely to be warmer and sunnier, coming closer to approximating the conditions at the nursery where they are born and have grown up in. The plant will also have time to adjust and do some growing in its new home before the dreaded months of winter set in.
While autumn is regarded by seasoned gardeners as the best time of year for planting since it allows plants to settle in and establish a good root system during winter to support the growth that comes in the spring, this is not necessarily a good thing for young tropical plants new to your garden. As mentioned somewhere above, the rootstock is more vigorous than the kaffir lime portion of the plant and during the cold months of winter this temperate underground partner continues to grow stronger while the tropical kaffir lime top is weakened by exposure to the cold. This might just give the monster underground the opportunity to strike out and take over. Of course, a larger, more mature plant that has been given enough time to acclimate to your garden can benefit from fall planting.
Remember that the climate in Thailand is very hot – most of the year above 90 degrees F and very humid. It is nearer the equator, so the days are nearly the same length year round and never as short as it gets here in the winter and as long as it gets here in the summer. The season when the ground is drenched with daily monsoonal rains is the hottest months of the year. The raindrops may be warm but give the lush vegetation of the tropics a refreshing respite from the heat. But here in northern California, the raindrops are freezing cold and fall at the coldest time of year when the sun's rays are weak and the days are dark and short. Not at all what a tropical plant finds refreshing!
Therefore, planting a kaffir lime tree during the summer months in the Bay Area isn't a problem at all, as long as you acclimate it to the location before you disturb the roots. Place the plant at the location you wish to plant it for a week or two and see whether it has any objections before you decide to start digging the soil.
Of course, if the location is in full all-day sun without any other plants nearby, it probably won't be a good idea to plant during a very hot day, not so much because of the heat, but because there is very little humidity in California heat, especially in inland areas. Also, most nurseries have their plants sheltered by some afternoon shade (incidentally, the "mother" trees at Four Winds Growers are under the shelter of a tall, open-sided, shade-cloth tent year-round), so it's important to gradually acclimate your plant by giving it some shade during the hottest part of the afternoon and gradually exposing it to more sun over a period of a couple of weeks until it has "hardened" to full sun exposure. If you don't take the care to acclimate your plant to a sunny location, the leaves are likely to get scorched and the health of the plant jeopardized.
For instance, give your plant only morning sun for a few days, then increase the amount of sun by an hour every few days until it is accustomed to full-day sun. Do your planting late in the day, after the sun is no longer on the plant, or in the early evening. This will give the plant a chance to settle in before the hot sun and dry heat hit it the next day. If you live in inland areas, you might want to shelter the plant for a few days after planting from the hot mid-day sun to allow it to completely settle in before it is exposed to full sun. Of course, do all this during a week when there's not a heat wave! or when you don't need the fan on to keep from sweating inside the house.
My preference for tropical plants is spring planting and a kaffir lime tree is very much a tropical plant in spite of the temperate climate roots it has been given. As the weather begins to warm up, kaffir lime trees awaken from their semi-dormant state and start their growth spurt. Acclimating the plant to a location is less critical as the sun is still at a fairly low angle and not searingly hot and relative humidity is still high. With a long growing season ahead, the plant will have plenty of time to settle in and establish itself in the garden before the next round of cold winter weather blows in.
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9. Where to Site Your Kaffir Lime
Kaffir lime trees can take full sun if there is sufficient humidity. They can also do quite well in partial shade and probably prefers it in hot inland areas where humidity can be very low while the sun is scorching hot in the summer. Keep in mind that full sun in Walnut Creek is not the same as full sun in San Francisco, where morning and evening fog brings moisture to the air and daytime temperatures are generally much lower. They can even do well in dappled shade if there's a lot of bright reflected light. One of my kaffir lime trees, for instance, is as happy as can be in a narrow border in between my house and the next door neighbor's. It gets maybe two to three hours of direct sunlight a day in summer and none at all from late fall to late spring when the angle of the sun is low, but is exposed to plenty of very bright reflected light all day long from the white paint of the two houses. In this sheltered location with warmth radiating from the walls of the two houses, it doesn't even look unhappy during the winter and begins its growth spurt very early in the spring when most of the garden has barely awakened. It puts out plenty of long thick branches lush with huge leaves that now supply most of my classes with the leaves we need to make scrumptious Thai feasts.
From my own experience, I find that my kaffir lime trees actually do better in partial shade in Oakland and like to be surrounded by companion plants, whether it is grown in the ground or in a planter. That's because grouping plants together creates more humidity for the plants, which is especially important for tropical plants. A kaffir lime tree in a planter on a hot patio in full sun all by its lonesome self will most likely not have a very long, happy life even if you water and feed it properly. As mentioned earlier, the 'mother' trees at Four Winds in Winters, CA (near Davis) from which branches are cut and grafted to make new kaffir lime plants, are under the shelter of a tall, open-sided shade-cloth tent year round. I think it is 30 percent shade and certainly not full sun. The shade cloth protects the trees from the extremes of arid summer heat and damp winter cold.
I think the ideal location would be one where the tree gets morning and mid to late afternoon sun, with dappled shade during the middle part of the day when the sun is hottest. In such a location there would be less fluctuation in temperature for the tree during the day and the mid-day shade gives a little more humidity to the plant during the hours when it's driest. Humidity levels generally are higher in the shade than in the sun.
Because the tropical kaffir lime resents the cold, some people have suggested planting it against a south-facing wall which would give out radiant heat at night to keep it warm during the winter. South-facing walls also get lots of hot, direct sunlight during the summer months, so make sure not to plant your kaffir lime tree too close to the wall as this can reduce air circulation and humidity. Air circulation is particularly important on hot summer days inland when there is little humidity, or else you might find your plant succumbing to insect infestation and outbreaks of fungal diseases. It's best to site the plant at least a few feet out from the wall, close enough to get warmth during the winter months but far enough out so that the wall does not overheat the plant during summer heat waves, dry out the air surrounding it and block off gentle breezes it needs to breathe properly. Your tree will also need space to spread out and grow into, so think ahead before you plant. A fully matured tree can be as tall as 10 feet even on dwarf rootstock and can have a spread of as much as 5 feet. Of course, you can always prune the tree down to the size you wish it to be if space is limited in your garden.
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10. Planter or Ground: Which is Best?
Like other big plants, a kaffir lime tree would probably do better planted in the ground than in a planter. The roots have more room to spread out and grow deeper to support proportional top growth, thereby allowing the tree to reach its full potential. Because the roots are not above ground like in a planter, they are more protected from winter cold as well as extreme summer heat. A larger root system is likely to produce a healthier plant that can withstand occasional bouts of adverse environmental conditions better than one grown in a planter. Overall care could be easier as the tree would require less frequent watering and feeding and is also less likely to be over-watered. It can be easily placed on an automatic irrigation system along with other plants in the same border, such as drip irrigation or soaker hoses. Proper siting in the garden may give your ground plant better air circulation to prevent insect and disease problems than one in a patio container close to a wall, solid fence or other structures which may block air flow.
So if there's room in your garden and the soil in your garden is fairly loamy and well-drained (or can be easily amended with organic compost to improve drainage as well as moisture retention), then you might want to consider working the kaffir lime tree into your landscaping. Planted among other plants with similar needs, it can grow into a beautiful tree (or bushy shrub if you prune it down to size) with shiny dark green leaves and attractive fruits.
But if you have little garden space or none at all save for the deck or patio, you can successfully grow a kaff
8. Buy and Plant Your Kaffir Lime Tree During the Warm Months
I advise students to buy their plant during the warm months of spring, through summer and into early fall as during those months, your garden is likely to be warmer and sunnier, coming closer to approximating the conditions at the nursery where they are born and have grown up in. The plant will also have time to adjust and do some growing in its new home before the dreaded months of winter set in.
While autumn is regarded by seasoned gardeners as the best time of year for planting since it allows plants to settle in and establish a good root system during winter to support the growth that comes in the spring, this is not necessarily a good thing for young tropical plants new to your garden. As mentioned somewhere above, the rootstock is more vigorous than the kaffir lime portion of the plant and during the cold months of winter this temperate underground partner continues to grow stronger while the tropical kaffir lime top is weakened by exposure to the cold. This might just give the monster underground the opportunity to strike out and take over. Of course, a larger, more mature plant that has been given enough time to acclimate to your garden can benefit from fall planting.
Remember that the climate in Thailand is very hot – most of the year above 90 degrees F and very humid. It is nearer the equator, so the days are nearly the same length year round and never as short as it gets here in the winter and as long as it gets here in the summer. The season when the ground is drenched with daily monsoonal rains is the hottest months of the year. The raindrops may be warm but give the lush vegetation of the tropics a refreshing respite from the heat. But here in northern California, the raindrops are freezing cold and fall at the coldest time of year when the sun's rays are weak and the days are dark and short. Not at all what a tropical plant finds refreshing!
Therefore, planting a kaffir lime tree during the summer months in the Bay Area isn't a problem at all, as long as you acclimate it to the location before you disturb the roots. Place the plant at the location you wish to plant it for a week or two and see whether it has any objections before you decide to start digging the soil.
Of course, if the location is in full all-day sun without any other plants nearby, it probably won't be a good idea to plant during a very hot day, not so much because of the heat, but because there is very little humidity in California heat, especially in inland areas. Also, most nurseries have their plants sheltered by some afternoon shade (incidentally, the "mother" trees at Four Winds Growers are under the shelter of a tall, open-sided, shade-cloth tent year-round), so it's important to gradually acclimate your plant by giving it some shade during the hottest part of the afternoon and gradually exposing it to more sun over a period of a couple of weeks until it has "hardened" to full sun exposure. If you don't take the care to acclimate your plant to a sunny location, the leaves are likely to get scorched and the health of the plant jeopardized.
For instance, give your plant only morning sun for a few days, then increase the amount of sun by an hour every few days until it is accustomed to full-day sun. Do your planting late in the day, after the sun is no longer on the plant, or in the early evening. This will give the plant a chance to settle in before the hot sun and dry heat hit it the next day. If you live in inland areas, you might want to shelter the plant for a few days after planting from the hot mid-day sun to allow it to completely settle in before it is exposed to full sun. Of course, do all this during a week when there's not a heat wave! or when you don't need the fan on to keep from sweating inside the house.
My preference for tropical plants is spring planting and a kaffir lime tree is very much a tropical plant in spite of the temperate climate roots it has been given. As the weather begins to warm up, kaffir lime trees awaken from their semi-dormant state and start their growth spurt. Acclimating the plant to a location is less critical as the sun is still at a fairly low angle and not searingly hot and relative humidity is still high. With a long growing season ahead, the plant will have plenty of time to settle in and establish itself in the garden before the next round of cold winter weather blows in.
Return to top
9. Where to Site Your Kaffir Lime
Kaffir lime trees can take full sun if there is sufficient humidity. They can also do quite well in partial shade and probably prefers it in hot inland areas where humidity can be very low while the sun is scorching hot in the summer. Keep in mind that full sun in Walnut Creek is not the same as full sun in San Francisco, where morning and evening fog brings moisture to the air and daytime temperatures are generally much lower. They can even do well in dappled shade if there's a lot of bright reflected light. One of my kaffir lime trees, for instance, is as happy as can be in a narrow border in between my house and the next door neighbor's. It gets maybe two to three hours of direct sunlight a day in summer and none at all from late fall to late spring when the angle of the sun is low, but is exposed to plenty of very bright reflected light all day long from the white paint of the two houses. In this sheltered location with warmth radiating from the walls of the two houses, it doesn't even look unhappy during the winter and begins its growth spurt very early in the spring when most of the garden has barely awakened. It puts out plenty of long thick branches lush with huge leaves that now supply most of my classes with the leaves we need to make scrumptious Thai feasts.
From my own experience, I find that my kaffir lime trees actually do better in partial shade in Oakland and like to be surrounded by companion plants, whether it is grown in the ground or in a planter. That's because grouping plants together creates more humidity for the plants, which is especially important for tropical plants. A kaffir lime tree in a planter on a hot patio in full sun all by its lonesome self will most likely not have a very long, happy life even if you water and feed it properly. As mentioned earlier, the 'mother' trees at Four Winds in Winters, CA (near Davis) from which branches are cut and grafted to make new kaffir lime plants, are under the shelter of a tall, open-sided shade-cloth tent year round. I think it is 30 percent shade and certainly not full sun. The shade cloth protects the trees from the extremes of arid summer heat and damp winter cold.
I think the ideal location would be one where the tree gets morning and mid to late afternoon sun, with dappled shade during the middle part of the day when the sun is hottest. In such a location there would be less fluctuation in temperature for the tree during the day and the mid-day shade gives a little more humidity to the plant during the hours when it's driest. Humidity levels generally are higher in the shade than in the sun.
Because the tropical kaffir lime resents the cold, some people have suggested planting it against a south-facing wall which would give out radiant heat at night to keep it warm during the winter. South-facing walls also get lots of hot, direct sunlight during the summer months, so make sure not to plant your kaffir lime tree too close to the wall as this can reduce air circulation and humidity. Air circulation is particularly important on hot summer days inland when there is little humidity, or else you might find your plant succumbing to insect infestation and outbreaks of fungal diseases. It's best to site the plant at least a few feet out from the wall, close enough to get warmth during the winter months but far enough out so that the wall does not overheat the plant during summer heat waves, dry out the air surrounding it and block off gentle breezes it needs to breathe properly. Your tree will also need space to spread out and grow into, so think ahead before you plant. A fully matured tree can be as tall as 10 feet even on dwarf rootstock and can have a spread of as much as 5 feet. Of course, you can always prune the tree down to the size you wish it to be if space is limited in your garden.
Return to top
10. Planter or Ground: Which is Best?
Like other big plants, a kaffir lime tree would probably do better planted in the ground than in a planter. The roots have more room to spread out and grow deeper to support proportional top growth, thereby allowing the tree to reach its full potential. Because the roots are not above ground like in a planter, they are more protected from winter cold as well as extreme summer heat. A larger root system is likely to produce a healthier plant that can withstand occasional bouts of adverse environmental conditions better than one grown in a planter. Overall care could be easier as the tree would require less frequent watering and feeding and is also less likely to be over-watered. It can be easily placed on an automatic irrigation system along with other plants in the same border, such as drip irrigation or soaker hoses. Proper siting in the garden may give your ground plant better air circulation to prevent insect and disease problems than one in a patio container close to a wall, solid fence or other structures which may block air flow.
So if there's room in your garden and the soil in your garden is fairly loamy and well-drained (or can be easily amended with organic compost to improve drainage as well as moisture retention), then you might want to consider working the kaffir lime tree into your landscaping. Planted among other plants with similar needs, it can grow into a beautiful tree (or bushy shrub if you prune it down to size) with shiny dark green leaves and attractive fruits.
But if you have little garden space or none at all save for the deck or patio, you can successfully grow a kaff
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