This southeast Asian tree is part of my Thai herb collection. I love the aromatic flavour that the leaves give to curries, and the gorgeous scent from the flowers. The fruit are quite bitter but can still be eaten.

This lime tree will benefit from being placed outside in a sunny spot once the temperature is consistently above 7°C, where it will provide nectar for a range of pollinators. It needs to come indoors in a draught-free spot that gets direct sunlight during the winter.

These young plants are delivered in a temporary paper sleeve and need to be transferred to your own one-litre pot straight away, or I can provide two-to-three year-old limes that have already been planted into the following decorative pots:

Option 1. Thai lime in a Wendy Calder pot and saucer. I am really excited that the wonderful Wendy Calder has created a pot and saucer set specifically for my young trees. I absolutely love her cow parsley design, and each pot is handmade and unique. The deep saucers provide room for a layer of clay beads (included) so that the pots can drain freely, perfectly meeting the requirements of these plants.

Thai (Makrut or Kaffir) Lime / Citrus hystrix

£8.00

Age / Size

Quantity

WATERING & FEEDING

When the top layer of compost is dry, water generously until you get run-off but do not allow the pot to stand in water. If you can, water with rain water. Water frequently in summer (once or twice a week depending on the weather) and less (roughly twice a month) in the winter. The most important thing is to check the compost regularly and if the top layer is dry then water generously.

This plant prefers a humid environment so we recommend standing the pot on a bed of gravel or clay beads in a saucer containing the run-off water. This way the roots are above the water in the saucer but the plant benefits from the humidity created as the water evaporates. If the air is dry, it is also a good idea to mist the leaves.

Feed with a specialist citrus feed following the instructions on the packet.

POSITION

This plant will benefit from being placed outside in a sunny spot while the temperatures are consistently above 7°C and the pot is suitable for outside use.

Over winter, it should be placed indoors in a spot that gets direct sunlight but is not in a draught or near a radiator/fire because it does not do well in dry air.

POTTING ON

This Thai Lime can remain in its current pot for 2-3 years or more and should only be moved to a larger pot when its roots have filled the current pot. It may eventually grow to 3m high and 2.5m across over a number of years, depending on the size of pot it is in and on whether you prune it to a smaller size.

When the roots have filedl the current pot, transfer the plant to a new pot that is one size up. If you are watering with tap water then use an ericaceous compost, or a specialist citrus compost. Otherwise, a good quality peat-free compost is fine but add some horticultural grit or sand to improve the drainage. The plants we supply are potted in peat-free citrus compost.

PESTS & DISEASES

This tree is largely pest- and disease-free when grown in the UK but it may be susceptible to scale insects. Keep an eye out for small pale or brown bumps on the stems or alongside the main leaf vein, or a sticky residue (sap), or black soot that can build up on any sap. You can slide the scale insects off with your fingers and wipe the leaves with soapy water. A soapy wash every now and then is a good idea to reduce the chance of getting scale insects, to wash off any sticky sap / sooty fungus and to keep the leaves looking good.

You may get some leaf fall if the plant is over-watered or lacking nutrients or after the shock of re-potting or a sudden temperature chage. Don't panic! Carry on looking after your plant as instructed above and it should recover.

Thai (Makrut or Kaffir) Lime / Citrus hystrix

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HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR THAI LIME TREE