A couple of weeks ago, I was walking through the greenhouse house at Lake Street Garden Center in Salem, New Hampshire when I spotted this little guy. I wasn't expecting to see citrus plants for sale, especially in New England this time of year, but of course when I saw this Bearss lime, I had to get it. It'll be another 2 years at least before this rooted cutting starts bearing fruit but having grown citrus trees now for past 4 years, I've learned to be patient when it comes to these things.
Be warned - once you buy your first citrus tree, chances are you'll want more. In addition to this Bearss lime, I have 2 Meyer lemon trees, 2 mandarinquats, a Seville orange, and a Kieffer lime. Later this year, I'd like to get a couple different varieties of mandarin, like Owari Satsuma and Kishu. Hopefully I'll always have a green room to accommodate my growing collection. Otherwise, I'll be in BIG trouble.
I'd love to find a dwarf orange tree that can survive Northeast cold (or at least tolerate coldframe). How long do they have to grow to start producing fruit?
ReplyDeleteHi Jenny, it depends on the age of the grafted scion wood or rooted cutting. On average, I say about 2 to 3 years.
DeleteI wish I had a sun room like yours - as I would love to grow some citrus too. Sadly, I really do not have any good indoor location for them during the winter that gets sufficient sun.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph is SO TRUE! I got two meyer lemons last year and I already have plans to rebuild the solarium this spring to double as a greenhouse for the lime and orange trees I'm getting next year!
ReplyDeleteAnd for the tomato seedlings. And the pepper seedlings. And the eggplants and ground cherries and... ;)
Cool! I have just one meyer lemon and am STILL experimenting with how to get it to mature the fruit while having it inside half the year and outside the other half. I AM interested in a lime tree too tho! I wonder if limes take less time to ripen than Meyer lemons? Might be helpful for my situation...
ReplyDeleteYou're going to love your Bearss lime. They're ripe when they turn yellow. I have two of them, both dwarf. One is in spot and one is in the ground. The latter is coming into it's own this year, with a good crop on it. Good luck with yours. Key Lime Pie is in your future!
ReplyDeleteHappily just came upon your blog and I am so enjoying the read and gardening inspiration.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a lemon tree may be in my future very soon :-)