Things Needed
Key basswood trees ( Citrus aurantifolia ) supply cooks and culinary artists with the tart and tasty ingredient in the Proto-Indo European that partake in the name . Also recognize as a Mexican fluxing lime and West Indian lime , this character of citrus fruit tree produces small-scale , rounded fruits with slight rinds . Like many types of citrus trees , fundamental lime trees produce well in containers . These tree diagram reach a ripe elevation around 5 feet , making them worthy selections for large houseplants or terrace trees .
Planting Your Key Lime Tree
Step 1
Select a prominent can with drain holes on the bottom . These citrus tree trees require a 10- to 15 - Imperial gallon container to allow adequate infinite for mature roots . Cover the bottom of the interior of the pot with a firearm of screen door mesh . This mesh will give up the water to flow out while keeping the land in the pot . circulate a shallow layer of fine gravel over the mesh to assist in drainage .
Step 2
unify adequate parts shredded barque , peat moss and sand to create a rich medium . Place enough ground in the bottom of the pot to keep the open of your stem ball about 1 in below the rim of the flock . Transplant your young Key lime tree from its glasshouse container into your lasting container using this mixing . Fill in the side with filth , but avoid placing new soil over the top surface of the root ball .
Step 3
irrigate your tree diagram immediately after plant . slow add together water to the soil until you notice a few drops of water coming from the drainage holes .
Caring for Your Key Lime Tree
Grow your Key burnt lime tree diagram in a cheery locating . Select an area that receive between 6 and 12 hr of daytime sun . If growing your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree indoors near a window , turn the tree every span of week to provide adequate amount of luminousness to all sides .
Keep the soil slenderly moist near your Key lime tree ’s solution . Water the grunge in the quite a little when the surface becomes slenderly ironic to the touch . Apply the water slowly to allow it to souse into the grunge . terminate applying water when it begins to drip from the drainage holes .
Fertilize your Key lime tree diagram with a liquid fertilizer label for use on citrus tree . Choose a fertilizer that has manganese , iron and atomic number 30 . enforce this every mates of weeks in the spring and fall seasons , and about every workweek during the summertime month .

Step 4
cross-pollinate your indoor lime tree with a small paintbrush . Because indoor , container - bound plants do n’t obtain visit from honeybees , butterfly and other insects , they count on you for pollination . Gently flick the center of the blossoms with your paintbrush , going from heyday to flower . Do this daily throughout the flower period to insure an abundant harvest .
Step 5
Bring your outdoor , potted tree indoors before the first frost in the drop . Freezing temperature can damage your fundamental Citrus aurantifolia tree . It prefers temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit . expect until after the final frost in the spring to take your Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree outside again . These trees can remain outdoors year - round in warm climates that do not experience freeze temperatures .
Tip
For the good smack , allow the fruit to mature on your Key lime tree until non-white honey oil in gloss .