Hi,

my lemon tree (saw a very interesting bit on Gardeners World last night
about citrus) which appears to be a one year old cutting is now going
quietly berserk.

So much so that I have had to remove one of the large leaves to allow the
new shoots to leap skywards.

This waxy leaf, if crushed, gives off an intense lemony smell.

Which finally brings me to the point :-)

If you can use e.g. Kaffir Lime leaves in cooking, is there any reason why
you cannot use lemon leaves to impart flavour to a dish instead of the zest
of the lemon?

Just that I've never seen them sold in the shops or mentioned in recipes.

Perhaps most places with lemon trees also have abundant lemon fruit so the
leaves are not needed.

Alternatively there may be nasty things in the leaves which can harm you.

However in this climate with a tree not producing fruit yet, a handful of
leaves might make a useful addition to the herb collection.

Stewed apples are particularly nice with lemon zest - perhaps a lemon leaf
instead?

Cheers
Dave R

--

In article , David W.E.
Roberts wrote:

I'm growing a lemon tree from a seed (it's about one cenimeter high
now.) would I be better getting a cutting?

Lazarus

--
Remover the rock from the email address

"Lazarus Cooke" wrote in message
om...
In article , David W.E.
Roberts wrote:

I'm growing a lemon tree from a seed (it's about one cenimeter high
now.) would I be better getting a cutting?

Why bother if it is growing?

Cutings are around £3-£4 UKP and now you have a growing plant they would
probably save you half a season's growth?

If you want an 'instant tree' you will probably have to pay more for a tree
several years old.

AFAIR from the TV program the trees take about 10 years to start producing
any quantity of fruit.

So in the great scheme of things you probably won't notice the difference.

Cheers

Dave R

Very pleasantly, Grapefruit seeds that I have sown immediately produced a
single fragrant bloom. Very slow further growth and no more blossom.
Best Wishes
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...

"Lazarus Cooke" wrote in message
om...
In article , David W.E.
Roberts wrote:

I'm growing a lemon tree from a seed (it's about one cenimeter high
now.) would I be better getting a cutting?

Why bother if it is growing?

Cutings are around £3-£4 UKP and now you have a growing plant they would
probably save you half a season's growth?

If you want an 'instant tree' you will probably have to pay more for a
tree
several years old.

AFAIR from the TV program the trees take about 10 years to start producing
any quantity of fruit.

So in the great scheme of things you probably won't notice the difference.

Cheers

Dave R

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...

If you can use e.g. Kaffir Lime leaves in cooking, is there any reason why
you cannot use lemon leaves to impart flavour to a dish instead of the
zest
of the lemon?

Just that I've never seen them sold in the shops or mentioned in recipes.

Perhaps most places with lemon trees also have abundant lemon fruit so the
leaves are not needed.

Alternatively there may be nasty things in the leaves which can harm you.

However in this climate with a tree not producing fruit yet, a handful of
leaves might make a useful addition to the herb collection.

Stewed apples are particularly nice with lemon zest - perhaps a lemon leaf
instead?

Cheers
Dave R

It would appear that you can...have a look here David.
http://tinyurl.com/3ywg5

Shannie


--

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message ...
Hi,

my lemon tree (saw a very interesting bit on Gardeners World last night
about citrus) which appears to be a one year old cutting is now going
quietly berserk.

So much so that I have had to remove one of the large leaves to allow the
new shoots to leap skywards.

This waxy leaf, if crushed, gives off an intense lemony smell.

Which finally brings me to the point :-)

If you can use e.g. Kaffir Lime leaves in cooking, is there any reason why
you cannot use lemon leaves to impart flavour to a dish instead of the zest
of the lemon?

Just that I've never seen them sold in the shops or mentioned in recipes.

Perhaps most places with lemon trees also have abundant lemon fruit so the
leaves are not needed.

Alternatively there may be nasty things in the leaves which can harm you.

However in this climate with a tree not producing fruit yet, a handful of
leaves might make a useful addition to the herb collection.

Stewed apples are particularly nice with lemon zest - perhaps a lemon leaf
instead?

The leaves are fine, and give an interesting flavour not really the
same as lemon zest. Best to pick a leaf at a time as you need it,
rather than store dried ones, I think. I lost my two-footer owing to
absence of mind just before moving house, but for anybody less idiotic
they're easy to grow from a pip and keep going on a southerly
windowsill. They exhaust the soil in the pot, but don't at all mind
having it changed every year or two: John Innes is best, and I'd soak
all morning before changing.

Mike.

The message
from "David W.E. Roberts" contains these words:
"Lazarus Cooke" wrote in message
om...
In article , David W.E.
Roberts wrote:

I'm growing a lemon tree from a seed (it's about one cenimeter high
now.) would I be better getting a cutting?

Why bother if it is growing?

Cutings are around £3-£4 UKP and now you have a growing plant they would
probably save you half a season's growth?

If you want an 'instant tree' you will probably have to pay more for a tree
several years old.

AFAIR from the TV program the trees take about 10 years to start producing
any quantity of fruit.

So in the great scheme of things you probably won't notice the difference.

My tallest pair of year-old seedlings are now 36" tall - around a metre
for you youngsters.

(Mind you, the shortest ones are about six inches.)

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "David W.E. Roberts" contains these words:

Stewed apples are particularly nice with lemon zest - perhaps a lemon leaf
instead?

I don't see why not. Lime leaves are so very closely related that I
can't think there would be anything against it.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article ,
David W.E. Roberts wrote:
Hi,

my lemon tree (saw a very interesting bit on Gardeners World last night
about citrus) which appears to be a one year old cutting is now going
quietly berserk.

So much so that I have had to remove one of the large leaves to allow the
new shoots to leap skywards.

This waxy leaf, if crushed, gives off an intense lemony smell.

Which finally brings me to the point :-)

If you can use e.g. Kaffir Lime leaves in cooking, is there any reason why
you cannot use lemon leaves to impart flavour to a dish instead of the zest
of the lemon?

Just that I've never seen them sold in the shops or mentioned in recipes.

Perhaps most places with lemon trees also have abundant lemon fruit so the
leaves are not needed.

Alternatively there may be nasty things in the leaves which can harm you.

However in this climate with a tree not producing fruit yet, a handful of
leaves might make a useful addition to the herb collection.

Stewed apples are particularly nice with lemon zest - perhaps a lemon leaf
instead?

Cheers
Dave R

--

In article , David W.E.
Roberts writes

If you can use e.g. Kaffir Lime leaves in cooking, is there any reason why
you cannot use lemon leaves to impart flavour to a dish instead of the zest
of the lemon?


A friend brought a bag of lemon leaves back from their family's farm in
Spain. They were dipped in batter and deep fried, then served with a
sugar and cinnamon dip. You didn't eat the leaf, just the batter and dip
- very nice though...
--
David Entwistle

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
om...
"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

snip
Stewed apples are particularly nice with lemon zest - perhaps a lemon
leaf
instead?

The leaves are fine, and give an interesting flavour not really the
same as lemon zest. Best to pick a leaf at a time as you need it,
rather than store dried ones, I think. I lost my two-footer owing to
absence of mind just before moving house, but for anybody less idiotic
they're easy to grow from a pip and keep going on a southerly
windowsill. They exhaust the soil in the pot, but don't at all mind
having it changed every year or two: John Innes is best, and I'd soak
all morning before changing.

Mike.

Mike,

Can you describe how you go about changing the soil, do you mean just the
top inch or do you simply repot, knocking some of the old soil off as you go
?, or do you do a complete rake out, ala bonsai, and repot in fresh compost.
?

Only I've got a small collection of citrus, some several years old from
seed, other store bought rescues!, I'd just like to know whether disturbing
the roots and repotting is likely to succeed.

Cheers
Duncan