SOS - Tahiti Lime
 

We bought a tahiti lime two weeks ago from Syon Park. It's about 18"
and had two limes growing on it when we bought it, one of which we've
already harvested.

However, it's now losing leaves at an alarming rate. From everything
I can find on the web (which almost entirely relates to growing them
outdoors in Florida) it should be evergreen, we've followed the
watering instructions (water through and don't leave standing in
water) but not yet fed it. It's sitting on a double glazed window
sill getting plenty of light, but it's also near a radiator. Does
anyone have any suggestions? We'd hate to lose it, we love it already
and £20 for two limes is a tad expensive.

Thanks in advance.
"The only time you don't fail is the last time you try anything -- and it
works."

- William Strong

subbykins{Chrd}

SOS - Tahiti Lime
 

William wrote in message ...
We bought a tahiti lime two weeks ago from Syon Park. It's about 18"
and had two limes growing on it when we bought it, one of which we've
already harvested.

However, it's now losing leaves at an alarming rate. From everything
I can find on the web (which almost entirely relates to growing them
outdoors in Florida) it should be evergreen, we've followed the
watering instructions (water through and don't leave standing in
water) but not yet fed it. It's sitting on a double glazed window
sill getting plenty of light, but it's also near a radiator. Does
anyone have any suggestions? We'd hate to lose it, we love it already
and £20 for two limes is a tad expensive.

Yes they are very much evergreens, indeed the fruits grow all year round so
the plants need feed all year round. Two weeks without feed would not cause
your plant to loose leaves though.
Our trees spend all summer, from early June late May outside against our
front wall which faces South, they were brought into our tiny greenhouse
just before the first frost (beginning Oct), and are kept at a minimum of
50°F throughout the winter.
The most important thing, as always with Citrus, is watering. They do not
want the compost to dry out completely, but especially during the winter, it
must never be wet.
From your comments I suspect your problem is too much heat, and importantly,
dry air, with possibly overwatering.
Can you move your plant to a cool room, perhaps a spare room, with little
heat, certainly no direct heat, but good light? Let the compost almost dry
out between waterings and feed lightly every watering.

Our Tahiti Lime was purchased during one of our trips to Cornwall but
suffered during the few days away and lost almost all it's leaves by the
time we got home, it was fine again within a few months.

Don't feel too bad some professionals don't do too well either, saw some
very sad sick Citrus at Ham House a couple of months ago, and it was sad
too, big plants.

--
Bob
http://www.pooleygreengrowers.org.uk/ about an allotment site
in Runnymede, fighting for its existence against bureaucracy.

SOS - Tahiti Lime
 

We bought a tahiti lime two weeks ago from Syon Park. It's about 18"
and had two limes growing on it when we bought it, one of which we've
already harvested.

However, it's now losing leaves at an alarming rate. From everything
I can find on the web (which almost entirely relates to growing them
outdoors in Florida) it should be evergreen, we've followed the
watering instructions (water through and don't leave standing in
water) but not yet fed it. It's sitting on a double glazed window
sill getting plenty of light, but it's also near a radiator.


We had the same problem with a lemon tree, and despaired, but after a few weeks it settled down and is now flourishing - with new fruits. A friend who has grown citrus for some time tells us they don't like being moved, but recover.