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agility_mom

Kaffir Limes

agility_mom
13 years ago

What can you tell me about Kaffir Lime trees?

Comments (7)

  • greendesert
    13 years ago

    I can tell you that I want one very bad! lol. but I'm broke at the moment. I was told by some people at a Thai restaurant that the local Thai temple does sell them (I think they're somewhere west in Wadell). Other than that, The leaves are awesome, they're used to spice up thai food and they smell/taste something like lemongrass. I absolutely love it in stir fries.(you slice the leaves into long thin slivers) The leaves are double lobed. Baker nursery has them but I'm too broke to get them even from there.
    They make a fruit that looks like a very ugly lemon with a rough rind. The rind from the fruit I believe is also being used in Thai cooking.
    I can also tell you that some people have a cow if you refer to it as "Kaffir" lime because that's supposed to be an insulting term in some countries. Personally I don't give a rip about that. In my country they have a medicinal herb that have nasty names, and I don't know who and why they were named that way, but that's the popular name for it, so if you want people to know what you're talking about, you don't use the PC term or the latin name, but the vulgar term, because that's just how they know it.
    As far as I know it does well in the valley just like most citrus. Slow grower, and it does better if it gets a little help with increased humidity during the hot/dry season.
    I believe it will come true from seed, but I have not found any of the fruit in the valley to get seeds from. I'm sure someone has them, but they're not sharing (Mommyyy... they're not sharing!!!) I'm fairly sure it can also be propagated pretty much like any other citrus by grafting or budding onto another rootstock.

  • andy_sa
    13 years ago

    They're really easy to grow from seed. I even slung some in a pot one winter as I didn't want the fruit to rot,left it inside with no attention other than making sure the soil didn't get too dry, and in spring got a dozen seedlings. Don't be put off if the fruit looks yellow or the seeds look spindly. My main tree is now 8 years old. I keep it in a pot because despite summers of 40oC+, winters can be frosty and damp. I do know several people however who grow theirs in the open to fruiting size,and then some. Good luck!

  • grant_in_arizona
    13 years ago

    I love them too and grew one at my last garden (and am thinking about growing one in my current garden (both in Scottsdale)). Baker Nursery had several large ones yesterday (Saturday Nov 6th). In my last garden I just grew them like any other citrus and they did great. Those wonderful aromatic leaves are terrific. Just grow them like any other citrus really. Andy_SA, it's good to hear they come true from seed! Thanks for that information.

    Let us know if you get/have one and how it does for you!
    Take care,
    Grant

  • az_pamperedchef
    13 years ago

    I just picked up one from Baker's this Saturday and I must have come after Grant because there were only 3 in 5gl containers. I thought they were a little pricey @ $34.95 but I'm willing to give it a try. I also picked up a Bearss Lime. Can anyone tell me about it?

  • greendesert
    13 years ago

    Does anyone in the valley have some seeds? I remember I've looked around at the asian stores and nobody seemed to have a clue where I could find some. I even went to the big one the ranch market.

  • agility_mom
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I was at Baker's this past Saturday too. They did have some in stock but they were standard sized trees in larger containers and I am looking for a dwarf.
    After reading what everyone wrote about them, now I have to get one :) So, if anyone sees any dwarf trees, please let me know.

  • turtleman49
    13 years ago

    I have allot of them I just grafted on standard rootstock, but I have allot of dwarf stock also, I'll graft some on the dwarf stock..

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