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jenn_gw

Show me your Bearss Lime

jenn
10 years ago

We've just purchased a Bearss Lime (semi-dwarf) in a 5-gallon container and we're considering the best spot for it. The tag says it can reach 8-10 ft. tall and wide.

Citrus thrives in our area and I plan to give it a sunny spot. We already have a very mature Tangerine, and a newer (few years old) Meyer Lemon, Kumquat, and Naval Orange -- all are very happy in various spots of the yard.

I'd like to see photos of a mature, semi-dwarf Bearss Lime in a typical home garden. Does it tend to have a bushy round shape, or is the canopy more open?

Comments (12)

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    10 years ago

    I don't have a photo of mine. It was on this property when we purchased it. Ours has a trunk and a nice canopy. It's about 10' tall and about that wide.

    It bears so much fruit, it's nuts! I freeze the juice in 1 cup amounts in baggies for summer use in margaritas and guacamole.

    Your days of buying limes at the grocery are now over!
    Suzi

  • paleogardener
    10 years ago

    Mine is 2yrs old & 6 1/2ft. tall, great shape, shrubby with an open canopy. Not sure how many years it takes to set fruit but he is blooming, so maybe this year. He is well drained & well fed.
    One detraction regarding my tree is a moderate leaf curl/leaf miner problem. This has been a stubborn issue for most of its life.

  • Lars
    10 years ago

    I'll try to post a photo of mine later, but it has more of a round shape. The soil in my back yard is so terrible that I grow all my citrus in wine barrel planters, and they do fine. I had a fairly large Bearss Lime tree in Venice, and it was probably six feet tall, and there was no canopy.

    When I have too many limes, I put them whole in baggies and freeze them that way. Then when I want to use them, I microwave them for 10 seconds or so until they are soft enough. This way I can still get zest from them, which I use in lime pie.

    Lars

  • Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
    10 years ago

    Pretty much all citrus get leaf miners unless you use imacloprid or something like that. They don't kill the tree. Just make it ugly, and it's worse on the younger trees. Big trees have it, but don't show as much.

    What I hate is scale! Alcohol and some elbow grease gets rid of that problem.

    Finding a pest free tree is tough. Figs seem pretty impervious to anything but birds.

    Suzi

  • gregbradley
    10 years ago

    Here is one of my 3 Bears Limes. It was a $9 #5 rescued from Armstrong Nursery's sad looking reject area 2 years ago. I coaxed it back to life and planted it last spring in this 22" square concrete pot on my front walkway in full sun.

    It gave me about 6-7 medium limes last summer, about a dozen more last fall, and 12-15 over the last 30 days or so.

    The one on the north side getting far less sun is making far less fruit as is the one I tortured onto an espalier last fall. By the time they all get going, I'm going to have to find a lot of people that want limes.

  • jenn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That is a nice looking tree, especially considering you brought it back to life.

  • Lars
    10 years ago

    Here's my lime tree, crowded into a wine barrel between a Meyer lemon and a Eureka lemon. It's difficult to see the shape because of the creeping fig behind it, but you get the idea of how close the branches are to the bottom. These planters are on the NW side of the house and far enough from the house to get quite a bit of sun from the south. It's not where we spend any time, except when we are in the hot tub, and so I haven't spend as much time or energy to make it as attractive as the back yard - plus it is concrete and we have to use planters.

    I get more limes than I can use (and I use a lot), and I still have some in the freezer from last season.

    Lars

  • jenn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Lars, it looks very nice in that rain barrel. You live in a cooler zone than I do, so I would need to give it more water. How long has it been in the barrel - did you pot it up gradually? How many hours of sun does it get?

  • Lars
    10 years ago

    Jenn, that tree has been in the planter since Sept or Oct 2012, and so it's not that long. It went straight from the container from HD to the planter, but I do feed it regularly, and I water it lightly twice a week. You are right that it does not get hot where I live, being less than three miles from the beach in a fairly flat area.

    It does not get early morning sun, due to a shadow from the house, but by 9:00 or 10:00 it starts to get sun and gets sun for the rest of the day, except for maybe the last hour or so. I guess it gets an average of 8-10 hours of sun, depending on the time of year, and it get full midday sun.

    I also have a Keffir lime tree, and I use the leaves and lime juice for Thai recipes. It's in a slightly shadier spot and only get 6-8 hours of sun but is still thriving.

    Lars

  • jenn
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you, Lars, for taking the time to answer my questions. Your climate (lucky you!) certainly makes it easier to maintain moisture and prevent the soil from drying out.

  • farmerkevin
    10 years ago

    Here's my baby bearss lime. Put in late last year. It looks kinda sorry but its healthy. It got put in right before winter, and survived.

  • jakkom
    10 years ago

    Mine is rather lopsided, due to a pink cestrum leaning on it from the left! Much more layered
    canopy than our Meyers:
    {{gwi:511483}}