My mistake....I amended w phosphorus rich soil.

Are you sure its a lime tree? Also high P can build up over time in your soil and cause problems. Did you test your soil for NPK first to know that you should of added the P? Maybe your picking them too early? Or maybe its a grapefruit tree?

Basketball sized limes seem pretty large (and cool). I would like to see that! Imagine the size of corona beer needed to accommodate a lime that big!

Sounds like a Pomelo to me! Not a lime possibly?

First things first... post some photos so we can get an idea of what you have...

Do you know what variety of lime you have, what rootstock it is grafted to, where do you live? Is it planted inground or in container?
Simple stuff like that... there are people here with a lot of experience, very willing to help you; but you are asking for advice given in the dark.

Without knowing anything else, I can tell you that the number one cause of thick skins is too much Phosphorus.

Help us with details, we will help you with advice.

shakell, this sure doesn't sound like a lime to me. Please post photos of the tree, the graft line on the trunk (so we know you're not just growing rootstock and the graft has died), the leaves and the fruit. Cut a fruit in half and take a photo of that as well. Sounds like possibly your graft has died, and what you're actually growing is just rootstock.

Patty S.

u'll have to upload your pics to a photo hosting site, like imageshack or photobucket. then link the HTML code, not the forum/bbc code.

Actually, we now have a new feature here in the "Post a follow up" section, called "Image file to upload"; but I think it only works for one foto.

oh wow, i did not notice that at all. lol

My lime tree is the same way. It is all rind and very little meat to it. If it is already planted in the ground do I have to dig it up to add phosphorus to the soil.

Looks like root stock fruit to me. Do you have pictures of the tree itself also, the whole tree, some of the leaves and a close up of the lower part of the trunk about halfway down and where it goes into the soil.

Was it supposed to be a dwarf lime? Dwarf limes are grafted to either Trifoilate or Cuban Shaddock. This fruit looks more like a Cuban Shaddock fruit.

Like John Merr said earlier on this thread, back in 2012, "First things first... post some photos so we can get an idea of what you have...

Do you know what variety of lime you have, what rootstock it is grafted to, where do you live? Is it planted inground or in container?"

All that will help us help you. You can also start your own new thread, that way you can track answers on your email if you'd like. Plus some people won't read an old thread.