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Buddha's Hand on sale!

floridajane
15 years ago

Citrus alert! Just got back from Lowe's in Estero: Buddha's Hand on sale for $5 bucks! ...And key lime, and pink lemonade, and sambokan lemon... lots of citrus! The plants looked good, too; a little leaf miner here and there, but nothing drastic. Well-shaped trees to boot.

So now the big question: does anyone have any experience with Buddha's Hand? It looks fabulous in the pictures, but I want to be sure this guy is going to behave before I put him near my doorway in the front yard.

Thanks in advance!

Jane

Comments (11)

  • gcmastiffs
    15 years ago

    BH is fun to grow! The trees grow very quickly, and tend to fruit at a small size. Mine are potted, and under 3' tall. So, expect those gnarly, twisted fingered fruits soon after flowering. Mine are loaded with large fruits now, they flowered in the spring.

    They are interesting, aromatic, but unless you know how to "candy" fruits, they are not really usefull.

    I still like mine, and bring the weird fruits to work to scent the restrooms(G).

    Lisa

  • bihai
    15 years ago

    I have hands on mine right now

  • floridajane
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Oh, how exciting! I'm looking forward to seeing the tree full of those wild hands!

    Does the tree fill out to look like a regular (albeit small) citrus? The one I picked up is very upright.

    Thanks!
    Jane

  • kelpie473
    15 years ago

    I better go look at our Lowe's! Candying citrus is easy, more time and sugar consuming than hard and not easy to resist when you make it yourself... Suzanne

  • piri
    15 years ago

    The Lowes in Sanford didn't have any, but I did buy a "coctail" of meyer lemon and key lime in the same pot for only $15! Yay!

  • junkyardgirl
    15 years ago

    I can't even get the trees I have to bear! I'm all for cutting down all but the Meyer Lemon and the Valencia, maybe leave the kumquat and key lime.

  • nativemel
    15 years ago

    A friend told me that you could "fool" a citrus tree into bearing fruit at a young age by planting the entire pot in the ground (after drilling holes into the side of the pot so the roots can escape a little).

    Could someone please explain to me what happens to the plant when you plant it in the pot, why this would encourage younger plants to fruit, and whether this planting method would tend to shorten the plant's life?

  • ladybarber101
    15 years ago

    Regency Lowes here in jax has them for $9.50 as well.

  • xentar_gw
    15 years ago

    I find citrus fruiting in their pots all of the time at lowes, home depot, ace, and various other nurseries. It's strange that when you actually plant them in to the ground, it's sometimes two or three years before you see the first fruit.

    My only guess as to why they bloom in their pots is because they've been in the pots at least two years. You also have to remember that the trees grafts could be from hundreds of year old parent stock. So, they're already mature from the getgo.

    When in the pot for so long, their roots have established, they've usually been in perfect conditions with fertilizer, light, soil amendments, and water. When you take them out of the pots, you disturb the roots, and they have to re-establish, in most cases, less than perfect conditions. The roots and trees have to get use to different temperatures, different light, soil, and everything.

    When I talk about a plant getting established, I'm usually talking about root growth more than anything. Have you ever noticed that some plants, when you place them in the ground, may take up to two years before they start growing? This is because the roots are getting use to the soil and conditions in the area.

    It's like if you lived in Florida all of your life but moved to Siberia.. It would take you awhile to get use to the different climate :/

    "A friend told me that you could "fool" a citrus tree into bearing fruit at a young age by planting the entire pot in the ground (after drilling holes into the side of the pot so the roots can escape a little).

    Could someone please explain to me what happens to the plant when you plant it in the pot, why this would encourage younger plants to fruit, and whether this planting method would tend to shorten the plant's life?"

  • happy_fl_gardener; 9a, near DeLand
    15 years ago

    Citrus plants in pots tend to get potbound, especially the full sized varieties. Planting the tree in the ground potted will only cause the roots to grow in a circle before being able to bust out of the pot. A plant with a poor root system, especially if it is done on purpose is never a good idea.

    It will fruit sooner in a pot because the energy that it would be using to make a good root system is used to make fruit instead.

    Xentar---When small citrus trees have fruit on them it is because the nurseries over fertilize with bloom booster formulations because trees with fruit sell better. If left up to the plant it would not be so willing to fruit that young. It takes a lot of the plant's energy to produce fruit. So, the bigger the tree size the better.

    Your answer is yes, this planting method will shorten the tree's life if the root system gets damaged by growing in circles trying to get out of the pot. It would be best to be patient and let it grow naturally.

  • hongzhaopga_gmail_com
    12 years ago

    Hey, I live in south florida, I have been looking for buddha hand plant and love to have one. I appreciate if any one can direct me to buy one in florida.

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