Can you grow lime trees here? (St. Augustine: move, yard, best place)

[Robyn55]

The Bearss lime (aka Tahiti - Persian). Robyn

Types of Lime Trees | eHow.com

[EricBoyd]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

How many limes have you gotten off the tree? I had a friend in Miami who had a wonderful Key Lime tree. She always gave me at least 30 or so every year - and I made Key Lime pies . Robyn

It's still pretty small, since we haven't moved it out of the planter pot. But, it's giving up around 25-30/yr.

I forgot to mention, when it got real cold, we were able to move it inside our Florida room, out of the cold.

[Robyn55]

I'll trade you my best Key Lime pie recipe for about 10 Key Limes . Heck - will throw in my Key Lime cookbook! FWIW - if you have a decent pie recipe - you can juice your limes and freeze the exact amount for a single pie in freezer containers. Lime and lemon juice can last almost indefinitely in the freezer. Robyn

[Robyn55]

And you're right - these trees do need some TLC in the winter. Since we have an acre of stuff to take care of - I more or less gave up on the winter TLC for anything a long time ago (apart from anything else - I hated rushing out there in the late afternoon when it was getting cold and covering stuff). If I buy anything that I know is cold sensitive these days - I do so with the understanding that it probably won't last the winter.

As for Jon's friend who runs a space heater outside - those are some pretty expensive Key Limes. And I'd caution him to be careful about running a space heater inside a plant covering of any type. Good way to start a fire. Robyn

[EricBoyd]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

I'll trade you my best Key Lime pie recipe for about 10 Key Limes . Heck - will throw in my Key Lime cookbook! FWIW - if you have a decent pie recipe - you can juice your limes and freeze the exact amount for a single pie in freezer containers. Lime and lemon juice can last almost indefinitely in the freezer. Robyn

I'll keep this in mind. Truth be told, we've yet to use any of them. We pick 'em, but never use them. What a waste, huh?

[Robyn55]

Well juice some and freeze the juice. And I'll pick up the rest and bake you a pie (seriously). Key Lime pie. Labor Day. Works for me. Robyn

[EricBoyd]

After the next harvest, I'll do that. There's nothing to freeze right now.

[jsimms3]

Another tree you should plant that does well here and won't need/too big for covering is a grapefruit tree. It can supply you a year's worth of breakfast Also orange trees have pretty blossoms that smell very good (we have had a lime tree, Persian I think, but I don't recall blossoms like an orange tree and the lime tree is smaller and uglier).

Remember with any citrus there are multiple species and they have varying levels of success here in NE FL, they have different tastes, different sizes, and many species are cross-pollinated to make cross-species like the Meyer Lemon (some type of lemon mixed with some type of orange).

[jsimms3]

Oh forgot to add that with some species like an orange, short and non-harsh freezes are best for the plant because, well I don't know why, but they make for a much better "crop". Some citrus enjoys the cold and far south FL is actually too hot year round for them to grow (hence why Indian River County is the leading county for citrus because it still gets freezes, but is almost guaranteed not to freeze too hard).

[fsquid]

I'm guessing pretty much all citrus doesn't like our winters too much.