Citrus Season

Citrus season is upon us! If you ever wondered why stockings were filled with oranges, I know I did when I was little, it's because this is the time when it's easiest to get a good orange or grapefruit. Lemons and other small citrus is a little easier around the year but are still easer now.
Leaves of course are a year round thing and so the thai basil noodles my wife likes so much don't have a season but that's neither here nor there. Maybe it should be here...

Lemon Tree Died

Ok, it's official, the lemon tree has died. I left it out this winter in hopes that it might survive and be a super hardy lemon tree. It didn't happen but I don't feel too bad about it. I was out and about today and saw a citrus tree that had to be fifteen years old or more. The trunk was thick and had many branches. It was dead. The frost probably hit it pretty hard this last winter as it did a lot of trees in the area. Good news... The kaffir lime tree lives! Of course I kept it inside and under a grow light with plenty of water and babying but I really really like it.

Kaffir Lime Tree Update

So far the little tree hasn't gotten a whole lot bigger but it's still growing. It's hiding between the plumeria and the lantana.
This winter it's coming inside and sitting in the study unil the last frost. Then I'm going to get it a brand new pot, wither 5 or 10 gallon, for it to spread it's roots and have a chance to really thrive.
The next plant I want to get is a couple buddah's hands. Since seeds from these are rare I'm going to have to find a way to get them live. Living in Texas that's going to be hard because of the import ban on many plants from other states. The Triffid Ranch is my first place to look. They did a post about cooking it once, I think recently, but I havn't had a chance to call them up and ask.

Lemon and Kaffir Lime Trees

If you look at the Gardener's Watch blog (http://gardentimeline.blogspot.com) you can see this little tree from it's beginnings. It was the only one out of three in this same pot that sprouted. Now it's thigh high. You can see several places where I have already taken som leaves to use in cooking. I prefer the shredded method. The leaves aren't that tough especially when they've cooked down a little. I believe I will need to get another one started soon though if I want any fruit. I'm not sure if it will cross with the other citrus in the area very well but it might. It would be nice to be able to propagate them though without having to find more seeds or plants.

My oldest, a lemon tree, sits in the back yard at the moment near the onion bed. It needs a little more sun and water than it has been getting so I might have to move it up front where the kaffir lime sits. There are other citrus plants in the area in other yards so there shouldn't be any problem with fruiting once it starts to flower.

I'll probably need to repot it soon so it has more room to grow. I hope to keep it 6-8 feet tall unless I get around to building a large greenhouse. Then who knows how big it may get.