How to Grow Lime
Citrus aurantiifolia
Grow lime trees in containers with citrus compost and good drainage — they are more cold-sensitive than lemons and need the warmest, brightest position you can provide. Move outdoors to a sheltered sunny patio from June to September and bring inside well before the first frost to a bright room at 10-15°C. Feed with citrus fertiliser every two to four weeks in the growing season and mist leaves regularly in dry indoor air.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Citrus fertiliser every 2–4 weeks during the growing season. Reduce in winter.
Watch For
- Scale insects
- Mealybug
- Red spider mite
- Leaf drop from cold draughts
Companions
Basil, Lavender, Marigolds
Track your Lime care schedule — pruning, feeding, and seasonal tasks
Start planning freeCare Requirements
☀️ Light
Full sun, brightest position, outdoors in summer
Full sun in the brightest position available. Move outdoors to a sunny, sheltered patio from June to September. Limes need more warmth and light than lemons.
💧 Watering
Freely in summer, reduced in winter, mist in dry air
Water freely in summer, allowing the top few centimetres to dry between waterings. Reduce in winter but never let the compost dry out completely. Mist leaves in dry indoor air.
🌱 Fertilizing
Citrus fertiliser every 2-4 weeks, spring to autumn
Feed with a specialist citrus fertiliser every two to four weeks from spring to autumn. Reduce to monthly in winter. Yellowing leaves often indicate a need for feeding.
✂️ Pruning
Light spring pruning, remove dead wood and suckers
Prune lightly in spring to remove dead wood, crossing branches, and to shape. Remove any suckers from below the graft union. Limes respond well to light shaping.
❄️ Overwintering
Indoors before frost, bright cool room 10-15°C
Bring indoors before the first frost to a bright, cool room at 10-15°C. Limes are more cold-sensitive than lemons and drop leaves readily in cold draughts.
Growing Tips
Warmest and brightest spot
Limes need more warmth and light than lemons. Give them the brightest position available and avoid cold draughts, which cause rapid leaf drop.
Mist to prevent spider mite
Mist leaves regularly when growing indoors to combat the dry air of heated rooms. Red spider mite thrives in dry conditions and limes are especially susceptible.
Consistent citrus feeding
Feed with specialist citrus fertiliser every two to four weeks from spring to autumn. Reduce to monthly in winter but do not stop entirely.
Water carefully year-round
Water freely in summer, allowing the top few centimetres to dry between waterings. Reduce in winter but never let the compost dry out completely.
Pick green or yellow
Pick limes when fully green and glossy for sharp flavour, or leave on the tree to yellow for a sweeter taste. They store well on the branch.
Pests & Diseases
Pest Scale Insects
Identification: Small brown or white bumps on stems and leaf undersides, sticky honeydew and sooty mould
- Wipe off with a cloth dipped in soapy water
- Introduce parasitic wasps as biological control under glass
- Apply plant oil-based winter wash to dormant stems
Pest Mealybug
Identification: White cottony masses in leaf axils and on stems, sticky honeydew
- Dab with a cotton bud soaked in methylated spirit
- Introduce Cryptolaemus ladybird as biological control
- Spray with fatty acid or plant oil-based insecticide
Pest Red Spider Mite
Identification: Fine webbing on leaf undersides, stippled yellowing leaves, tiny mites visible with a hand lens
- Increase humidity by misting regularly
- Introduce predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis
- Spray with fatty acid-based miticide
Disease Root Rot Phytophthora spp.
Symptoms: Yellowing leaves, leaf drop, wilting despite moist soil, dark mushy roots
Treatment: Remove from pot, trim rotten roots, repot in fresh free-draining compost. Reduce watering
Prevention: Use loam-based compost with added grit. Ensure pots have good drainage. Water only when top few cm are dry
Disease Sooty Mould
Symptoms: Black powdery coating on leaves and fruit, growing on honeydew from sap-sucking insects
Treatment: Wipe off with a damp cloth. Control the underlying pest problem
Prevention: Monitor for and control sap-sucking pests promptly
Popular Varieties
Key (Mexican), Persian (Tahiti), Kaffir (Makrut), Finger Lime (Australian), Bearss
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 400 cm |
| Row spacing | 450 cm |
| Mature height | 300 cm |
| Mature spread | 250 cm |
Semi-dwarf varieties 3-4m apart. Dwarf/container 2-3m. Standard trees need 5-6m.
Log Lime in your garden — track growth, care, and harvests year after year
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