How to Grow Sweet Lime
Citrus limetta
Grow sweet limes in containers with citrus compost and good drainage. They are more cold-sensitive than regular limes 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 12-18°C. Feed with citrus fertiliser every two weeks in the growing season. The fruit is sweet and low-acid, prized as a juice fruit in South Asia.
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Citrus fertiliser every 2 weeks during the growing season (March to September). Reduce to monthly in winter.
Watch For
- Scale insects
- Mealybug
- Citrus leaf miner
- Leaf drop from cold draughts
Companions
Basil, Lavender, Marigolds
Pet Safety
Care 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. Sweet limes need more warmth than regular limes.
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 regularly in dry indoor air.
Fertilizing
Citrus fertiliser every 2 weeks, March to September
Feed with a specialist citrus fertiliser every two weeks from March to September. 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. Sweet limes respond well to light shaping.
Overwintering
Indoors before frost, bright warm room 12-18°C
Bring indoors before the first frost to a bright, warm room at 12-18°C. Sweet limes are more cold-sensitive than regular limes and drop leaves readily in cold draughts.
Growing Tips
Warmest position of all citrus
Sweet limes need more warmth than any other citrus. Give them the brightest, warmest position available and never expose to temperatures below 10°C.
Mist to prevent leaf drop
Mist leaves regularly when growing indoors. Sweet limes are particularly prone to leaf drop in dry heated air.
Consistent citrus feeding
Feed with specialist citrus fertiliser every two weeks from March to September. Sweet limes are heavy feeders during fruit development.
Patience with fruit ripening
Fruit takes approximately four months from set to harvest. Pick when pale yellow-green and slightly soft to touch. The juice is sweet with very low acidity.
Consistent watering year-round
Water freely in summer but reduce in winter. Never let the compost dry out completely — sweet limes shed leaves quickly when stressed.
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 Citrus Leaf Miner
Identification: Silvery serpentine trails inside young leaves, curled and distorted new growth
- Remove and destroy affected leaves
- Hang yellow sticky traps near new growth
- Spray with neem oil when new growth appears
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
Spacing & Planting
| Plant spacing | 500 cm |
| Row spacing | 550 cm |
| Mature height | 500 cm |
| Mature spread | 350 cm |
Standard trees 5-6m apart. Container culture 2-3m apart.
