Finger lime tree (Citrus australasica) - 100-120 cm

Description

Note: also read the points of interest under the heading “shipping”

Known by several names, finger lime is a deliciously exotic and rare citrus fruit native to the tropical part of Australia. Especially special because of its distinctive elongated shape and caviar-like flesh. This makes it a special culinary fruit with many wonderful uses.

These trees are grafted to Volkameriana.

It blooms like a common citrus with delicious often pink fragrant blossoms. The leaves are much smaller than other citrus and the twigs have thorns similar to the lemon.

The fruits grow to be 5-10 cm long and 1-2 cm in diameter. When you cut open the skin, the inside is full of caviar-like globules. The fruit is seedless and the flesh can have different colors, depending on ripening it can be red, pink, yellow, orange and green in color. It is highly aromatic and similar to the fresh taste of lime, a truly delicious delicacy.

The plant is not hardy (zone 11, +2ºC).

Breeding Guide

Legs

Plant the tree outside in a sunny, south-facing, sheltered spot in a pot or in a heated greenhouse. Provide loose soil. Clay soils should be mixed with sand to allow for good drainage. Water once or twice a week in dry conditions. The tree does not like constant wet feet.

In a pot, use free-draining compost, extra perlite or bark to improve drainage. Repot the plant every 1-2 years.

Bloom

When it gets a little warmer outside, flowering will start. However, most of the flowers will fall out after some time. In this way, the plant regulates the number of fruits it can bear maximally. For the first few years, the advice is to remove as many flowers/fruits as possible. This way the plant has more energy to grow. In addition, many of the branches are still too weak to bear fruit.

Maintenance

To promote growth and health we recommend giving citrus or olive tree nutrition. If you choose a liquid variety you will administer nutrition more frequently. Grains need to be applied less frequently. Apply granules in the spring and again in the summer. These are the period when the plant is most active.

The most common pests are aphids and mites. In a garden with a lot of other plants, natural enemies will be plentiful. In addition, you can spray the plant with water and a few drops of dish soap if these pests get too out of control.

In spring, all new shoots grow out. For its shape, you can shorten these for a somewhat more compact plant. However, pruning as with other normal citrus is not as important. It may help to remove crossing branches.

Beware of the sharp spines. These can be removed if they are a hazard.

Harvesting

The plant blooms in the spring. In this summer, the fruits are ripe. It is somewhat difficult to tell when they are ripe. This is by feeling. Afterwards, store the fruits in the refrigerator.

Shipping

The trees are pruned for transport. The trees are then shipped with the utmost care in a large plant box. However, it may happen that a branch breaks. Don't worry, the tree will make new shoots within the few months.

These are large trees they are therefore shipped with a separate DHL shipping service. This usually offers the package twice. Should it fail to deliver the package in these two times, it will be returned. Most pickup locations do not accept the package.