Growing Australian lime
Growing exotic fruits on the windowsill has become a common practice for city dwellers. Citrus fruits are grown at home: lemons, oranges, tangerines. One of the most popular types of citrus fruits is not at all similar to its closest relatives. This is Australian Finger Lime.
Growing Australian lime
Plant name
The Australian finger lime got its name from its elongated shape. It is also called "fingerlame" (from the English finger - "finger"). The most favorable conditions for this plant are the climate of Australia and warm countries. Finger lime began to be cultivated on an industrial scale only in 2000.
Now this species is of commercial interest to the whole world.
Appearance
After the shoot has turned into a tree, its health is monitored. A healthy finger lime bush looks like this:
- height up to 6 m, shrub or tree;
- oval leaves, up to 4 cm in length;
- on the stem there are sharp thorns, which, in strong winds, harm the fruits of the finger lime;
- flowers reach 1.5 cm;
- flowering period - from late summer to mid-autumn.
Australian limes produce unusual fruits. They have an elongated shape, up to 12 cm in length, up to 3 cm in diameter. They have a rough skin and a peculiar pulp structure.
Finger lime pulp resembles fish roe or pomegranate seeds without pits. Ripe fruits with sourness, bright citrus scent and notes of pine needles, unripe bitter.
The color of the surface of the fruit can be different: red, green, yellowish, pink, crimson. The color of the flesh does not always match the color of the skin. One of the rich red varieties received the title of bloody.
The crop is frozen at a temperature of –18 ° C, stored for up to 6 months.
Growing rules
An exotic tree can be grown from seeds
To grow an exotic fruit at home, it needs to create an appropriate microclimate. The optimum temperature for the emergence of the plant is the usual summer temperature and from 8 ° C to 16 ° C in winter. The fruit is resistant to short-term temperature drops.
In Australia, finger limes are propagated by cuttings, planted in the ground. Many were able to achieve the growth of a tree from seed in a home environment. It is better to plant seeds in the spring.
Useful tips for those who want to grow an exotic tree:
- A few seeds of the fruit are placed at a shallow depth in nutritious loose soil without excessive acidity and watered well. Further, watering is carried out every day, in winter, humidification is carried out as necessary.
- Set up the light mode. There should be a lot of light, but not direct rays. In the spring-autumn period, the tree is exposed to the open air.
- Organic fertilizers are applied. This accelerates the growth of the shoot, has a positive effect on the yield of finger lime.
- Compulsory treatment is carried out against spider mites and scale insects. Because of these parasites, the tree dies. To avoid the appearance of pests, the room is ventilated, dust is removed from the leaves with a damp cloth.
Growing a tree from seeds is a long and painstaking process.The first fruits after planting are obtained only after a few years, at least after 3 years.
Conclusion
Getting finger lime fruit at home is not easy. They are used in cooking for the preparation of sauces, marinades, confectionery.
Limes look spectacular as an element of decoration. It is also consumed with alcoholic beverages. Its fruits are low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals. Most of the export of this fruit goes to Europe and Asia.