On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 14:02:49 GMT, Lou wrote:

Does anyone have any experience growing the lime leaves used in Thai
cooking? I believe they're called Kaffir in the US. I live in
Florida, so if they're a true citrus lime I can probably grow them.
My grocers don't always have them. Also, any source for the plants
would be greatly appreciated.

I bought one from a local nursery a couple of years ago. Seems like
about that time the nursery industry caught onto the popularity of
more exotic ingredients like Thai basil, galanga, and kaffir lime
leaves and started to carry them.

I just left mine in the 10 gallon pot (hoping to control its growth to
dwarf size) and put it in full sun and well irrigated and it has
thrived without much interference from me.

BTW, I'm located in the Santa Cruz Mountains near San Jose, CA. We get
hot, dry summers and cold, very wet, but short winters (60+ inch
average) so a Kaffir lime should do even better in Florida.

It seems to be a hardy, low maintenance plant.

Lou wrote:

Does anyone have any experience growing the lime leaves used in Thai
cooking? I believe they're called Kaffir in the US. I live in
Florida, so if they're a true citrus lime I can probably grow them.
My grocers don't always have them. Also, any source for the plants
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Lou

It should do fine in Fl.
GOogle for who carries it near you.
One Floridian once posted that they grafted a Kaffir lime branch from a
tree grown by a local restaurant onto another citrus.
California Exotic Fruit Growers Ass. might have more info. Try googling
them.
I'm sure you'll be able to grow one. My Meyer's lemon, up here is damp
Pugetopolis, gets scale bugs every other year. I use SafR Soap and elbow
grease to strip them off, but I do keep a loving eye on the plant.
HTH
blacksalt

Lou wrote:

Does anyone have any experience growing the lime leaves used in Thai
cooking? I believe they're called Kaffir in the US. I live in
Florida, so if they're a true citrus lime I can probably grow them.
My grocers don't always have them. Also, any source for the plants
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Lou

It should do fine in Fl.
GOogle for who carries it near you.
One Floridian once posted that they grafted a Kaffir lime branch from a
tree grown by a local restaurant onto another citrus.
California Exotic Fruit Growers Ass. might have more info. Try googling
them.
I'm sure you'll be able to grow one. My Meyer's lemon, up here is damp
Pugetopolis, gets scale bugs every other year. I use SafR Soap and elbow
grease to strip them off, but I do keep a loving eye on the plant.
HTH
blacksalt

If you're going to grow the lime from seed from a fruit, it will be tall &
thin, not bushy. In SE Asia where these & the other types of limes/citruses
are sold by nursery growers in big pots, these are normally
grafted/marcotted, hence shorter & bushy & they sell well. Very rarely you
see seed grown ones from fruits unless someone's done it themselves in their
garden. I've seen home grown ones & they are tall & skinny, not bushy.

For a short period, kaffir lime leaves were banned in the UK as they were
carrying some sort of disease. I know USA & esp. Florida have pretty strict
rules regarding introducing new species because of your commercial citrus
industry, so maybe check first to see what the situation is where you are.

DC.


"Jed" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 14:02:49 GMT, Lou wrote:

Does anyone have any experience growing the lime leaves used in Thai
cooking? I believe they're called Kaffir in the US. I live in
Florida, so if they're a true citrus lime I can probably grow them.
My grocers don't always have them. Also, any source for the plants
would be greatly appreciated.

I bought one from a local nursery a couple of years ago. Seems like
about that time the nursery industry caught onto the popularity of
more exotic ingredients like Thai basil, galanga, and kaffir lime
leaves and started to carry them.

I just left mine in the 10 gallon pot (hoping to control its growth to
dwarf size) and put it in full sun and well irrigated and it has
thrived without much interference from me.

BTW, I'm located in the Santa Cruz Mountains near San Jose, CA. We get
hot, dry summers and cold, very wet, but short winters (60+ inch
average) so a Kaffir lime should do even better in Florida.

It seems to be a hardy, low maintenance plant.

snip
I have several Kaffir limes growing in my back yard. I can't send you a
plant g, but I can send you some seeds. E-mail me if yer interested.

--
Nick, Cogito, ergo armatum sum

Nick,

How cold does it get where you are in the winter & i'd be interested to know
what you do to protect your Kaffir if it needs any protection from the cold?
Me & Kilty(Graeme) here in the UK, both have young saplings spending their
winters in doors. btw... my 3 saplings aren't kaffir but kalamansi, they're
the miniature limes that you make juice with or add to your sambal chilli
belachan(kapi) sauce.

DC.

"DC." wrote:
snip
I have several Kaffir limes growing in my back yard. I can't send you a
plant g, but I can send you some seeds. E-mail me if yer interested.

--
Nick, Cogito, ergo armatum sum

Nick,

How cold does it get where you are in the winter & i'd be interested to
know what you do to protect your Kaffir if it needs any protection from
the cold?

It rarely gets down to freezing, and then just barely and briefly. Mine are
in the ground with no protection other than the mild weather we have here.

Me & Kilty(Graeme) here in the UK, both have young saplings
spending their winters in doors. btw... my 3 saplings aren't kaffir but
kalamansi, they're the miniature limes that you make juice with or add to
your sambal chilli belachan(kapi) sauce.

You folks have had a miserable summer, DC. Graeme's limes and chiles are
pathetic, but he's not! Have you met him yet?

Wishing you better weather next year,

--
Nick, Cogito, ergo armatum sum
Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps since 10 November 1775!

How to use FOIA to get Military Records at http://www.stolenvalor.com/

Yes ! , I have grown them from seed if you can find the fruit , although the
germination rate is really low , out of 4 limes (20 or more seeds) I got 2
seedlings , but they seem to be thriving here in Florida.
I think these may have been irradiated or somthing or old , and not to
mention most citrus fruits seed won't germinate at all if removed from the
fruit for too long a period.
best thing to do is see if you can find some fruit , remove the seed and
immediatly plant them .....
Best of luck !
Todd
"Lou" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have any experience growing the lime leaves used in Thai
cooking? I believe they're called Kaffir in the US. I live in
Florida, so if they're a true citrus lime I can probably grow them.
My grocers don't always have them. Also, any source for the plants
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Lou

On Sun, 07 Nov 2004 14:02:49 GMT, Lou wrote:

Does anyone have any experience growing the lime leaves used in Thai
cooking? I believe they're called Kaffir in the US. I live in
Florida, so if they're a true citrus lime I can probably grow them.
My grocers don't always have them. Also, any source for the plants
would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Lou

I $0.02 is to look on the internet for a FL nursery that sells them.
Florida, like most citrus producing states, is not very keen to have
unknown citrus shipped into the state.

FWIW, I have one about 12 years old in a 35 Gal nursery container. It
moves from outside to greenhouse each year and has borne fruit for
each of the last 7 years. (No idea how old it was when I got it). I
have several plants from the seeds of the fruit. These plants have
the distinctive kaffir lime leave (hour-glass shaped) and the
wonderful odor. However they have killer thorns, literally 2 inches
long, strong and sharp as a cactus. The "children" stay outside all
year long as they are unpleasant in a crowded greenhouse. So far,
they have survived 25 F with only protection for the roots. Had quite
a bit of damage to the tips of branches, but nothing lasting.

If you can get fruit right off a tree, my experience is that you will
have more plants than you know what to do with. I sent a (one) fresh
fruit to another grower near Houston. He got 35 or so plants from the
single fruit. The fruit, by the way, is useful for zest and seeds,
but produces very little juice.

Good luck.