Lidl Citrus trees

[farendwoman]

Bought a little Calamondin from Lidl this year. Was only £1.99 or £2.99 - can’t remember which.
Anyway it’s now a lovely, glossy plant with three little fruits on it. (Three others have dropped off.)
I know it’ll take a while to catch up but when I compare the Lidl price with the ones on sale from a leading plant/seed catalogue ....... well!
I won’t name the company, but they list them at £34.99.
I shall certainly be ready to pounce next time Lidl offer citrus trees.

[chillithyme]

Your plant has some lovely glossy leaves on it, definately a well sought bargain my friend
I have a potted calamondin and larger lemon tree from lidl too,i get about 5 lemons off of it around Christmas time, the calamondins produce all year round. I keep them indoors on a windowsill, away from radiators. The flowers smell divine when they get going

[Jimny14]

This was a lidl lemon tree, was bought as a bit bigger specimen than yours about 4 or 5 years ago. Between the orangery in winter and the patio in summer it's doing OK, has lost some leaves this spring but is putting on new growth, I tend to limit it to growing a couple of fruit at a time as if it has many more some tend to abort when they're already swelling and I think it's a waste of the plants energy.

[farendwoman]

Thanks chillithyme and jimny14
Looks like we all did well with our Lidl bargains.
Shall cherish it and move it indoors as directed.

[Two_Sheds]

You can get some good buys. Conversely, they sell plums on blackthorn stock, and apart from the vicious thorns the trees grow too tall to pick any fruit

[Two_Sheds]

As Chillithyme notes, Calamondin oranges need a minimum winter night temperature of 13°C (55°F).

Centrally-heated rooms are not ideal for citrus as they are generally too hot, lack humidity and light. (RHS advice)

[farendwoman]

Dunno where I’m going to put it then!
On the same theme, I’ve just ordered some “Caviar Lime” seeds from China.
(Yes, I know, late night, glass of wine, eBay!)
Ever hopeful I guess!
A couple of years ago I got some Kaffir Lime seeds, again from eBay, and although they’re only about two and a half inches tall, they’re doing ok.

[devonuk]

I overwinter calamondins (and tangerines, lemons, chinotto, kumquat) in a cold greenhouse. Everything survived overnight exposure to -3.7C during the March cold snap. Flowering and fruiting were inhibited for all varieties except the calamondin which is now bearing 2 generations of this year's fruit.

[Ocelot]

I overwintered a kumquat in my bathroom last year (on the window sill), thinking the humidity and light would be good for it. However, all the leaves fell off by spring, and have only just come back now. I think I'll put it with my lemongrass this winter, which get more light.

[Kirk]

My lime has been sat in the spare room on the window sill now for 3 years. Radiator is turned off and the window is West facing.

It is happy, maybe too happy. Last year 23 limes, this year I can count 15, and a few will be hiding. Actually need to repot it into something bigger but don't really want to lose the limes.

So Papaya and Lime and Marscapone Lime cheesecake.

Would like to know what is pollinating them, must be self fertile but it is the "what" part I cannot work out.

You could find that moving the thing is a cause for leaf loss. That was why I ceased moving my lime outside. Each time it moved leaves were thrown all over the place. Eventually I decided to leave it in one place and keep whatever leaves were present.

[farendwoman]

My lime has been sat in the spare room on the window sill now for 3 years. Radiator is turned off and the window is West facing.

It is happy, maybe too happy. Last year 23 limes, this year I can count 15, and a few will be hiding. Actually need to repot it into something bigger but don't really want to lose the limes.

So Papaya and Lime and Marscapone Lime cheesecake.

Would like to know what is pollinating them, must be self fertile but it is the "what" part I cannot work out.

You could find that moving the thing is a cause for leaf loss. That was why I ceased moving my lime outside. Each time it moved leaves were thrown all over the place. Eventually I decided to leave it in one place and keep whatever leaves were present.

That’s amazing Kirk. You talk about repotting it - how big is the pot that it’s in at the moment?