Kaffir Lime Care – Planting in the Ground
by Kasma Loha-unchit
12. Planting in the Ground
Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot the plant came in and a few inches deeper. Shovel a generous helping of organic compost into the hole and add back an equal amount of garden soil. Mix well and firm down with your foot. Remove the plant from the pot and place it in the center of the hole. The plant should sit a little above ground level so that when you water it after planting, it will settle down to ground level and not below. If not, add some more soil and compost mixture to the bottom of the hole and tamp it down again.
When the level of the plant in the hole is satisfactory, fill in the hole around the plant with amended garden soil (i.e., garden soil mixed with a generous amount of compost). Firm down the soil around the plant with your hands or foot, then water well to settle the soil. I like to add a few drops of "SUPERthrive!" (a vitamin and hormone booster available at most garden centers) to the water when watering in the plant. This really does help the plant recover from the stress of transplanting.
Some people like to plant their citrus higher above ground level in a mound to improve drainage, especially if their garden soil is clay heavy. If you do this, make sure the crown of the plant does not get covered. Form a little bit of a "trench" (more like a shallow indentation in the soil) at the edge of the mound so that when you irrigate, there is as little run-off as possible. This way your plant will receive the water you intend to give it rather than the soil beyond the plant.
Try to do your planting in the late afternoon when the sun is no longer on the plant, or in the early evening This gives the plant a chance to settle in to the soil before the hot sun hits it the next day. You can also choose to do the planting on an overcast day, or if you simply don't have time to do it but on a sunny day, then it's important that you rig up some kind of shade for the plant immediately after planting and allow the plant to sit out in the shade for the rest of the day. (Read the section "Buy and Plant Your Kaffir Lime Tree During the Warm Months" above for information on acclimating your plant to the location before transplanting.)
Your newly planted kaffir lime tree will probably need more frequent watering until it has completely settled its roots into the garden soil. To encourage deeper root growth as the plant matures, irrigate deeply but less frequently. This will help your kaffir lime tree become more drought tolerant and more able to withstand the stress of heat waves or occasional neglect.
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