Kaffir Lime Care – Fertilizing Your Plant
by Kasma Loha-unchit
16. Feed Your Plant: It is a Living Thing
Just as you need to eat to live, so does your kaffir lime tree. But unlike you, it doesn't like to gorge itself daily, so take care not to over-fertilize your plant, as this can bring about fast but weak growth that is very susceptible to damage from pests and diseases. Over-feeding, especially with concentrated synthetic fertilizers, can also cause leaf burn and root burn that can show up as dark margins/spots on leaves.
Most nurseries carry a special fertilizer blend for citrus trees. Follow the instructions on the box and your tree should be happy. Some organic blends, such as the "Citrus and Fruit Tree Food" made by E.B. Organics, contain not only the major nutrients nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium that promote lush foliage growth and support bountiful fruit production, but also essential micronutrients and spores of beneficial organisms to stimulate root growth, enhance nutrient absorption and promote drought resilience. Look for them in reputable, well-stocked nurseries and garden centers such as Berkeley Hort (short for Berkeley Horticultural Nursery) in the East Bay.
Citrus generally likes a high nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season (i.e., spring to fall). Many citrus fertilizers let you feed your plant once a month during the growing season to give it a steady supply of the nutrients it needs to put forth growth. Some come as more concentrated, time-release granules for less frequent feeding. It's generally a good idea to stop feeding with a high nitrogen fertilizer when the weather cools in autumn, since you don't want to encourage tender new growth at this time but instead want to direct your tree's energies into shoring up for the cold winter.
Your kaffir lime tree can do just as well on a diet of other well-balanced fertilizers. For instance, the happy tree I have growing in the ground on the side of the house gets fed once a month from spring to fall with the same fertilizer its companions in the same border get. It's a water-soluble seaweed-based fertilizer with numerous micronutrients, called MaxSea, which I dispense with a hose-end sprayer to all my garden plants monthly. My kaffir lime tree loves it just as much as most of the plants in my garden. I literally can see them put forth a growth spurt within a few days of feeding. Some people use fish emulsion with similar success, so it's not essential to buy a specialized fertilizer.
Even if you have followed instructions and fed your plant regularly, there may be occasions when you might need to give it some other special nutrients, which may be lacking or have become depleted from the soil (see following sections). And there may be times when environmental conditions may affect a plant's vital processes that lead to its inability to effectively assimilate nutrients, bringing about worrisome symptoms of nutrient deficiencies.
If you would like a copy of this article in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format for your own personal use, please contact Kasma.
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