How to Grow Kaffir Limes
If you enjoy food from Indonesia you have likely tasted kaffir lime leaves. Citrus hystrix is native to tropical Asia, but you can grow them in your home garden if you protect them from winter frost. Kaffir lime leaves are often an exotic addition to soups and other dishes made in Thailand and the cuisines of Laos, Cambodia and other countries in that part of the world. Kaffir limes lend themselves well to container gardening, so if you live in a cooler climate, never fear--you can move your plant indoors when fall approaches. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Kaffir lime plant
- 5-gallon pot
- Potting soil
- Compost
- Perlite or vermiculite (optional)
- Shovel
- Water
Instructions
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1
Purchase a healthy young kaffir lime tree and an attractive pot at the nursery.
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2
Mix one shovelful of compost into the potting mix, and if you want, also add some perlite or vermiculite to help retain moisture in the soil.
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3
Fill the pot about three-fourths full with a potting mix combination.
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4
Remove the kaffir lime tree from its nursery pot and gently loosen its roots.
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5
Place the plant into the pot, spreading the roots a bit over the surface of the potting mix. Then fill the pot with additional potting mix and compost that you have combined earlier.
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6
Gently tap down the soil around the base of the plant.
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7
Water your new plant thoroughly and place it in an area that gets plenty of sun.
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Tips & Warnings
When the weather starts to get cooler in the fall, move the lime into a protected area, greenhouse, or indoors by a window that gets plenty of light.
Fertilize the kaffir lime the same as you do other citrus, with a balanced fertilizer designed for citrus.
The zest, or peel of the fruit is sometimes used in creole cooking.
Look for recipes for "Tom Yum Soup"--kaffir lime leaves are an important ingredient and it is truly delicious.
Kaffir lime leaves can be tough and inedible, so to avoid this problem but retain the wonderful flavor they add to your recipe, make a small "bouquet garni" bag out of cheesecloth and place several cut-up leaves into it and then add this bag to your dish during cooking.
