Persian (Bearss) Lime Tree

Advice

Persian “Bearss” lime trees are best grown outdoors where they can get full sunlight but can be taken indoors if the temperature gets too cold in your area. An in-ground dwarf Persian lime tree can grow as tall as 10 feet but with prudent pruning you can keep it at a desirable 6 feet height. Its flowers bloom from Spring/fall and produces fruit during fall/spring. Also, since it is a tropical fruit, it needs to be protected from cold weather especially when the temperature drops below 30 degrees.

How do you prune a Bearss Persian lime tree? Snip away any brown, dead or diseased branches at a 45-degree angle using sharp pruning shears to make a smooth cut. These branches will only take away the nutrients much needed by the healthier parts of the tree. Cut leggy looking limbs to allow ventilation at the center of the tree and to let in more light to pass thru between the branches.

Watering the Persian lime tree/strong> is highly dependent on the weather condition in your area. During summer, you can water it 2-3 times a week to keep the roots moist. Make sure to allow the upper inch of the soil to dry out before the next watering. Reduce watering as winter approaches to prevent growth (young sprouts get easily damaged in cooler temperature).

Pests and Diseases

There are a couple of pests that could cause major problems for Bearss lime tree.

There is the citrus red mite and broad mite that could heavily infest the Persian lime leaves and fruit causing the leaves to have necrosis, prematurely fall and dieback.

There are biological (Euseius stipulates) and chemical (pesticides) controls you can use to effectively regulate or prevent widespread colonization of citrus and broad mites.

Persian lime trees can also suffer from black sooty mold caused by aphid infestation. Aphids alone can cause minimal damage. However, they excrete a sticky substance called honeydew that the black sooty mold feeds on. Black sooty molds can hinder the tree growth and kill the leaves.

To stop the growth of black sooty molds, you need to stop the spread of aphids. You can either use a concoction of mild household detergent mixed with water or use pre-mixed insecticidal soap. Another method to get rid of aphids is to encourage the nesting of bug eating birds like chickadees and wrens.

Scales and leaf miners are another citrus tree pest to look for, and they can cause serious harm to your lime trees. Getting rid of these 2 pests is imperative to make the plants look better and improve their overall health. The most common method to rid your plant of leaf miners is the use of pesticide. You can also use horticultural oils or a biological control like Diglyphus isaea wasp which you can buy from reputable nurseries.

Scales can be controlled by disposing of infected branches, twigs or leaves. You can also buy natural predators like ladybugs and lacewings that prey on scales while it is in the larval or crawler stage. There are also horticultural oils and insecticidal soaps you can use to control scales.