Growing Lime Trees [ Bay Area, CA]

My backyard currently has a Bearss lime tree here in Oakland, CA. I'd love one or two more types to use in drinks. What other varieties do you recommend that grow well?

Thanks,
Dr_Ow

That's the Tahitian or Persian lime which is the standard for most exotic cocktails now days. You are very lucky! Before I got into exotic cocktails I planted a lemon tree which is great for whiskey cocktails but now that I'm into rum a lime tree would have been better. The original lime tree for cocktails was the key lime (also known as the bartender's lime). That would be my second choice.

That is the same lime tree I have. It needs a lot of water and quite a bit of fertilizer. But it is great at producing fruit.

But I live south of you and it is the only lime tree that I have so I do not have any recommendations for you.

If a key lime will grown in your area, I'd suggest that. Key limes are also known as bartender limes for good reason.

Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like I'll be getting a key lime next!

Has anyone tried a Limetta?

https://www.fourwindsgrowers.com/our-citrus-trees/lime/limetta.html

Dr_Ow

Not sure about Key Limes being called "bartender limes," honestly don't recall having heard that before. Most folks tell me that Key limes are more tart than other varieties and better-suited to uses other than cocktails, for example, in baking. :)

I had to replace a pre-existing lime tree about 3 years ago which died due to some sort of root problem that developed. Got into a brief email discussion with The Bum about what kind of lime tree to get for cocktail purposes and I eventually settled on a Persian lime with benefit of his input. The tree started producing fruit last season - third year in the ground - and the fruits have same size and appearance and flavor as what I encounter in bars. The flavor of the juice may be dependent on soil and climate, but still, choosing an appropriate variety for your intended purpose is important and worth researching. The Persian lime has some benefits of hardiness and resistance to a variety of pests and climate issues, and produces good fruit from the standpoint of flavor and juice production when squeezed. I live in Northeast Florida where we get warm summers and brief but cold winters with some sub-freezing temps. I do cover my young trees during times when hard freezes are expected. I often hear it said that the cold temps "help" with the development of flavors in citrus fruits, but I'm not sure there is any truth in that.

Getting back to Key limes and comparing them to Persian limes, I would say that problems with soil, how they are watered, fertilized and exposed to climate issues can also make Persians undesirable. This is probably true for any fruit tree. I do take the time to add citrus fertilizer twice a year or so and it's never seemed to hurt, and it is very inexpensive to do so.

So, in a nutshell, your mileage may vary. Research is important before you settle on any particular variety. Keep in mind that it can take a few years before a new tree begins producing fruit, so take the time to choose your variety carefully. Talk to your local nurseries and your local agricultural extension office. Having said all that, if you have the space to do so, it's ok to buy more than one variety and see how it goes.

http://www.gardenguides.com/98657-key-lime-tree-bear-fruit.html

Key limes may also be known as West Indian limes, Mexican limes or bartender's limes.

http://www.midweekkauai.com/the-key-to-fresh-kauai-limes/

Mexican limes, also called West Indian limes, Chinese limes, acid limes, bartender’s limes and Key limes, are more flavorful and interesting than the larger Tahitian lime. They are very tart and have a complex, spicy aroma.

"I am Lono!" -- Hale Ka'a Tiki Lounge

[ Edited by: arriano 2013-05-06 08:44 ]

The Persian lime and Tahitian lime are alternate names for the Bearss lime: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_lime . They are the same lime, developed around 1895 in California. That article also compares them to their predecessor, the Key lime.

I believe the Key lime was known as the Bartender's lime mostly due to its ready availability during the pre-Prohibition years. Other names for the Key lime are West Indian lime, Bartender’s lime, Omani lime, and Mexican lime: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_lime .

I've used Key limes in cocktails in my quest to reproduce the old classics. My motto is "Cocktails allow us to smell the smells and taste the tastes of far away places and long forgotten times." Key limes are definitely more tart than Persian limes so you may need to cut back a bit. These days my Key lime usage in cocktails is limited to my yellow/green bottle of Nellies Key lime juice (readily available at grocery stores) which i keep on hand for those rare occasions when i don't have fresh limes. It is the best bottled lime juice that I've found.

[ Edited by: TropicDrinkBoy 2013-05-06 09:09 ]

Here is a good reference on growing Key lime trees: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-mexican-lime-tree-44337.html .

Wow, once again Tiki Central members come together to contribute a wealth of additional and very helpful information.

This really is better than doing work while at work, hahaha...!!

Seriously, I appreciate everyone's willingness to share info. It is very helpful to me because I am in the process now of shopping for three additional citrus trees -- lemon, lime, grapefruit -- to plant before we get too much further into our summer season.

iirc there are a few threads here where we discussed key v. persian in some of the classics (am too lazy to search for it)

Here's one of the past Key vs Persian Lime threads that you mentioned

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=24942&forum=10&hilite=limes