Lemons & Limes: North of the Florida Border
Having grown up in south Florida, one thing I miss is fresh citrus - like where you can walk out into the yard and pick directly from the tree. Specifically, Key Limes. A really good Key Lime pie made with fresh squeezed Key Limes that you’ve grown yourself is pretty special.
So during one of our Florida trips, I found enough space in the car to bring back first a small Key Lime tree and then a Meyer Lemon tree. (Yes, I know that Meyer Lemons are hybrids from California, but I couldn’t resist). Once I got them home, I had to figure out what to do with them. Living north of Atlanta, I knew they would never survive in the ground. So into very large containers they went.
Most citrus trees can take some cold temperatures and mild frost; anything more than that can be a death sentence. But citrus trees grown in containers can’t really tolerate any type of cold and must be covered or moved to a warmer location when temperatures drop. Which was totally fine in the beginning when my trees were small - but now they’re about 4 feet tall and in pots that weigh about 100 lbs each!
But I was not about to let that deter me. For the first several years, I moved the pots out to the deck in spring and into our master bath for the winter. Again, this worked well when the plants were small. But as they grew (and when I added a second Meyer Lemon tree and a Frangipani (also called Plumeria) from my Dad’s backyard), the bathroom suddenly seemed to shrink in size. And with the thorns that are characteristic of both Meyer Lemon and Key Lime trees, utilizing the space without getting stabbed became a challenge. Time for a new plan.
Luckily, we have a screened porch. And we’d been talking about some sort of winter protection so that we could use the porch during the winter months. Enter EZ Breeze porch enclosures - light weight vinyl panels that can snap in and out of our existing screen frames. Perfect! A screened porch in the summer and a “sort of” greenhouse in the winter. With the addition of a small portable heater for the most frigid nights, we were set!
And so far, that’s worked. Last year I harvested enough Key Limes for 3 Key Lime pies and enough Lemons to preserve and use in our favorite Old Fashioned recipe.
Although - once again - my citrus has increased in size. We’re a little concerned about actually being able to fit them through the screened door. Not to mention we have to move each plant using a heavy duty hand truck. LOL
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