Kaffir Lime Care – Where to Plant
by Kasma Loha-unchit
10. Planter or Ground: Which is Best?
Like other big plants, a kaffir lime tree would probably do better planted in the ground than in a planter. The roots have more room to spread out and grow deeper to support proportional top growth, thereby allowing the tree to reach its full potential. Because the roots are not above ground like in a planter, they are more protected from winter cold as well as extreme summer heat. A larger root system is likely to produce a healthier plant that can withstand occasional bouts of adverse environmental conditions better than one grown in a planter. Overall care could be easier as the tree would require less frequent watering and feeding and is also less likely to be over-watered. It can be easily placed on an automatic irrigation system along with other plants in the same border, such as drip irrigation or soaker hoses. Proper siting in the garden may give your ground plant better air circulation to prevent insect and disease problems than one in a patio container close to a wall, solid fence or other structures which may block air flow.
So if there's room in your garden and the soil in your garden is fairly loamy and well-drained (or can be easily amended with organic compost to improve drainage as well as moisture retention), then you might want to consider working the kaffir lime tree into your landscaping. Planted among other plants with similar needs, it can grow into a beautiful tree (or bushy shrub if you prune it down to size) with shiny dark green leaves and attractive fruits.
But if you have little garden space or none at all save for the deck or patio, you can successfully grow a kaffir lime tree in a planter by taking special care in seeing that all its basic needs are met. Growing in a container gives you the advantage of being able to move it around to showcase the plant where you wish it, or move it to a shadier place in the summer and a more sheltered location during the winter to protect it from the cold. But you will need to exercise care not to over-water and to feed it regularly as the roots are confined and cannot reach out for nutrients in garden soil supplied by organic matter, micro-organisms and worms.
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