There’s no challenge quite like choosing to grow your own fruits and veggies. When you succeed, though, you get to enjoy the literal fruits of your labor and a tasty snack.
But sometimes, growing plants doesn’t go smoothly. There are all kinds of diseases, pests, and other issues each plant can be vulnerable to, including lime trees.
One thing that citrus plants are particularly susceptible to is splitting. If you’re wondering why your limes are splitting on the tree, we’ll help you get to the bottom of it.
Quick Answer: Why are My Limes Splitting on the Tree?
Lime trees can be a little fussy. There are a few factors that can cause their fruits to split, and most of them you can’t prevent completely.
Droughts, changes in the soil moisture levels (such as overwatering after forgetting to water), and heavy rainfall are all common causes of splitting limes. These trees also don’t like humidity, because they can absorb too much moisture and then split open as a result.
Read Also: Why are Limes Picked Green?
How to Prevent Your Limes from Splitting
You can’t exactly prevent a drought, humidity, or rainfall…but you can control your response to these conditions.
At the core, it’s important to keep in mind that lime trees like to have soil that’s always a little moist – not waterlogged. So if you know there’s going to be a drought, make sure you go out and water your lime trees regularly.
Related Article: Why are Limes Picked Green?
On the opposite side, consider rainstorms. Check your weather forecasts frequently and prepare to respond to changes in the weather. If you know there’s going to be a large amount of rain, then you can anticipate not having to water the lime tree beforehand.
Set reminders for yourself so that you don’t forget to water the tree at other times. This will prevent fluctuations in soil moisture that can also lead to the fruit splitting.
In the end, however, the greatest way to ensure your lime tree always has the ideal conditions is to grow it in a container. That way, you can move it around whenever necessary.
Wrap Up
Splitting is a pretty common problem for citrus trees of all kinds, lime trees included. Generally, it occurs for reasons outside of your control, such as droughts or heavy rainfall.
There are some ways you can respond to weather conditions that could cause your limes to split. Ultimately, it comes down to ensuring your tree gets the right amount of water – too little and too much can both cause splitting.
Remember to keep the soil around your lime tree moist (but not soaked), and you’ll have done a lot to prevent splitting from ever occurring.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
