Citus Lipo, a cross between Citrus limon and Citrus paradisi, growing underneath the skylight in my kitchen (warm, bright but not direct sunlight; it will move into the conservatory later I think, when night-time temperatures improve). And now in full flower, lots of flower. When I brought it home, it shed so many leaves I thought it was done for. A charity sale purchase I wasn’t overly concerned but now I have so many large, deliciously scented flowers, well, there is hope.
Lots of water, more than I was originally willing to allow, seems to be the trick plus citrus feed fertiliser and even a little dilute liquid seaweed. It can tolerate the cold more than many citrus and I might put it outside during June, July & August for a holiday. The t’internet has remarkable little information on the when where and why of it, so will carry on regardless.
The fruits are as big as a grapefruit, maybe a little more yellow tone to the skin and longer (there was a lone fruit, knocked off the plant on the way home but I didn’t think to cut into it until it was quite dehydrated). Fingers crossed for another.
While I am here, a confession. The new conservatory was meant to be a peaceful haven from all of the stuff in the rest of the house – on show, on shelves and groaning in cupboards. Hmm. Current plant inventory:
A three foot tall Begonia luxurians; little pots of spiny aloe and a cactus the colour of heather tweed; Sansevieria (a variegated Mother in law’s tongue); a sky-scraping single rosette of black Aeonium Swartkop; magenta flowered Azalea; a very recently potted Hippeastrum (amaryllis) and a large bowl of muscari, grape hyacinth. And Citrus Lipo….
Great air quality though.
The Teddington Gardener 