Lemon/ Nimboo / Lime: plant description, planting & uses

                              Lemon/ Nimboo / Lime
The mature pant reaches upto 10 to 20 ft in height. The leaves are alternative, reddish when young, become dark-green above, light-green below; are oblong, elliptic or long-ovate, 2 1/2 to 4 1/2 in (6.25-11.25 cm) long. Flowers are fragrant and may be solitary, white on the upper surface (inside), purplish beneath (outside). The fruit is oval and 2 3/4 to 4 3/4 in (7 -12 cm) long.The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world. The juice of the lemon is about 5% to 6% citric acid, with a pH of around 2.2, giving it a sour taste. The distinctive sour taste of lemon juice makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods.


Botanical name: Citrus limon

Family : Rutaceae

Life cycle: Annual

Plant height : 10-20 ft

Leaf Colour: Green

Flower Colour: white

Temperature: 16-35 °C

Light: Full sun/ half sun

Soil: Loamy, sandy

Climate : Tropical, subtropical

Advantage: Easy to grow

Planting & Caring

Citrus trees need a warm or mild climate. so place them in the sunniest part of garden or balcony. Pots must have drainage holes in their base and be elevated slightly off the ground. Water potted citrus two to three times a week, and possibly daily in very hot weather.
Moisten the potting soil so that it is damp, but not soaked, all the way through.
Fill the smaller pot with soil, all the way up to an inch below the rim.
Cut open your lemon and remove a seed.
Do not delay to plant.
Spray the soil that is directly above the seed gently with water from a spray bottle. 

Uses:

Lemon juice, rind, and peel are used in a wide variety of foods and drinks. The whole lemon is used to make lemon curd and lemon liqueur. Lemon slices and lemon rind are used as a garnish for food and drinks. Lemon zest, the grated outer rind of the fruit, is used to add flavor to baked goods, puddings, rice, and other dishes.

The fruit, juice, and peel are used to make medicine.Lemon is used to treat scurvy, a condition caused by not having enough vitamin C. Lemon is also used for the common cold and flu, H1N1 (swine) flu, and kidney stones.