Farmer's Market and Key Lime

16 years ago

I got the most wonderful Key Limes at the Farmers Market today under the bridge in downtown Fort Myers. Anyone living in the area has to check them out on Thursdays, only. Along with the limes I got potatoes, fresh corn, baby sweet onions, baby cukes, and asparagus. I could not believe I only spent $6 in the grocery I would have spent 3 times that much for all the produce I brought home.

I am wondering if the key lime seeds will grow true? I remember hearing that limes are the only citrus that grows true. Is this right? The fruit is so sweet and juicy I'd like to grow one or two or 5! These are grown by a farmer just east of Fort Myers. I really enjoyed chatting with him about his commercial eggplant business too.

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Comments (18)

msmarion
16 years ago
Cindee isn't fun. I love to go to the one in Stuart, there is a man from Jupiter Farms that grows the most beautiful swiss chard. I come home with all kids of things. Humm...I haven't been in a while.

Treefrog spoiled me by squeezing key lime juice in my ice water one day. Gotta have one I found a one gallon at HD for $9.99 a few weeks ago.
cindeea
Original Author
16 years ago
Gee Marion "Cindee isn't fun." I think I am fun. At least I remember being told once I was fun....going off in the corner to work on my funness.
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Cindee, All I did was brought it home, repotted it and set it off to the side. It got lots of sun. I fertilized a few times. I was barely watering it. Then back in Feb it had a few flowers. I couldn't just let it be. I started babying it (water and more water) and repotted it into a larger pot. (it had put down roots thru the drain holes)... Now the leaves are curling and no more blooms. So, I messed up the bloom cycle.. oh, I had put a couple hands full of cow manure on top when I brought it home. The baby Amaryllis you gave me are coming along. :) Cliff
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Nothing NEW, but from the last couple of years experience at a small-town market, 30+ vendors, that gets a customer mix of local farmers/ex-farmers, "townies" and cottagers from the city, here are some of basic twists that have worked well for me: * fresh carrots w/ tops right through the season: not baby but picked quite young 5"-6". These go at way higher prices for a 1lb bunch, competing with quarter-bushel baskets of regular big mature topped carrots all around me, and they sell out. * fresh basil: sells well at a good price, and is great for the smell, which everyone notices walking by * heirloom tomatoes: Ours is not a trendy high-end market, there's a good mix of people as noted above, and heirlooms (as in big, "oddly" colored and shaped, sometimes "ugly", always tasty) still attract attention, and definitely get repeat customers from taste (and I guess the novelty helps). A basic like Brandywine is fine, and I had a several varieties last year with different looks and tastes (Green Zebra was a distinctive favorite), which helped even more. Curious people try one or two and keep coming back for more(!), and they were going for $1.50-2.00 a pop (12-16oz) - I just made up the price, since no one else had 'em at the market. *snap peas (edible pod): I was amazed by how many people didn't know these even existed! I'd go, "You can eat the pod" and hand 'em one and they'd automatically start shelling it. "No, you can eat the whole thing!" Wow! Child-like amazement :) They're also great to maximize the pea growing and picking effort because you can use 'em young as a snow pea, or mature, which gives more overall useful harvest time. You can maybe premium price 'em, but they're also good just for the word-of-mouth. *mesclun: I'm not sure what my various customers each think they're buying, the idea of mesclun has kinda trickled down to a real mainstream thing from a trendy idea. I sell a couple of mixes, one that's only lettuce (around nine lettuces), which I'll explain to anyone who wants to know, and of the various regular customers who buy a bag (1lb) a week, I don't think any of them really cared about the exact ingredients, they just like colorful, baby leaf salad mix, for their own individual reasons. At $5 a bag, a heavy seller. *spinach: This is probably more specific to our market, where there are several quite big local family farm growers that all concentrate on the basic carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, peas, etc, (easier handling/storage), but not on the fresh greens. So this depends a lot on the other vendors, but here, mounds of spinach is a good thing to have (and other greens, like lettuces, chard, etc, are quick and easy and add to the selection). *radish that's out of the typical early season is quick and easy to grow, and attracts a surprising number of people when no-one else has 'em. *miscellaneous specialty stuff: I plant small quantities of tons of things and bring some in. They're all good for novelty and attracting attention, but (for me in this specific situation...), none most alone don't do much for the bottom line. Stuff like: Eight Ball zucchini (lots of comments), Lemon cukes (comments and some regulars), white icicle type radish, rainbow chard (like, Bright Lights), purple snap beans (comments, but people mainly like the green and the yellow...), and so on, I even sold a few daikon radishes... All fun to grow and present but no magic. Half the fun seems to be trying new things without getting buried in a lot of odd and unusual ;) stuff... The general strategy of growing out of season really does work. This is practical if you're small. Having the earliest stuff is great, and just having it when no-one else does to me is just as much of an advantage. Superfreshness is also great, and probably most easily done when you're small. I mean, extreme freshness: stuff cut/picked the afternoon/evening before, salad greens the morning of... People really notice that: "hey, I forgot your mesclun in the fridge for TEN DAYS and it was still fine..." Also, if you grow natural, even if not certified organic, all kinds of people you mightn't expect to respond to that... Hope that's useful stuff in their! (I've got lots to learn, but passing on the little I have noticed already is always FUN!!)
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coffeemom
16 years ago
I can vouch that Cindee is fun. What else did treefrog put in msmarion's ice water? Hmmmmmm?
cindeea
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you Kristi for boosting my image!
katkin_gw
16 years ago
lol, lol, Marion will die when she reads her typo. She wouldn't hurt a fly.

And I think Cindee is fun too!
msmarion
16 years ago
OMG Cindee, LOLLOLOL I'm so sorry. (tears rolling down my face, holding my sides) That's what I get for trying to multi-task at work LOL
It was supposed to say Cindee isn't it fun! I'm never gonna live this down!
I'mg going to call the finger repair man right now!
Luv ya girl!
M
cindeea
Original Author
16 years ago
(((marion))))) gotcha!
Love you too!!
AmberSky
16 years ago
Hand her a coors lite and she gets even funner!
cindeea
Original Author
16 years ago
OK ENUFF about my fun side, what about the Key Lime seeds?? I planted 9 of them this morning. Think they'll make good trees?
mistiaggie
16 years ago
Fun! I can't wait when I go home to Texas to visit my favorite farmer's market. I'm thinking of looking around Broward for one. Martha Steart Living mag is making me drool this month. Fresh peaches, tomatoes, beans...mmmm yeah!
kelpie473
16 years ago
Here's a page about key limes, the first line says that key limes are frequently grown from seed as they are "true-type" I thought it was cool that KLs are poly-embryonic meaning that more than one tree may grow from one seed. Well, who knew??

Suzanne

Here is a link that might be useful: Key Lime Facts
cindeea
Original Author
16 years ago
Suzanne
That's a great link, thank you! It also states that trees from seed live longer and seem to have less problems. This makes me feel good! I planted the seeds in a MG mix with some Organic Fert tossed in. I will be watching these babies to see how they do!
AmberSky
16 years ago
I love their optimal growing conditions. Mostly because mine is in a dark place with wet feet and very little air movement...and it's the most prolific little thing you have ever seen. It pumps out at least two crops of keylimes, year after year.
kelpie473
16 years ago
I learned a lot from that site, I'll look at the seeds w/ a bit more respect now.

I use Dog Pile web search since it has several of the search engines together and just type in what I want to know, for that search I asked, can I grow key limes from seed?

Suzanne

Here is a link that might be useful: Dog Pile Web Search
springtime_fl
16 years ago
You are all so bad for me! I read this discussion a few days ago and had to add a Key Lime to my fruit tree list. I was at Lowe's yesterday and they had a 1 gal tree on sale for $6.99. I bought it of course! Who could resist? Bad, bad Gardenwebbers :)!

I only have a 1/3 acre lot and already have 8 fruit trees, not to mention 6 different clusters of bananas, smaller fruits and other plants. I am running out of room!

Looks like I will have to ration out the time I spend on this web site. Not really! I have so much fun on this site. Thanks to you all for the great information here.

Gabriele
gcmastiffs
16 years ago
Gabriele, congrats on your new Key Lime! That is a great price! They do well in containers, so if you get a frost, you could easily bring it indoors.

If you are anything like me, and love fruit, consider getting dwarf trees so you can have MORE of them(G). I'm on an acre and a third, and think I have around 200 fruiting trees/shrubs/vines. And yet it looks rather bare, with lots of lawn left.. Do you have a "Condo Mango" or two? They can be kept small.

Lisa
springtime_fl
16 years ago
Lisa,

Actually, I do have a Mango. It is a Julie, which is stays small. We learned out lesson a few years ago when we bought a Kent mango, which is large. We were new to Florida so we thought it should be out in the open to get as much sun as possiable. Even though we covered it in the winter, we lost it. Too exposed to the cold. This time we planted the Julie in a sheltered corner (fence & house) and went overboard to protect it. It has made it through 2 winters and is doing well.

Do you know if the Key Lime is as sensitive to cold as a Mango? I will keep it in a pot if it is, instead of planting it in the ground.

Actually I recounted the trees and we have 11 total. Somehow they keep multiplying. I don't know how :).
I think we do have some more room but my husband does not want to get rid of anymore grass.

Gabriele
AmberSky
16 years ago
Mine is in a sheltered nook against the house, but I only protected it the first winter. After that, it's been pretty much on it's own but for a can of 6-6-6 every few months. If the temp were to drop into the 20's I'd probably give it a blankie, but other than that, I think it's good.

Farmer's Market and Key Lime

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