LimeWatch UK

[enrico]

Over here too, hopefully they all got pollinated by my girls!

 

[Dodge]

We have some Lime trees that are still developing flower buds here. They where pruned back to bare trunks 4 years ago and have not been as quick to grow and flower as to what I expected

 

[holmbee]

Although more of my limes are coming into flower (just as we are enduring heavy rain showers) some bees are working them when we have hot sunshine but the real attraction seems to be Cotoneaster lacteus that has just come into flower. A fairly strong scent and covered in pollinators. Howes in Plants and Beekeeping noticed this and suggested the cotoneaster may have a higher sugar content.

 

[jeff33]

Near Presteigne in Redwood Valley and the lime trees are in full bloom, literally buzzing with life. I have spotted a colony in a uwe tree which is thriving on it.

 

[E&MBees]

Just wondering..
If anyone does get some Lime honey this year would it be possible to purchase a jar for my Mum? There are Lime trees near her and they are smothered in bees. The smell from the flowers is also amazing apparently.
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just wondering..
If anyone does get some Lime honey this year would it be possible to purchase a jar for my Mum? There are Lime trees near her and they are smothered in bees. The smell from the flowers is also amazing apparently.
Thanks

I had some from Enrico years ago....it was lovely

 

[jeff33]

Looking at how the bees were working it today and the flagrance as I walked pass the trees I will be ordering a few this winter to replace the road side edge of ash trees which have now gone.... I may have to wait 10 years for a small return though!!

 

[victor meldrew]

I had some from Enrico years ago....it was lovely

I had some last year !
Thing is the tree had been knocked skew whiffed in a Gale yet it out performed itself .
maybe the shock did it

 

[BugsInABox]

I had some last year !
Thing is the tree had been knocked skew whiffed in a Gale yet it out performed itself .
maybe the shock did it

Is one tree enough to get a crop? I've put in a pleached lime tree as part of the fencing round my hives but assumed I'd never get anything much.

 

[enrico]

Is one tree enough to get a crop? I've put in a pleached lime tree as part of the fencing round my hives but assumed I'd never get anything much.

Not really, an avenue of fifteen 50 year old ones might!

 

[Charente beekeeper]

Question about limes if i may.

I was thrilled to discover that out new place had 6 40 odd year old limes. I was less thrilled to see not one single flower this year. Not sure what it's called where they have been "pollarded"? At the end of various limbs to keep the size under control. Is this why they have no flowers? How long before the flowers return? Or was the lack of flowers caused by weather or problematic growing conditions of some sort as yet unidentified?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ian123]

Lack of flowers is probably down to the pollarding, I’ve seen it on some near me. Your looking at a number of years before normal service is resumed.

 

[Charente beekeeper]

Thanks, i rather feared that might be the case. They are too close together to just let them rip unless i take every other one out or maybe pollard every other one alternately once i know how long it takes for the flowers to come back. Seems like a crime to have limes and not have them flower.

 

[Swn58]

Thanks, i rather feared that might be the case. They are too close together to just let them rip unless i take every other one out or maybe pollard every other one alternately once i know how long it takes for the flowers to come back. Seems like a crime to have limes and not have them flower.

Before I kept bees I looked after a large house in Oxfordshire for two politicians. ("No names....no packdrill" as they say!) The garden had an avenue of trees that I had to cut into 'cubes' twice a year. They never got the chance to flower which was a shame.
Last seasons lime flowering looked great in Birmingham until that two week heatwave. It withered all the blossoms. GRRR@nature

 

[Charente beekeeper]

Before I kept bees I looked after a large house in Oxfordshire for two politicians. ("No names....no packdrill" as they say!) The garden had an avenue of trees that I had to cut into 'cubes' twice a year. They never got the chance to flower which was a shame.
Last seasons lime flowering looked great in Birmingham until that two week heatwave. It withered all the blossoms. GRRR@nature

That's a pity on both counts!

These are picture perfect tree shapes but you can see from the limbs before the bole/knuckles they should be a lot bigger. I may just plant more elsewhere and let them do their thing if i'm going to have to keep these regularly pollarded.

I can hardly wait to smell limeflowers again. It's been probably 10 years since my last sniff.

 

[enrico]

We bought four whips to plant in 2017. I guess they were about second year whips. Last summer they started to flower. They have good sturdy trunks now and nice shapes. They stand about 2.5- 3 meters high already. Obviously the amount of flowers is not enough to give me a crop yet but I have three or four mature trees within flying distance that had their once in five year perfect nectar last year. My honey still has not crystallized although it is obviously a mixture as it is quite dark in colour compared with pure lime honey

 

[Dodge]

Seeing as I have posted on this thread over a number of years I thought I would start the 2022 season off.

The lime trees in Solihull (south of Birmingham) have flowers forming already. How are they in the rest of the country?

 

[Ian123]

Do blackberries produce quite a bit of nectar?

Yes lots!

 

[enrico]

Yes lots!

Yes but way off opening. There was enough lime nectar last year to keep my honey runny all winter. Don't really expect a bumper crop two years running!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes but way off opening. There was enough lime nectar last year to keep my honey runny all winter. Don't really expect a bumper crop two years running!
[/
Have you ever had two years or more with lime?
Our lime honey is still runny from last year