I read an article that struck a chord recently, which said that architects should get real about these green skyscrapers that we see drawn so often, that in fact few trees can withstand the strong wind that accompanies elevation. It made me think that citrus are probably just not suited to an exposed balcony either.
I have a Tahitian lime (above), a Eureka lemon (below), a kumquat (bottom), and a Kaffir lime. Really only the kumquat does well, and the Kaffir lime does very poorly.
Kaffir limes always grew easily for me in other gardens at ground level in Sydney, so I’ve been dismayed to see both ones I’ve tried here slowly dwindle. I think the endless stream of pathogens (scale, leaf miners, leaf hoppers) might just be taking advantage of stressed plants. The kumquat is toughest to exposure, and sees the least pathogens.
That said, the lime and lemon this year have given me bumper crops, and the lime especially is weighted down with fruit, and that’s what I’m growing them for. It’s just a pity that they don’t have thick canopies too.