Okay, I admit already, that title above is click bait he he .. however, when I first saw the tag price on this one, I swallowed and my jaw dropped. Thirty euro for an adult of this probably 5 to 6 years old with fruits and still flowering.
My husband and I loved the way it looked and the fact that this one has so many fruits on it. In fact, it has the most fruits, not to mention that it looks very very healthy and has the most buds, too.
That title is half true for me because I normally just grow any fruiting plant from seeds or cuttings but in order to do that I need to have access to its seed. This one's not from here so I got no access to its seed but we have a lot of it where I came from.
In my grandfather's house, this just grow anywhere people threw its seed and it's very much like an independent woman who doesn't need much saving or caring from a guy. It is neither high maintenance. It also just fruit all year through as if a Pinoy who unlike the Dutch doesn't really observe schedules and appointment. It just seem to flower whenever it wants to or when its ready but hey am not a Calamondin farmer yeah?
I was pretty chatty when I saw this and stories and beautifully pastel colored childhood memories flashed back when I saw this that I didn't have second thoughts putting it in my cart. I remember that we had several of the around that when my aunt and grandma needs a few to juice or use for cooking, they just go to the yard and look for the one that has fruits on it. They seem to have talked to each other and made an agreement that one blooms this month and the others during the other months.
I remember catching a cold and my grandma would automatically pluck the ones that are almost yellow because I could not stand the sourness of the green ones back when I was still a child and she would slit a bit of the top open and let them roast on charcoal (back then we cook on wood and had no stove) and squeeze them while their hot ( yes, that's how much love I got from my grandparents specially when I was sick that I would redo every part of my childhood with them if I could) and let me drink the juice - sugarless and pure right after a meal. See, I was brought up with what people call homeophatic meds now. Plain and pure from nature.
I told my husband this won't need much attention so he teases me these days when I talk to it encouraging it to let its buds bloom because their tips are already browning. Perhaps am coming short giving it water but I bought it a water regulator and in a day, I found out how thirsty it actually is.
Truth is, I don't have to let it stay inside and just put it in the greenhouse outside but the damn yellow green aphids are all up and I remember they gnaw my oranges and mandarins' baby sprouts so am not risking getting this eaten by them tiny beasties.
Some of the buds are slowly opening and I could also just pollinate it the way I did it to my passion plant. It's too early and still cold for the bees even though it's officially spring today. The buds smell so good they remind me of the perfume "Angel", I used to wear when I was a high school student. I can't help but stick my nose in them every minute I get the chance to. I can't wait till they all burst and the whole house smells like them! ^___ ^ !!!
Here's why I thought of it as the most expensive citrus plant in the world. I grew up with it being free and in the Philippines, they're available all year through, fresh from the market. They sell it for 10 peso ($1 =50 or 45 Philippine peso) and that's a full small pitcher of beer. Yes, that cheap and here .. 30 euro. I almost exclaimed "what is this made of gold? " Come to think of it a kilo of a mandarin or an orange doesn't even get priced more than 3 euro, at least not here, even the organic ones!
Anyhow, don't get me wrong, I ain't complaining. It already is an adult, saved me the years of watering and citrus fertilizers huh? I just wonder how they've managed to make them to flower. Was it induced? How? I'd love to know!
I found two healthy seeds in one of the fruits I've already juiced a few days ago and yes, I've already let them do their thing in the soil. The rest of the fruits? I juiced them most and some I used to make a sauce for "Torta Aubergine" which I think I've been eating for days already cause I really missed that. I also used them in cooking chicken adobo instead of the usual vinegar because the sourness of Calamondin is such a perfect match to soy sauce!
Now, am just waiting for a chance to find time to get fresh baby squid in the local market and cook adobo out of it. I haven't eaten that for almost 8 years, the last time my father and I spoke on the phone I wanted to tell him I miss his squid adobo damn.. he does makes a great one using Calamondin on it.
Oh well, I won't have to anymore, I could just also make my own now since I have the plant already. I will just have to make sure it grows healthy and make it flower.
Are you from Italy? That's where I've seen this plant grow, flower and fruit last time we visited that beautiful country. You from the South? Any idea how I can make sure to make this flower year after year? Do share and I've got something in store for you. Thanks much ^__ ^ !
This content's 100% mine. I took that pic above with my smartphone and D Eye.
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