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Kumquat is a beautiful plant with healthy golden fruits. Kumquat belongs to the subgenus Fortunella, the Rutov family. An ornamental plant was brought to the country from China relatively recently and immediately became popular. A kumquat in a flower pot looks attractive, resembles a miniature tree or shrub. Growing a kumquat at home is an interesting and simple activity, even a novice florist can handle it. Following simple rules, you can grow a tropical plant with fragrant flowers and healthy, beautiful fruits.
What varieties of kumquat can be grown at home
Under natural conditions, kumquat grows in southern China, the height of the tree reaches 5 m. At home, the height of the plant depends on the size of the pot. The plant forms a strong root system and a spherical crown. Kumquat blooms in the first half of summer, numerous snow-white-pink flowers with a pleasant citrus aroma appear on the tree.
After flowering, orange-colored fruits appear on the home kumquat plant, weighing up to 30 g. They taste like tangerine, but there is one difference - kumquat is eaten with peel, as it is soft and has a sweet taste.
At home, in flower pots, you can grow several unpretentious, miniature varieties of kumquats.
Nagami. A popular, widespread variety of kumquat, which can be grown both in apartment conditions and on a personal plot. The ornamental tree bears sweet-sour fruits, the size of an olive. The variety has 2 subspecies:
- Variegatum - the green peel is colored in original horizontal stripes, which disappear during the ripening process.
- Nordmann Is a seedless variety of kumquat.
Marumi. Low-growing cultivar, forms a miniature tree-like shrub with thorny shoots. Small, oval fruits are golden in color, have a sweet and sour taste and a pleasant smell. The variety is frost-resistant, therefore, in regions with a warm climate, it can be grown as an outdoor plant.
Meiva. Dwarf variety of kumquat, the height of the tree reaches half a meter. Due to its decorative appearance, rather large bright yellow fruits with a sour taste, the variety has become popular with flower growers.
Fukushi. The variety is suitable for growers who have experience in growing kumquat in an apartment. The plant forms a dense dark green crown, among which large, sweet fruits with a thin skin appear in the middle of summer. The Fukushi variety is ideal for growing in greenhouses and conservatories.
Obovata. A dwarf, thornless variety of kumquat, with a delicate emerald crown. Flowers appear on annual shoots from June to October. Snow-white inflorescences reach 2 cm in diameter, very beautiful and fragrant. Fruits are small with a thin skin and sweet-sour, spicy pulp.
What conditions need to be created for plants
To grow a kumquat at home, you need to create comfortable conditions for growth, development and fruiting. In summer, the kumquat prefers to grow in diffused light, in a place protected from drafts. If the weather is warm, then the flower pot can be moved to the balcony or garden plot.
In winter, a kumquat needs a lot of light, so a warm, sunny place is chosen for this. If the windows face the west or north side, the flower must be supplemented.
Kumquat thrives well in high humidity conditions. If the air is dry, as a rule, it occurs in winter, when the heating is turned on, the kumquat will begin to shed its leaves. To increase the humidity of the air, it is necessary to spray the plant once a week, place a container of water or a humidifier next to the flower pot. If the apartment has a cold temperature, then spraying the kumquat is not carried out, since fungal diseases often appear on the plant at high humidity and low air temperatures.
How can you grow a kumquat at home?
Kumquat is grown from:
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- taps;
- vaccination.
When kumquat is propagated by seeds, it will take a long time to expect fruiting, and when consumed, the taste will be below average.
Reproduction by grafting and grafting is a difficult and time-consuming process, therefore it is not suitable for novice florists.
Layers
For reproduction of kumquat, an annual, strong shoot, 20 cm long, is chosen by branches. 2 annular cuts are made on the trunk and the bark layer is carefully removed, exposing a round area. Leaves above and below the cut are removed.
You will need a plastic bottle for rooting. The container is cut in the center, a hole is made at the bottom equal to the diameter of the shoot. The shoot is placed inside, the container is filled with nutritious soil and both parts are fastened with tape.
After 60 days, the shoot will grow a root system, and after separation from the mother bush, it will be ready for transplantation to a permanent place.
Seeds
Seed propagation is a simple, popular breeding method for kumquats. Even an inexperienced florist can grow a plant from a seed. The main thing is to know that a young kumquat grown in this way will develop for a long time, and the first harvest can be obtained only after 10 years.
How to root a kumquat stalk
You can propagate kumquat by cuttings all year round, but the best time is mid-April, before flowering begins. In order for the cutting to form the root system faster, it is treated with a growth stimulator (Kornevin or Epin) before planting.
How to plant a kumquat at home
Vaccination is a complex, time-consuming method of breeding kumquat, therefore it is only suitable for experienced florists. Grapefruit, lemon, orange, tripoliate or poncirus are suitable as a rootstock.
You can inoculate kumquat by budding or with a shield in the butt, during active growth. For reproduction, choose a healthy seedling with a diameter of about 2 cm. After 50 days, the seedling will get stronger and grow the root system. To make the tree look decorative, formative pruning is carried out, removing all shoots above the grafting site.
In a kumquat grown in this way, fruiting occurs after 10 years, but growth and development occurs much faster. The grafted kumquat has strong immunity to many diseases and sudden changes in temperature and humidity conditions.
Landing rules
The growth, development and time of fruiting depends on the correct planting of the kumquat. With the right breeding method and a little patience, you can grow a kumquat indoors.
Growing a kumquat at home from a bone
Growing a kumquat from seeds at home is not difficult if you follow certain rules. This is a lengthy process that requires patience and endurance from the grower.
- A 15 cm layer of drainage is poured into a flower pot and covered with nutritious, well-drained soil.
- The seeds are soaked in a growth stimulator for several hours for better germination.
- The prepared seeds are buried in moist soil by 1.5-2 cm.
- For quick germination, the pot is covered with polyethylene, creating a greenhouse effect.
- Shoots appear after 10 days.
- After the appearance of 4 leaves, the plant is transplanted into a larger pot. To quickly build up the root system, the roots are shortened by 0.5 cm.
How to plant a kumquat stalk at home
Cutting a kumquat is a simple, effective breeding method. Suitable for rooting 10 cm flexible, green shoots, cut from fruiting plants.
The lower cut, made at an acute angle, is processed in a growth stimulator and sprinkled with ash. The bottom of the flower pot is covered with expanded clay, covered with wet moss and nutritious soil is added. Several cuttings are placed in a pot to a depth of 2 cm, covered with a glass cover and removed to a warm, sunny place. After a month, rooting takes place, and the cuttings can be planted in separate containers.
How to care for a kumquat at home
Citrus kumquat is a demanding plant, so home care should be timely and carried out according to certain rules. For rapid growth and development, as well as for beautiful flowering and good fruiting, it is necessary to water, fertilize and formative pruning in a timely manner.
Watering schedule
The frequency of watering the kumquat depends on the season. In autumn and spring, irrigation is carried out moderately, in winter watering is reduced, in summer - as the soil dries out. Watering is carried out in the morning with warm, settled water. When irrigated with cold water, the plant will shed its leaves and root rot may develop.
The need for watering can be determined by the soil. If it has dried out to a depth of 4-5 cm, then it's time for watering. After half an hour, the excess water formed in the pan is removed.
How to feed a kumquat
Without regular feeding, the kumquat will not grow well and will not bear fruit. Top dressing depends on several factors:
- pot size;
- soil quality;
- plant age.
From March to October, during active growth and fruiting, fertilizers are applied several times a month. To do this, use liquid dressings intended for citrus plants, diluted strictly according to the instructions. You can also use 2.5 g of ammonium nitrate, 1.5 g of potassium salt and superphosphate, diluted in 1000 ml of warm water.
How to prune a kumquat at home
In order for the kumquat to have a decorative appearance and begin early fruiting, it is necessary to trim the crown. First of all, the trunk is formed. To do this, it is pruned at a height of 20 cm, leaving 4 or more well-developed buds. Further, from these buds, stem branches will begin to form, which will become the basis of the tree and will be the branches of the first order. Each next order should be shorter than the previous one by 5 cm.
When the kumquat bears fruit
To increase and accelerate fruiting, you need to know the simple subtleties of how to make a kumquat bloom:
- Cultivation method - for early fruiting, kumquats are grown from a cuttings. In this case, the first fruits will appear 5 years after planting.
- Regulate flowering and formation of ovaries - a large number of inflorescences takes a lot of energy from the kumquat, which prevents the formation of full-fledged ovaries. The maximum number of fruits is 1 per 10-15 leaves.
- Care - regularly feed with complex mineral fertilizers.
Kumquat is a late-ripening citrus fruit. Flowers appear in July, then after 14 days a second profuse flowering occurs. Orange fruits ripen in late winter and early spring.
Kumquat transplant at home
The frequency of transplanting depends on the age of the kumquat. One-year-old specimens are transplanted 2 times a year, a plant at the age of 3 years - 1 time, an adult kumquat is transplanted no more than 1 time in 3 years. You can determine the time by the roots formed from the drainage holes. The best time for transplanting is considered a dormant period after harvest.
Transplant technique:
- Like any citrus plant, the kumquat prefers a nutritious soil. You can buy it, or you can mix it yourself. For this, sand, peat, humus and garden soil are combined. For an adult plant, the ratio is 1: 1: 1: 1; for a young kumquat, the amount of sand is doubled.
- Before planting a kumquat in self-prepared soil, it must be disinfected chemically or thermally.
- The pot is selected 2 cm more than the previous volume.
- The bottom is covered with expanded clay and the plant is transferred to a new pot using the transshipment method. The voids are filled with nutrient soil, slightly tamping it.
- Experienced flower growers recommend covering the top layer with peat or disinfected tree bark to preserve moisture.
- It is impossible to deeply deepen the kumquat, as the citrus will begin to hurt and may die.
Disease and pest control
Kumquat is a capricious plant that thrives at high temperatures and high humidity. If the rules of care are not followed, the kumquat, like any citrus fruit, can be susceptible to diseases and attacked by pests.
How to deal with pests on the kumquat tree
The main pests of kumquat include:
- aphid - affects the leaf plate and young shoots;
- thrips - destroy all the green part of the kumquat;
- spider mite - affects young foliage and root system;
- scale insect - settles on the trunk, branches and fruits of the kumquat;
- nematodes - infect the root system.
You can fight insects with folk remedies in conjunction with insecticides. As folk remedies, hot pepper decoction, tobacco-alkaline mixture, ash alkaline solution are used.
How to treat kumquat for diseases
All insect pests are carriers of dangerous diseases, such as:
- Anthracnose - the fungus affects leaves, fruits and branches. Foliage and flowers fall off, red spots appear on kumquat fruits.
- Gommoz - red spots appear on the tree trunk. If you do not start treatment, the bark will begin to die off, and gum will flow from the affected area. The disease often appears with a buried planting, in the presence of mechanical damage and poor drainage.
- Citrus wart - the disease affects fruits, leaves and young shoots of kumquat. The foliage is covered with small yellow spots, which eventually turn into wart growths, the young branches of the kumquat dry out, and vague orange spots form on the fruits.
You can get rid of kumquat diseases with the help of fungicides. For prevention, 3 times a year, kumquat is sprayed with 1% Bordeaux liquid.
Possible growing problems
There are some problems with growing kumquat. Very often the leaves of the plant dry up, the ovaries fall off, flowering and fruiting does not occur.
Why does kumquat shed its leaves and what to do
In kumquat, leaf fall occurs with a lack of moisture, low air humidity and if the plant is not given a dormant period with a decrease in air temperature. To hibernate the kumquat, the pot is moved to a bright, cool place, and watering is reduced.
Also, leaf fall can begin immediately after purchase. This is due to changes in conditions of detention. To stop the foliage falling off, the kumquat is transplanted into a new substrate, all ovaries and fruits are removed, the earth is spilled with warm water with the addition of a growth biostimulator. You can also cover the crown with a plastic bag for 10-14 days.
Why does the kumquat dry at home
Very often, the tips of the leaves begin to dry out in kumquats. There are several reasons for this problem:
- watering with cold, chlorinated water;
- low air humidity;
- lack of moisture.
You can get rid of the problem by regulating the care of the kumquat: conduct timely watering, increase the humidity of the air by spraying or a warm shower. Irrigation is carried out only with settled, warm water.
Why does not the kumquat bloom?
Very often, the kumquat drops the buds. This is a natural phenomenon, the plant thus gets rid of unnecessary ovaries, leaving strong and viable.
Also, flowering does not occur if the rules of care are not followed: irregular watering, the pot is placed in a poorly lit place, the introduction of complex mineral fertilizers is not timely. In order for the kumquat to please with a beautiful, fragrant flowering, and then good fruiting, it is fed with phosphorus-potassium supplements throughout the growing season.
Conclusion
Growing a kumquat at home is an interesting activity and requires knowledge of certain skills from the grower. To grow a beautiful and healthy plant, it is necessary to carry out timely care and prevention of diseases. And then the plant will thank you with abundant, fragrant flowering and good fruiting.
