- Limequat: Origin and Properties
- The best varieties
- Planting and repotting limequat
- Caring for Limequat
- Winter Limequat
- Can you eat limequats?
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With its decorative fruits and their bitter-sweet aroma, the limequat brings Mediterranean flair to the terrace and into the kitchen.
Limequat (Citrus × floridana), as the name suggests, originally comes from Florida. The botanist W. T. Swingle crossed the lime (Citrus × aurantiifolia) with the kumquat (Fortunella margarita) there in 1909 ). This resulted in the Limequat, also known as Limquat.
Limequat: Origin and Properties
Since the limequat has the cold-tolerant genes of the kumquat, it can also be cultivated in subtropical regions, unlike the lime. The main growing areas are the south of the USA, Israel, Italy, Spain and South Africa. A limequat shrub or tree can live for decades and grow to a maximum height of 2.50 meters. Limequats have lush green, shiny leaves all year round and develop sharp thorns on the leaf axils. The small, white flowers have an intense scent and, if cared for properly, a limequat will permanently bear a large number of decorative fruits. These are yellow, about 5 cm long, 3 cm wide and contain segmented, juicy flesh with small seeds inside.
Tip: Limequats are self-pollinating and do not require cross-pollination. However, pollination by insects is also possible and insects are often found on the flowers.
The best varieties
Several varieties of limequat were bred in Florida, all named after state cities.
- Citrus x floridana 'Eustis': A cross between the lime and the round shape of the kumquat. This variety is the most common. The fruits are comparatively seeded.
- Citrus x floridiana 'Lakeland': A cross between the lime and the round shape of the kumquat. The fruits are larger than those of the 'Eustis' variety and have fewer seeds.
- Citrus x floridiana 'Tavares': OneHybrid of the lime with the oval shape of the kumquat. This variety produces oblong fruits with an orange skin.
Planting and repotting limequat
Limequat plants are among the more robust citrus fruits, but north of the Alps they cannot stay outside in winter. A he althy limequat can cope with temperatures between -3 and -5 °C. In order to be able to place the plant appropriately, cultivation in a bucket is recommended. However, a limequat should definitely spend the summer outside in order to be able to use the unfiltered sunlight. Pests don't nest there that quickly either. A wind-protected, sunny location is best suited for this, for example on a house wall.
Tip: Frequent relocation and turning mean stress for limequats, to which they react by shedding their leaves.
Repot Limequat
Repotting is only necessary when the entire substrate is traversed by fine roots. Then the plant can be repotted in spring between March and July. Citrus plants are sensitive to repotting, so the soil you choose should be usable for a long time, i.e. it should be of high quality and structurally stable. A well-drained substrate with a high proportion of coarse materials such as lava grit, expanded clay, gravel or similar materials is recommended. Special citrus soil meets these requirements. Alternatively, you can also mix the substrate yourself: high-quality potting soil, such as our Plantura organic universal soil, is suitable for this. Because it contains all the nutrients that are essential for plant growth and, thanks to its high compost content, promotes root growth. The soil is mixed with 30% coarse material to achieve good permeability. Finally, the pot surface should be covered with mulch to prevent fungus gnat infestation and slow down water evaporation from the soil.
At a glance: repotting limequat
Planting or repotting a limequat is quick and easy. We have put together a small overview of what you should pay attention to:
- Repot as infrequently as possible
- Repot between March and July
- Choose a 5 - 10 cm larger pot
- Pay attention to permeable substrate with at least 30% coarse material
- Cover pot surface with mulch
- Fine afterwardscast on
Sow Limequat
Limequats are relatively easy to grow from seed. To do this, remove the seeds from the pulp and clean them. After soaking in water for a few days, the seed can be germinated in damp kitchen paper or under a very thin layer of damp substrate. After germination and the formation of the first real pair of leaves, the limequat is placed in a bright place without full sun at around 20 to 25 °C. Next spring, the shoot can be pruned for the first time in order to achieve further branching. Now at the latest it is also time to plant the limequat young plant in new substrate. In the summer months it is placed outside under unfiltered sunlight.
Caring for Limequat
With a little regular maintenance, a Limequat tree will stay strong, he althy and beautiful:
- Water properly: Limequats need a lot of water and the substrate should not dry out. Due to their increased calcium requirement, limequats are often watered with tap water.
- Regular Pruning: A limequat should be pruned regularly if it is to remain compact. Unfavorable, unwanted young shoots are pruned in the summer months. For a compact, branched crown, the tips can also simply be shortened all around. To do this, always start the cut a few millimeters above an outward-facing bud. Larger cuts on older wood are made in late winter.
- Repotting: If necessary, the limequat is repotted in spring.
- Fertilize regularly: Limequats are rarely repotted and have a high potassium requirement. For this reason, the fertilizer given regularly should meet all the needs of the plant. It is best to use a primarily organic flower fertilizer such as our Plantura organic flower fertilizer. The complete fertilizer is spread under the mulch on the root disc every spring and watered well. Eight grams per liter pot volume is sufficient. The flower fertilizer releases nutrients throughout the growing season, so you don't have to worry about fertilization all year round.
If your limequat has yellow leaves with green leaf veins or is struggling with an acute nutrient deficiency, then we recommend our Plantura organic citrus & Mediterranean fertilizer. It contains a lot of readily available iron and will fill the deficiency quickly.
Winter Limequat
Although limequats have the genes of the cold-tolerant kumquat, they only tolerate short-term frosts between -3 and -5 °C. A limequat tree should therefore be overwintered in a bright, cool place with temperatures between 1 and 12 °C. The brighter the place, the higher the temperature for winter accommodation can be. You can find all the important information on this in our special article on overwintering citrus fruits.
Important: Regular watering is also necessary during the winter, because the soil of a limequat should never dry out.
Can you eat limequats?
Yes, limequats are edible. And how do you eat limequats? Preferably whole and with shell. The aromatic fruits are juicy and sour and contain a lot of vitamin C. The thin, yellow skin tastes sweet when ripe and should definitely be eaten. But when are limequats ripe? A limequat tree bears fruit all year round, which gradually ripens. As they ripen, the fruit turns from green to yellow. As with a lemon, the best time to eat is when the peel gives slightly when pressed, but the fruit is not yet too soft. Limequats like limes or lemons are used in the kitchen.
The limequat is a member of the diverse genus Citrus. Get some inspiration on which exotic citrus fruits are suitable for cultivation in pots in our article on special citrus fruits.