The small, extremely he althy kumquat fruits usually come from Asia, Africa or America. Learn how to grow and care for your own kumquats here.
The plant with the strange name "Kumquat" (Fortunella) is a real eye-catcher. The small orange citrus fruits are not only extremely decorative, but also a tasty treat. The kumquat bears the smallest known citrus fruit and has therefore made a name for itself as a dwarf orange. Here we explain how you can keep a kumquat as a houseplant and eat plenty of dwarf oranges.
Origin and Properties of Kumquat
In the middle of the 19th century, an English botanist brought a particularly pretty citrus species from Asia to Europe: the kumquat. His name was Robert Fortune - which is how the kumquats got their scientific name Fortunella. As always with citrus fruits, naming them is not that easy, because Citrus japonica is also a synonym for the plant. It particularly impresses with its small orange fruits. These are not only extremely decorative, but also a real treat. The taste is somewhat reminiscent of tart oranges, but there is no need to peel them because kumquats are eaten with the peel and seeds.
In nature, kumquat trees grow up to five meters high, as an ornamental plant it is more like one and a half meters. Its appearance is very similar to that of other citrus trees, with oval, evergreen leaves. Often kumquat trees even have more or less thorns. With proper care, large, fragrant flowers appear for two to three weeks around July or August, from which small orange fruits later develop.
Planting Kumquat
Location is key to a happy kumquat sapling and a successful harvest. Kumquats love it warm and sunny. So before you get a kumquat tree, you should check your home and patio for such a location. Also keep an eye on the course of the daySun and choose the location that enjoys the longest exposure to sunlight. There is the right location for the kumquat. As a substrate, the plant prefers permeable and slightly acidic soil. A mixture of sand and humus-rich garden soil is ideal. If you have purchased a kumquat, place it in a pot about four centimeters larger with the substrate mentioned. The pot should definitely have a drainage hole for excess water. Once the potting is done, kumquats should be repotted about every two to three years using the same principles.
You can also grow your own kumquats by letting the seeds of a fruit dry for about two to three days and then planting them in moist soil. After some time, a young plant develops under high humidity and at around 22 °C. However, it will be a few years before it blossoms and bears fruit.
Kumquat care
In terms of care, kumquats are broadly the same as other citrus species. The plant likes to move outside over the summer, provided it is brought to a safe place to overwinter before the first frosts.
Pouring Kumquat
If there's one thing kumquats hate, it's waterlogging. Therefore, only water your kumquat when the soil above ground has dried out. The finger test helps here with a better assessment. If you water, however, you should do so thoroughly so that the roots get a good dose. You should only stop watering as much as possible in the winter quarters.
Fertilize Kumquat
During the growing season, kumquats enjoy regular fertilization. The application of a liquid fertilizer via the irrigation water is quick and easy. Our Plantura Organic Citrus & Mediterranean Fertilizer is ideally tailored to the needs of the kumquat. This contains all the important nutrients and also strengthens root growth with microorganisms. During the growth period, the organic liquid fertilizer is used with the irrigation water every one to two weeks. From autumn, however, you should definitely refrain from further fertilization so that the plant can prepare for the winter. You can find detailed instructions on how to fertilize citrus trees in our special article.
Cutting Kumquat
Kumquats actually grow slowly and comfortably, so the trees don't have to be pruned. If you still want to shorten shoots, you should do this in February, when the plant is not yet in the sap. cutbut restrained so as not to damage the plant. You can take out dead branches all year round.
Overwintering Kumquat
Kumquats, like other citrus trees in winter, do not survive frosts because they are not hardy in our latitudes. Nevertheless, they need a cool winter quarters to keep their hibernation. A bright and cool place with temperatures between just over 0 °C and 10 °C is therefore ideal for the citrus plant to overwinter. Bright garages or unheated conservatories and corridors are suitable, for example. You can find more suitable plants for the conservatory here. In general, the warmer the place, the brighter it should be. Unfortunately, if the kumquat is too dark or too moist, there is a risk of leaf loss.
- In the winter quarters, the plant does not need any fertilizer. You should also water them very sparingly. Only water when the soil is superficially dry
- Fertilize regularly with organic fertilizer during the summer months
- Stop fertilizing during winter and greatly reduce watering
- Moderate pruning if necessary in February
- Light wintering between 1 °C and 10 °C
Harvesting and storing kumquats
After about a year of ripening, the small orange fruits can be picked directly from the tree. However, since the plant alternates, i.e. only bears plenty of fruit every two years, you should particularly enjoy the fruit. If you don't want to enjoy the kumquats fresh, they can be processed in many different ways: They taste great as jam or chutney, but can also be preserved - for example in grappa or rum. However, dried they are also a real pleasure. If you want to keep the kumquat fruits unprocessed, you can put them in a jar in the fridge. They stay there for about 14 days. Outside the refrigerator, kumquats can be kept for a few days.
Read this article to learn more about eating kumquats properly.