The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Kumquat is a smallish broadleaf evergreen fruit tree native to China and southeastern Asia.
Kumquat is a slow grower with dense, glossy, dark green foliage.
Some varieties will even flower and fruit twice a year.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
These trees are best planted in the early spring.
Young trees might take a year or two after they’re planted before they start to bear fruit.
Can You Grow Kumquat Inside?
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Kumquats have been in cultivation throughout Asia for centuries, and these small trees areperfectly adapted to container culture.
And there are several dwarf varieties that are ideal for indoor growing.
Also, avoid letting the plant sit in soggy soil.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
While they do in fact like water, they can’t tolerate sitting in oversaturated soil.
Indoors, place your plant’s container by your brightest window, and rotate the plant weekly.
Not getting enough light can hinder growth and fruit production.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Choose grow lights specifically designed for citrus trees.
But strive to keep it in conditions between 55 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kumquat trees likehumidity levelsbetween 50 and 60 percent but will do fairly well down to about 40 percent.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
A cool-misthumidifieris another good way to optimize humidity levels.
Watering
Proper watering is essential for kumquat trees.
The goal is to keep the soil lightly moist but not soggy.
A gentle breeze also helps the plant self-pollinate.
If you have a forced-air heating system, this probably provides enough air circulation.
Or, a small table fan set at a low speed somewhere in the room is usually sufficient.
Fertilize starting in the spring, following label instructions.
Make your pruning cuts at a 45-degree angle just above a leaf node, which will encourage full branching.
Turn the tree every week to ensure that all sides get equal sun exposure.
This is necessary to fertilize the flowers so they can develop fruits.
Indoors, you will likely need to hand-pollinate the flowers to duplicate the action of insects.
This simple act will effectively transfer pollen from male to female flowers.
check that the container has ample drainage holes.
Potting Soil and Drainage
Any qualitypotting mixthat drains well will do for kumquat trees in containers.
But a mix specially designed for citrus trees is ideal.
Potting and Repotting Kumquat
Kumquat trees bloom best if their roots are slightly confined in the pot.
Any punch in of material can work for a containerplastic, metal, wood, ceramic, or clay.
It will greatly appreciate getting eight to 10 hours of direct sunlight if you have the right spot.
This can help bolster a tree that hasn’t been getting enough indoor sunlight.
confirm it is moved indoors before the first hard frost.
It’s a good idea to spray your tree for pests before bringing it back indoors.
Indoors, these trees are protected from many pests and diseases that they could be exposed to outdoors.
But you should still watch out for common household pests, including mealybugs and aphids.
Use insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on any pest issues.
For best fruit production, you should buy a grafted tree from a reputable source.
Trees propagated vegetatively from seeds or cuttings do not usually produce very well.
The cuttings should have at least two or three leaf nodes but no fruit or flowers.
Dip the cut end in rooting hormone powder, then plant it in a pot with moist potting mix.
