Detailed Guide to the Planting Method and Steps for Kumquat Seeds

Kumquat, also known as Jingju, is a traditional local famous fruit of Guizhou Province, with a cultivation history of more than 350 years. It originated in South China, and is now commonly used in various places for potted ornamental display. Kumquat blooms in early summer and its fruit ripens in late autumn, making it a potted flower that combines flower viewing and fruit appreciation. So how do you plant kumquat seeds?

1. How to plant kumquat seeds

Seedling offspring of kumquat are mostly variable, and few become superior, and they bear fruit late, so sowing is not used; grafting, cuttings, and air layering are mostly used for propagation. For grafting, seedlings of trifoliate orange, orange, or pomelo are used as rootstock; branch grafting is done in mid-to-late March, bud grafting in June to July, and approach grafting in May to June, all with high survival rates. Air layering is done by selecting strong branches on the kumquat plant, girdling them and wrapping them with moist moss and peat, keeping them moist; roots form after one month, and after two months they are cut off and each plant is potted. Cuttings are done from April to August; both hardwood and softwood cuttings can be used; after rooting, they are potted before Frost's Descent and moved into a greenhouse.

The oil cells on the kumquat peel are relatively obvious, with a pure aromatic scent. The peel is easy to remove, the segments separate easily, the juice sacs are plump, and the moisture is abundant. The flesh comes in two types, cherry red and beef red. The fruit contains more sugar and very little acid; eaten fresh, it is sweet, tender, and refreshing, and when processed into preserved fruit and juice, it has an even more distinctive flavor. In addition, kumquat can also be used medicinally. In China's traditional Chinese medicine records, “chewing kumquat is used for cough with phlegm and whooping cough; for cough due to cold in the lungs, it can be crushed and soaked in boiling water with ginger and taken; for cough due to heat in the lungs, this product is squeezed for juice with radish and taken.”

2. Care methods for kumquat

1. Kumquat is generally repotted about once every three years. Potted kumquat should be repotted before flowering. First knock the plant out of the pot and use scissors to cut off the overly dense outer roots.

2. When repotting kumquat, it is best to apply a fully decomposed organic fertilizer once. In summer, apply a thin liquid fertilizer two or three times. After the flowers fade, apply a thin fertilizer once every half month. After the fruit forms, apply some compound fertilizer and add phosphorus and boron fertilizer to promote full fruit development.

3. Kumquat likes moisture but is also afraid of waterlogging. For watering kumquat, after being moved outdoors in spring until the early summer flowering period, water thoroughly once every three or four days, and normally keep the potting soil moist. After the young fruit stage, which coincides with high summer temperatures, water thoroughly once a day.

4. Kumquat likes light but is afraid of strong light; too strong light easily scorches the leaves. In summer, it needs to be grown under a shade frame.

That is all for kumquat. Friends who want to grow kumquat indoors also need to care for it patiently. There are many types of kumquat diseases, and if there is any negligence, it can easily cause the death of the kumquat.