Kumquat Tree Losing Leaves: Causes and Prevention Methods

Kumquat is a potted plant that many households quite like. Keeping one at home is full of life, and watching it bear fruit is even more of a sight. Many friends have asked what should be done when a kumquat tree loses its leaves? How can it be prevented?

1. What to do when a kumquat tree loses its leaves?

1. Natural leaf drop

Under normal conditions, a healthy kumquat does not drop its leaves year-round. It likes high temperatures, and its optimal growing temperature is about 22-29 degrees C. Temperatures below 8 degrees will cause leaf drop. If it is in the north, and the old leaves of the kumquat tree are concentrated in the middle and lower parts of the branches and have naturally turned yellow and dropped, then the problem is not serious.

Solution: Pay a bit more attention in daily care, take care to protect it from the cold and keep it warm, and it will still grow new leaves. If you feel it spoils the look, then just pick off the yellowed kumquat leaves.

2. Soil on the alkaline side

Kumquat is a plant that likes acidic soil. When the potting soil becomes alkaline, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off.

Solution: Change to acidic soil, or replace the compacted or alkalized soil, keeping a portion of the soil near the roots, then remove the excess soil and appropriately add some fertile garden soil and so on to achieve the goal. When watering in the north, be sure to regularly apply a diluted acidic solution, so as to prevent the potting soil from becoming alkaline and to maintain a soil environment suitable for kumquat growth.

3. Waterlogging or drought

Kumquat trees quite like water, but they are not tolerant of it. If there is waterlogging, it is easy for the plant to have trouble breathing, leading to root rot and then yellowing and leaf drop; when the weather is dry, the yellowing of kumquat leaves gradually spreads from the old leaves to the new leaves.

Solution: The potting soil for a kumquat tree should be fertile and loose, with good drainage, and must not become waterlogged. Water again only when the surface of the soil turns white, and when watering, water thoroughly, not just halfway; when the weather is dry, pay attention to watering more. But do not water too frequently either; just follow the principle of watering when dry and letting it dry out between waterings.

4. Fertilizer burn or pesticide burn

Pests and diseases are an important cause of kumquat leaves drying up and fruit dropping. When kumquats suffer from pests and diseases, the usual signs include curled leaves, unexplained spots on the leaves, and the branches drying up as a whole.

Applying too much or too little fertilizer can both lead to yellow leaves; in addition, after a kumquat tree is infected with pests or diseases, if the concentration of the sprayed solution is too high, it will cause the plant's leaves to turn yellow.

Solution: The harm from pesticides can be alleviated by changing the potting soil, and take care to fertilize appropriately.

5. Improper fertilizing

Many flower lovers make certain mistakes during plant care: no matter what fertilizer it is, no matter what flower it is, they fertilize however they please, not realizing that this does not work. At best it is ineffective, at worst it kills the plant. Another common problem among flower lovers is not knowing how much fertilizer to apply. They are afraid too little will have little effect, and too much will burn the roots. Wandering among all kinds of mistakes, how can our flowers grow vigorously?

Solution:If the kumquat we are growing has been over-fertilized, be sure to promptly soak it with clean water, dilute it, and rinse it. Also promptly deal with any waterlogging in the potting soil. The general principle of fertilizing is to apply light fertilizer frequently. One more thing to note in particular: we fertilize kumquats during the growing period. If the kumquat has already grown fruit to a certain extent, it is best not to fertilize anymore, to avoid fruit drop, leaf drop, and drying up caused by improper handling.

2. How to prevent kumquat trees from losing leaves?

1. Kumquats need plenty of sunlight, because without light no plant can produce photosynthetic nutrients, and without transpiration there is no physiological circulation among the branches, leaves, and roots.

2. During the growing period, watering should follow the natural pattern of sunny and rainy weather, with the watering principle of “do not water when dry, and water thoroughly when you do.” Overwintering is a dormant period, and since there is little evaporation and little need for water, when moving it indoors, watering must be strictly controlled, and it only needs to be kept slightly moist, to prevent stuffy waterlogging and root rot.

3. During overwintering, it is in a dormant period and has stopped growing, so it must not be fertilized; during the growing period, it is better to use a mild, slightly acidic organic fertilizer. All plants are afraid of strong fertilizer “burning the roots.” Chemical fertilizers are inorganic neutral or alkaline fertilizers, and long-term application will make the potting soil compact, and improper application can very easily burn the roots and kill the plant.

4. In order to promote growth and produce more fruit, during the growing period, while it must be placed in a sunny spot to receive plenty of sunlight, be sure to shade the flowerpot well, to prevent the roots in the potting soil from easily exceeding 37 degrees under direct sunlight and suffering heat damage that kills the roots.