Detailed Introduction to Potted Kumquat Planting Techniques
When visiting friends' homes, we often see potted kumquats on their balconies, and we always wonder how they manage to grow potted citrus trees so well. Let the editor of the Huayugu official website, the gardening know-it-all, explain in detail the cultivation methods for potted kumquats.
1 Potting soil
Kumquat originates from the subtropics and prefers slightly acidic soil. When repotting in spring, keep part of the soil ball to protect the roots and prune excessive old roots. Place two horseshoe pieces at the bottom of the pot, then fill with a mixture of decomposed sawdust and an equal amount of garden soil, or a mixture of 8 parts loose, fertile humus-rich soil and 2 parts cinder.
2 Pruning
After March, most of the kumquat fruits fall off naturally. Remove the remaining fruits by hand to save nutrients. At the same time, thin out overly dense branches, crossing branches, some leggy branches and branches inside the canopy that receive no light. Heavily short-prune the retained 1-year-old branches, leaving 2 to 3 buds per branch, with the cut bud facing outward, so as to open up the canopy for ventilation and light penetration.
During the flowering and fruiting period, pay attention to thinning flowers and fruits, keeping the early-opening flowers and removing late and weak flowers. Generally, flowers that open in May to June have a higher fruit-setting rate and should be mostly retained. Flowers and fruits after July should be removed.
3 Fertilizer and water
(1) Kumquat loves fertilizer. Besides requiring fertile potting soil, during the growing season apply decomposed liquid fertilizer water once every 7 to 10 days, at a concentration of 1 part liquid fertilizer to 3 parts clear water. Apply fertilizer when the potting soil is dry, together with watering, to aid absorption. You can also apply decomposed sesame paste residue or compound fertilizer beneath the dry surface soil, then water immediately. Note that fertilization should be in small amounts and frequent. Organic fertilizer must be fully decomposed. The interval between applications of solid fertilizer is generally 1 month. Do not fertilize during the winter fruit-viewing period.
(2) For watering, follow the principle of watering when dry and thoroughly watering when you do. During the flowering period, keep the potting soil slightly dry. After fruit set is stable, water normally. When young fruits are the size of soybean grains, you can increase fertilizer and water. Kumquat prefers a humid environment. During the display and viewing period and the peak growing season, frequently spray water on the leaves and around the pot, but never spray onto the flowers during the flowering period to avoid flower rot. For plants dormant at lower temperatures, control watering.
4 Temperature
The suitable temperature for kumquat growth is 22 to 29°C. The most suitable indoor display temperature in the north is 10 to 15°C. If the plant is still small and has not fruited, the overwintering temperature should be 3 to 5°C and should not exceed 10°C, otherwise dormancy will be affected. When the outdoor nighttime temperature rises back to 10°C, move it outdoors for care and increase ventilation and light. After autumn turns cool, move it back indoors.
5 Light
Kumquat is a light-loving plant. During the growing season, place it in a sunny spot. In hot, scorching summer, it can be slightly shaded. During winter fruit viewing, place it in a bright indoor spot. For dormant small plants, light requirements in winter are not strict.
6 Pest and disease control
The main pests of kumquat include aphids, scale insects and red spider mites, which can be controlled with a 0.067% mass fraction solution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate, or a 0.67% mass fraction solution of 40% Supracide. Kumquat is an acid-loving flower, and in the north it often shows yellowing due to iron deficiency. When preparing the growing medium, add a small amount of ferrous sulfate, or spray the leaves during the growing season with a 0.1% ferrous sulfate aqueous solution once every 15 to 20 days. Alternatively, add a few drops of vinegar when watering, or regularly water with alum fertilizer water containing 1% ferrous sulfate. Under conditions of poor ventilation and insufficient light, kumquat may develop sooty mold, powdery mildew, etc., which can be controlled with a 0.125% to 0.142% solution of 70% thiophanate-methyl.
Introduction to the potted cultivation method of kumquat
Kumquat
For potted kumquats, it is recommended to choose shorter varieties, which neither take up space nor are difficult to care for. Some flower lovers keep the kumquats they bought at home, and before long the kumquats develop yellowing leaves and dropping fruits. In fact, this is not because kumquats are difficult to grow; in most cases it is because the kumquats purchased were just transplanted into pots by the vendor, and plants need a period of adaptation when growing in a new environment, so there is no need to be too nervous. Below, let us learn about the potted cultivation method of kumquat.
1. Soil
Kumquat prefers a warm, humid growing environment, and its soil requirements are best met by well-drained, fertile, loose, slightly acidic sandy loam. So friends in the north should take note: do not just dig up some soil casually to plant kumquats!
2. Light
Kumquat loves light, so when potting it, place it in a sunny spot. If light is insufficient, the branches and leaves will grow leggy, and flowering and fruiting will be delayed or may not occur at all. Of course, in hot summer, also pay attention to shading the kumquat, because overly strong light can scorch tender plants.
3. Watering
Kumquat prefers a humid growing environment but dislikes waterlogged potting soil. If the potting soil is waterlogged for a long time, the roots rot easily. During the peak growing season, keeping the potting soil moist is sufficient. Potted kumquats in courtyards or grown directly in the open should be protected from rain during the plum rain season to avoid waterlogging.
Kumquat
4. Fertilizing
No plant dislikes fertilizer; the only difference is how much it likes. Fertilizer is nutrition to them and a key substance for growth. When fertilizing potted kumquats, follow the principle of "light fertilizer, frequent application." Before repotting, apply sufficient base fertilizer to ensure the kumquat can fully absorb nutrients in the new environment. Apply sufficient fertilizer before flowering to ensure healthy fruit development.
5. Pruning
Regularly pruning kumquat branches and leaves not only shapes the plant but also increases kumquat yield. Therefore, each year before kumquat budding, carry out one major pruning, cutting off dead leaves, diseased and pest-infested branches, overly dense branches and leggy branches.
Potted kumquats are just this simple. As for the problem of kumquats not fruiting when grown in northern regions, we have also analyzed it one by one. Soil is very important. It is generally sold in online shops or flower and bird markets and is very cheap.
Cultivation and Management Techniques for Household Potted Kumquats
Kumquat is also known as jinzao, jindan, luofu, round kumquat, etc. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus Fortunella in the Rutaceae family. It likes warmth and is slightly afraid of cold. In the Jiangnan region it can be grown both in the ground and in pots. Kumquat is evergreen all year round, blooms in summer, and its fruits ripen in autumn and winter. Clusters of golden fruits dotting green leaves are especially beautiful. It is an excellent choice for winter fruit viewing. Placed in a hall or living room, it adds novelty and elegance, and is one of the famous superior flowers for household potting. Seedling cultivation and managementPotted kumquats commonly use trifoliate orange as rootstock for grafting propagation. The grafting method used is approach grafting, carried out in June. The rootstock should be potted one year in advance. After the graft survives, the seedling focuses on vegetative growth so that it becomes a mature plant as soon as possible. At the same time, appropriate pruning can be done to create a certain tree shape. Generally, kumquat seedlings that survive in the current year should be watered once a day or every other day, and liquid fertilizer should be applied 4 to 5 times in summer and autumn, mainly nitrogen fertilizer with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. After Frost's Descent, place them in an environment of 5 to 10°C or above for warmth and overwintering. Repot in March and April. The growing medium can be prepared from leaf mold, compost or horse manure soil, plus a small amount of cake fertilizer or sauce residue. When repotting, a soil ball must be kept, and appropriate shaping and pruning should be done to adjust growth vigor. After repotting, water thoroughly and keep in a greenhouse for 1 to 2 weeks. Around Pure Brightness to Grain Rain, gradually carry out outdoor adaptation training, then move to a wind-sheltered, sunny spot for fertilization and watering management. After that, carry out management such as moving indoors, keeping warm, repotting and moving outdoors as the seasons change. During growth, potted kumquats send out new shoots 3 to 4 times a year, and appropriate pruning should be done according to specific conditions.
Management of adult kumquats
Repotting and soil management: Adult potted kumquats are repotted once every 2 to 3 years, in March to April or September to October, with the best time being March to April before kumquat budding. The pot size should be based on the size of the plant. The potting soil should be loose, fertile acidic loam, which can be made by mixing leaf mold, compost or horse manure, and coarse sand. When repotting, keep 2/3 of the old soil ball, cut off rotten roots and shorten thick roots. Note that the new soil should not directly contact the roots. After potting, water thoroughly, keep the potting soil moist, and keep out of sunlight for 10 days. After the plant resumes growth, carry out normal management.
Fertilizer and water management: For household potted kumquats, fertilization should be timely, appropriate, light and frequent. Generally in spring, apply organic fertilizer water mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer once every 7 to 10 days. In July to August, apply sufficient phosphorus fertilizer. At the appropriate time, spray 0.1% to 0.2% urea and 0.1% monopotassium phosphate. After October, no longer apply fertilizer to the potting soil; instead, spray a small amount of diluted mixed nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium solution on the leaves once a month. When watering, determine the amount and frequency according to different growth stages and seasons. The principle of watering is to water only when the potting soil is dry, and water thoroughly when watering. Control watering during the flowering period, appropriately increase it during full bloom, and reduce watering again during the fruiting period to promote flowering and fruit set and improve the ornamental effect.
Shaping and pruning: In order to make the canopy of household potted kumquats uniform and beautiful, promote the sprouting of robust branches, and cultivate strong fruiting mother branches, shaping and pruning are needed during growth. Generally, after spring buds sprout, remove 2/3 of the spring buds. From June to early August in summer and early autumn, remove weak or overly dense buds. After mid-August, all buds that sprout should be removed. During the flowering and fruiting periods, special attention should be paid to thinning flowers and fruits to increase the fruit-setting rate, keep the potted kumquat bearing fruit on all four sides, and improve ornamental value. After winter fruit viewing, all fruits can be removed from late March to early April, and heavy pruning should be carried out when repotting from the Spring Equinox to Pure Brightness.
Pest and disease control: Household potted kumquats are susceptible to pests such as red spider mites, scale insects, leaf miners and longhorn beetles, and during the growing season are prone to anthracnose and sooty mold. In pest and disease control, the "prevention first" approach should be actively promoted. After pest or disease damage occurs, chemical control can be used. When the amount of pests and diseases is small, methods such as manually removing diseased leaves and handpicking insects can be used. For chemical treatment, 80% dichlorvos 800 times solution, 40% dimethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution, 90% trichlorfon crystal 1000 to 2000 times solution spray, or 50% Tuzet spray can be used. It is best to alternate different agents for especially good results.