Kumquat isn’t just ridiculously fun to say over and over again, it’s also really fun and rewarding to grow. Kumquats are round, orange like fruits.The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.
The inside of the fruit can be quite bitter but the outside skin is very sweet. Though they may look like oranges, the big difference is that you can eat the skin of a kumquat, but you can’t with an orange. That’s what makes kumquats very popular to grow.
Luckily kumquat trees aren’t too hard to get started. With our handy guide to help, you’ll soon have a tree of your very own.
Kumquat Trees
The fruit kumquat grows on trees known as evergreen, because they are in fact ever green all year round. These beautiful trees can grow from anywhere between 6- 16 feet tall, and are native to South China.
Kumquat trees actually represent prosperity, wealth, and abundance, so growing one might be a great way to kick start your luck.
How To Plant A Kumquat Tree
It’s not as difficult as it seems to plant a kumquat tree, and to make things even easier we’ve broken down the steps for you.
Step One: Germinate Your Seeds
Like an orange or an apple, a kumquat comes prepackaged with it’s seeds in the middle of the fruit. This can be a little annoying when all you want is to bite down into that juicy fruit with all you’ve got and instead come out with a mouthful of seeds.
However this is very useful for those who want to plant their own kumquat tree.
First get a kumquat, cut it open and harvest the seeds inside.
Clean the seeds then wrap them in a damp paper towel, preferably in the early spring. The more seeds the more chance of germination.
Put the paper towel full of seeds in a resealable bag and make sure all the air has been pushed out. Air will dry out the seeds and they need to be kept moist.
Keep the bag in a warm/humid environment. I.e. windowsill, above heater, seedling mat. Keep it there for at least a week and you’ll see the seeds split open and begin to germinate. If they have not, keep them in place for an additional week.
Step 2: Plant Your Germinated Seeds In A Container
Find a container, roughly the size of your hand at least, to plant the germinated seeds in. Fill it with soil, dig a hole big enough for the seeds, and plant them in the hole, covering them back up with soil.
Place the container in a warm area with plenty of sunlight, preferably indoors unless it is warmer outdoors at all times. Make sure to water your seeds daily.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE FERTILIZER IN FIRST 3 MONTHS. Fertilizer will burn the roots of the kumquat plant as they are extremely sensitive.
Step 3: Re-plant Into A Permanent Spot
After about a month, you should start to see your kumquat tree shooting up and forming roots. When it gets too big for the container you should then transplant it to where you want it to permanently stay.
The ideal spot would be outside, in a place where the roots have lots of space to spread out and the tree can grow tall.
Step 4: Plant Care And Harvest
After replanting the tree, continue to water it. You’ll see your tree growing slowly. It takes a lot of patience to grow a Kumquat tree. They grow at a moderate rate of about 24 inches per year.
It will take about 2-4years before you see any fruit forming. Sometimes it can take as long as 10 years. So don’t expect instant results. But when you eventually do get to taste that tart fruit, it’ll be worth it, we promise.
We hope this helped you understand how to grow a kumquat tree, and the level of care that goes into it. Though it might take a few years before you get to see the fruits of your labor (literally), hopefully you’ll be harvesting these tasty fruits with a proud smile!
The inside of the fruit can be quite bitter but the outside skin is very sweet. Though they may look like oranges, the big difference is that you can eat the skin of a kumquat, but you can’t with an orange. That’s what makes kumquats very popular to grow.
Luckily kumquat trees aren’t too hard to get started. With our handy guide to help, you’ll soon have a tree of your very own.
Kumquat Trees
The fruit kumquat grows on trees known as evergreen, because they are in fact ever green all year round. These beautiful trees can grow from anywhere between 6- 16 feet tall, and are native to South China.
Kumquat trees actually represent prosperity, wealth, and abundance, so growing one might be a great way to kick start your luck.
How To Plant A Kumquat Tree
It’s not as difficult as it seems to plant a kumquat tree, and to make things even easier we’ve broken down the steps for you.
Step One: Germinate Your Seeds
Like an orange or an apple, a kumquat comes prepackaged with it’s seeds in the middle of the fruit. This can be a little annoying when all you want is to bite down into that juicy fruit with all you’ve got and instead come out with a mouthful of seeds.
However this is very useful for those who want to plant their own kumquat tree.
First get a kumquat, cut it open and harvest the seeds inside.
Clean the seeds then wrap them in a damp paper towel, preferably in the early spring. The more seeds the more chance of germination.
Put the paper towel full of seeds in a resealable bag and make sure all the air has been pushed out. Air will dry out the seeds and they need to be kept moist.
Keep the bag in a warm/humid environment. I.e. windowsill, above heater, seedling mat. Keep it there for at least a week and you’ll see the seeds split open and begin to germinate. If they have not, keep them in place for an additional week.
Step 2: Plant Your Germinated Seeds In A Container
Find a container, roughly the size of your hand at least, to plant the germinated seeds in. Fill it with soil, dig a hole big enough for the seeds, and plant them in the hole, covering them back up with soil.
Place the container in a warm area with plenty of sunlight, preferably indoors unless it is warmer outdoors at all times. Make sure to water your seeds daily.
IMPORTANT: DO NOT USE FERTILIZER IN FIRST 3 MONTHS. Fertilizer will burn the roots of the kumquat plant as they are extremely sensitive.
Step 3: Re-plant Into A Permanent Spot
After about a month, you should start to see your kumquat tree shooting up and forming roots. When it gets too big for the container you should then transplant it to where you want it to permanently stay.
The ideal spot would be outside, in a place where the roots have lots of space to spread out and the tree can grow tall.
Step 4: Plant Care And Harvest
After replanting the tree, continue to water it. You’ll see your tree growing slowly. It takes a lot of patience to grow a Kumquat tree. They grow at a moderate rate of about 24 inches per year.
It will take about 2-4years before you see any fruit forming. Sometimes it can take as long as 10 years. So don’t expect instant results. But when you eventually do get to taste that tart fruit, it’ll be worth it, we promise.
We hope this helped you understand how to grow a kumquat tree, and the level of care that goes into it. Though it might take a few years before you get to see the fruits of your labor (literally), hopefully you’ll be harvesting these tasty fruits with a proud smile!
