How to grow kumquat at home?

Currently, kumquat is hardly to be found in every Russian supermarket, but in the shops of dried fruit this bright citrus is almost always found. Its unusual appearance and bright taste explain why today more and more gardeners are trying to grow a tree on their own, including at home.

Kumquat tree refers to evergreen. Its height is two meters in natural conditions, and in home cultivation it often depends on the size of the tank in which it is planted. Proper design of the crown allows you to achieve that the kumquat begins to grow to the sides and looks like a bush.

A flowering tree is covered with beautiful flowers of soft pink or white flowers. Fruits often have an orange shade, like an orange, but more elongated. The flesh is more like a tangerine. The taste of Kumquat is bright, sweet and rich; besides, the use of this citrus is good for health. It is important to mention that both the flesh and the peel are eaten.

Citrus fruits love to experiment with different varieties of kumquat. Most often in apartments there is a room "Nagavi", which is an ornamental plant with numerous bright red fruits. It has a subspecies "Nordmann Nagami", distinguished by the absence of seeds in the fruit, and the subspecies "Variegated" with green-striped oval citrus.

Then there is the Marumi variety. Most often, these trees grow on the street and are characterized by the presence of sharp spines on the branches. The variety "Maeve" has the sweetest fruit, in appearance resembling lemons. It tolerates temperature fluctuations rather poorly, therefore it is more recommended for home planting.

The Fukushi variety produces the largest fruits, oval or pear-shaped, with a sweet skin and juicy flesh. By the size of the tree, this variety is also a leader. The variety "Hong Kong" is very rarely eaten. Fruits appear extremely small, and the tree itself is equipped with long and dangerous thorns.

Finally, the Malay variety does not like closed ground, therefore it is most often grown for hedge. It should be mentioned that the kumquat is usually crossed with other citrus fruits. Thus, limequat (kumquat and lime), orange jackat (orange and kumquat), lemonquat (lemon and kumquat), and calamondin (kumquat and tangerine) are obtained.

Initially, kumquat was grown only in China, but today the range has expanded to Japan, Asia, Europe and the United States. Observing the necessary requirements, it will be possible to grow it in Russia both at home and in the garden. However, its taste will not be so sweet. If the landing will be carried out in the fresh air, you should choose a well-lit area. At the same time, direct rays directed at the tree will only harm it - the foliage will fall off, so you need to strive for diffused lighting.

With regards to the soil, it is best to buy a mixture specifically designed for citruses. Alternatively, you can mix the turf, rotted manure or leaf humus, the ground from the garden and sand. In reproduction with cuttings, the best month is April - citrus will have time to settle down and strengthen its root system. The same applies to the reproduction of layering.

Kumquat houses will be able to grow out of the stone. In the first case, a ripe fruit is taken and seeds are obtained from it. The resulting material is soaked in a growth-promoting solution, after which it is placed in a pot.The diameter of the tank should be 8 centimeters, and the grooves in which seeds are planted should be 1.5 or 2 centimeters in depth. After disembarking the container is covered with a film of polyethylene and retracted into a rather warm space. The first sprout can appear after 35 days.

In the case when the plant lives in fresh air, it must be watered once every three days at a moderate temperature and every day at a temperature above twenty degrees Celsius. The tree will need the optimum amount of moisture, which is best provided by an automatic watering system. It is important to remember that excess liquid can destroy kumquat. Water is better to take settled in a barrel in the sun. In addition, the situation with temperature fluctuations may turn out to be dangerous - the kumquat will start losing sheets. Therefore, this moment of plant care should also be worked out.

To care for the kumquat at home is about the same way as the requirements are similar. Periodically, the tree is watered and sprayed with infused water at room temperature. That development was uniform, every 10 days the pot with a plant turns on 10 degrees. In the winter months for Kumquat, additional artificial lighting is organized, and it moves to the brightest place, and in the summer it is moved to partial shade.

The tree begins to bear fruit only if it is regularly fertilized. Although there are general recommendations regarding this process, it should be remembered that the frequency of fertilizing also depends on the age of the plant, its condition, the soil used and the size of the pot. For example, if the capacity is rather small, then fertilizer should be applied more often. Feeding is carried out every month of the year, except for winter, from two to those times.

In November and in the winter months, the number of procedures can be reduced to once a month. As a rule, kumquat is fed with a complex mineral solution. In a liter of water dissolve a couple of grams of ammonium nitrate, a couple of grams of potassium salt, as well as from 4 to 6 grams of superphosphate. In addition, the tree will enjoy making wood ash. If conditions allow, then in spring and summer kumquat can be fertilized with manure diluted in water at a ratio of 1:10.

Replant the tree every three years: either at the end of winter or at the beginning of spring. In carrying out this procedure, the most important thing is not to damage the root system, so the plant is transported along with the earth root. Placing it in a new place, it is important to pour, and it is also better to spray the kumquat with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

In the spring, if the tree is actively producing new shoots, you can do the formation of the crown. The always stiff part is removed, after which the active development of the plant begins in breadth.

In the case when the tree is to grow in the open air, either propagation by cuttings or cuttings are usually used. Although, of course, this rule is also relevant for home conditions. The cuttings are cut in autumn, and at least three buds are left on each branch. Sections should be carried out so that between the lower kidney and the place of separation there is a gap of 0.5 cm, and between the top and the place of separation - a gap of 1 cm. The upper cut is also made oblique. In spring, the cuttings are planted to a depth of 1.5 to 2 centimeters and closed with a glass jar.

When working with layering those shoots are selected, whose age is one year. The length should reach 20 centimeters, and the thickness - 0.5 centimeters. A point of 10 centimeters is marked on the bark, after which two cuts are made with an interval of 1 centimeter. The bark in this area is removed, in addition, sheets are removed at a height of 5 centimeters. The resulting bare shoot is usually weighed down with a polyethylene package with earth.

Even with an ideal care system, the kumquat can get sick or be attacked by insects. To prevent the situation from developing to a critical point, the tree should be regularly inspected. If branches suddenly dry, kumquat drops leaves, specks appear or growths are formed, this indicates that there is some serious problem.

Most often, the kumquat is attacked by scutes and spider mites. If the leaves curl, fall off, are covered with cobwebs and white dots below, this indicates a tick. In this case, you need to do the following: a tablespoon of tobacco dust for six days to insist in water, initially hot. Then 10 grams of soap chips are added to the liquid, and the tree is processed every six days with a prepared solution.

Three procedures are usually enough to get rid of a pest. It will be possible to use the garlic - the head is finely cut and poured with a glass of boiling water. The infusion matures forty-eight hours, after which it is filtered and used for processing.

In the case when the sheets were covered with black bloom and something sticky, we are talking about the shield. To get rid of it, you have to make a solution of a teaspoon of engine oil, 40 grams of soap chips, two tablespoons of laundry detergent and warm water. When processing leaflets and branches, it is important to ensure that the medicine does not end up on the ground.

Ideally, the soil will need to be pre-tightened with a film. The solution is applied only for three or four hours, after which it is thoroughly washed off with a shower. Processing is also carried out every six days. As a preventive measure, the plant can be sprayed with water, in which soap chips are dissolved and vegetable oil is added.

Of the diseases, kumquat most often suffers from fungi. It is treated with fungicides, but the previously damaged parts are eliminated, and it is necessary to say goodbye to the buds and fruits to save the strength of the plant. For the prevention of the tree is recommended to periodically sprinkle Bordeaux liquid diluted in water.

How to grow a kumquat on the window, see the next video.