Meiwa kumquat tree grow and care – plant of the genus citrus also known as Round kumquat or Sweet kumquat, Meiwa kumquat grow as shrub or tree perennial evergreen plant, grow for edible fruits, can be used also as ornamental plant and can grow as dwarf tree or bonsai, can grow in subtropical or mediterranean climate and growing in hardiness zone 9+ and in the right overwinter care in cold hardiness zone 8.
Leaves color green mostly dark in oval shape, flowers white with yellow stamen.
Meiwa Kumquat edible fruit
Fruit taste sour with little bit bitter, fruit size ~1 -3 cm and color is orange. The inner fruit divided by segments, the segment cover with soft thin layer, it containing the pulp (little cones covered with a thinner layer). Rind color orange, the edible part is especially the rind eaten raw, the taste is sweet and little bit bitter also used as flavor and fragrant
Meiwa kumquat for sale – Seeds or Plants to Buy
How to grow Meiwa kumquat growing and care:
Well-drained soil, better loamy soil, moist soil in the fruits season and better to put mulch
How to care:
Design for easy to pick the fruits (when there are thorns it’s important but not all cultivars have thorns), add to the soil, organic matter, humus and fertilizer, in location with hot summer sun that the main trunk is expose to the sun better to better to whitewash (lime paint)
What is the best way to start growing:
Plant / Seed / Cutting / Air layering
Is it necessary to graft or cutting?
Yes, necessary to ensure the existent of the fruits and quality of the fruits and better to graft more than one cultivar or more than on citrus.
Cutting need to use for the base of the tree for: disease-free, base that fit for different soils, resistance for drought, base that won’t resist for grafting.
Difficulties/Problems with growing:
When the tree young very sensitive to citrus leaf miner, thorns
Planting season:
Spring to summer in hardiness zone 8-10a, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 10b, all the year in hardiness zone 11, better not to plant it in the hot summer days
Pests and diseases:
Citrus leaf miner, aphids, citrus foot rot, ant, citrus gummosis
Pruning season:
Summer but better when there is no fruits or flowers
How to prune:
Dead branch, cross branches, too much density, when design as shrub need to prune the main trunk in order to induce the side branches to grow and when grow as
Size of the plant:
0.3-4 m (1-12 feet), possible to grow it as shrub 0.3-1 m (1-3 feet) or tree 1-4m (3-12 feet)
Dwarf or bonsai
Growth speed in optimal condition:
Medium growing to slow growing
Water requirement:
Average amount of water, usually the plant need more water in the fruits season, but usually it’s when there are rains and if raining season delay need to increase the amount of water that the fruits won’t be dry and won’t explode.
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun and possible to grow in half shade in the right care but will produce less fruits
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No, but possible to grow next to window with sun that possible, grow it as dwarf tree and will take more time to get fruits
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers:
Yes, when grow in container need to choose the desirable container if it’s small plant it directly if it’s a big container bigger than 100% than the root ball consider start to grow with small container, better to switch the soil once in few years, when start to grow check that the graft of the tree not too much high and choose plant that can grow as dwarf tree or to grow it as bonsai.
Blooming information
When does flowers bloom?
Summer / Autumn
General information about the flower:
Flowers are white with yellow stamen
Thinning / Deadheading of Meiwa kumquat Blossom:
The first year should thinning the flowers
Pollination is done by:
Bees
Edible Fruits
When does it yield:
Autumn / Winter
Pests or diseases in Cumquat fruit:
Citrus stubborn disease, citrus black spot, Alternaria
What can be done with big quantities of Kumquat fruit?
Eat, juice, the rind used fragrant, fruit leather, sugary rind
Work requirements on the fruit:
Pick up (sometimes cut brunches that grow into the fruit)
How long does it take to bear fruit?
1-3 years
Ripening of fruit
Possible to pick up the fruit before and let them ripening them in the house
How to grow Meiwa kumquat from seeds
Sowing requirement:
Moist soil, well-drained soil, 20-27C temperature and better in sunny location
Saving and care seeds until sowing:
Dry, dark location in room temperature
Sowing season:
Spring to early summer (possible also summer to autumn)
How to plant:
Planting in soil that keep moist, cover the seed lightly
Planting spacing:
Better in separate pots, direct on the place 3*4m (10*13 feet), for transplant 5*5 cm (2*2 inches)
Depth of Sowing:
2cm (1inches)
Conditions for seeds germinate:
Keep the soil and don’t let it dry, rich soil and sunny location
Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water
Germination time:
2-4 weeks, but can take longer
Condition of seedling:
If there is Citrus leaf miner in one of the trees in the area, better to put it in greenhouse or indoor to protect the tree, young tree very sensitive to citrus leaf miners, better to cover the soil with mulch.
Scientific name:
Citrus japonica
Alternative names: Meiwa cumquat, Round kumquat
Categories
| Blooming Seasons |
|
|---|---|
| Edible Parts |
|
| Culinary uses |
|
| Flower colors |
|
| Climate |
|
| Harvest Season |
|
| Ornamental parts |
|
| Plant growing speed |
|
| Plant life-form |
|
| Plant Uses |
|
| Planting Season |
|
| Plants sun exposure |
|
| Watering plants |
|
| Hardiness zone |
|