The more seeds you place in the bag, the more chances you’ll have of successfully growing a mature tree. Kumquat seeds can be taken from any ripe fruit. Do not dry the kumquat seeds since they will not grow as well as fresh seeds.
Label the bag with the date you put the seeds inside. If you’re germinating more types of seeds, write down what type of seed is in the bag.
If some of the seeds do not germinate, leave them in the bag for 1 additional week. IF they still have not germinated after the second week, throw them away.
Add an equal part of perlite to your mix to make your soil drain even better. Special premade potting mixes are sold for citrus trees and are usually available at your local garden store. If you purchase the premade potting mix, you do not need to mix other components into it.
If a seedling has started to grow and there are leaves, try to keep them above the top of the soil so they can receive sunlight.
Use a spray bottle on newly planted seeds to water them lightly.
Take multiple cuttings to ensure that one of them will take root and grow into a tree. Disinfect your cutting tools with rubbing alcohol or diluted bleach before and after making the cut.
Rooting hormones can be purchased as a liquid or powder at gardening stores or online. Dilute your rooting hormone following the instructions on the package carefully. Too much of the hormone could kill the plant. You can also dip the end of the cutting into a powder rooting hormone and place it directly in the soil.
Make sure the soil is damp to the touch, but not completely wet. Don’t let the soil dry out completely. It will take several weeks for the roots to establish before you move the plant outdoors or into direct sunlight.
Kumquat trees can easily be pruned and cut back to stay in the same container each year. Don’t move a mature tree since this could cause stress to the plant.
Use a fluorescent grow light if you don’t get 6 hours of sunlight inside your house.
Keep a saucer underneath your pot so water can drain out and evaporate. This adds humidity and will help your kumquats grow more.
Your fruits should start developing after 2 to 4 years after taking a cutting, but it could take up to 10 years if you’ve grown the kumquats from seeds. Unlike other citrus fruits, you can eat the skin of a kumquat. It has a spicy-sweet flavor.
Disinfect your tools before and after you prune your tree with rubbing alcohol or diluted bleach. Step back from the tree occasionally to see how it is shaped overall while you’re pruning. Don’t remove more than one-third of the canopy during a pruning session.
Cutting back roots every year helps prevent roots from wrapping around one another in the pot and lets water flow through the soil. Replace the soil or add more compost to enhance the nutrient content.
Spray both sides of the leaves to get complete coverage.
