Small oval fruits ripen on an evergreen shrub and are eaten whole, skin and all — this is the kumquat (Fortunella margarita), the rare citrus whose peel needs no peeling. Grown mostly in a pot, it asks for full sun and soil that drains freely; meet that and the harvest comes in autumn and early winter.
| Name | Fortunella margarita |
|---|---|
| Family | Rutaceae (Rue family) |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Height | 6 to 13 feet (2 to 4 meters) |
| Exposure | Full sun |
| Harvest | Fall, early winter |
It has cute fruits with an edible peel. Planting and repotting, care, watering and pruning are all good practices that will help you to grow a very nice fortunella margarita.
It’s more common to grow this small citrus in pots as an indoor citrus tree. In mild climates, luckily, you can plant it outdoors with great success.
Planting fortunella in a pot
What’s best is to plant fortunella margarita in a blend of soil mix enriched with fertilizer.
An ideal solution is to pour in a layer of gravel, clay pebbles or rocks to ensure that excess water drains well to the bottom.
Make this layer about 1 to 2 inches (3 to 4 cm) thick.
Anticipate repotting in a pot that is slightly larger than the previous every 2 or 3 years on average.
Planting fortunella directly in the ground in the garden
It will only grow directly in the ground in Mediterranean-type climates or tropical climates.
Although it has been seen to resist temperatures as low as 17°F (-8°C) and even 14°F (-10°C), it must necessarily be planted under wind shelter and in full sun.
Once this is the case, mix soil mix into your garden soil and ensure that your soil drains well.
If it doesn’t drain well, dig a hole that is slightly deeper, and layer gravel, rocks, sand or clay pebbles along the bottom.
It isn’t really necessary to prune it.
To rebalance the silhouette of your Fortunella margarita, prune lightly in spring after the harvest, or just after repotting if it is a potted specimen.
You can also supplement citrus plant fertilizer during the entire growing phase.
In winter, if you fear particularly strong freezing and it is grown in a pot, bring it in a cool and well-lit room where it never freezes.
Although fortunella margarita can resist to freezing temperatures, its fruits will fall with the first frost.
It’s very rare to get a good harvest from a Fortunella margarita grown indoors.
Indoors, water regularly but not too much as soon as the soil is dry.
In winter, space the watering in order to let the soil dry up deep down before watering again.
Where you keep the plant decides how much sun, shelter and frost protection it needs — and how likely you are to pick any fruit at all. Compare the three situations described above before you buy a pot or dig a hole.
| Growing situation | Suits | Key requirement | Fruiting |
|---|---|---|---|
| In a pot indoors all year | Cool climates and flats | Well-lit spot, out of direct sun in the hottest hours | Rarely a good harvest |
| In a pot outdoors, brought in for winter | Regions with hard frosts | A cool, well-lit room where it never freezes | Fruits drop with the first frost |
| Directly in the ground | Mediterranean-type or tropical climates | Full sun, wind shelter and soil that drains freely | Harvest in fall and early winter |
In every case the same two rules apply: plenty of light, and never any water standing around the roots.
Fortunella margarita is a small fruit shrub that bears edible fruit, and, which is rare for a citrus, the entire fruit is edible.
Indeed, not only the flesh but also the skin of the kumquat is eaten.
Indoors and in a pot, simply set it in a well-lit spot but avoid direct sunlight during the hottest hours.
In winter it needs relatively lower temperatures and would not resist the heat of a house or apartment. Find a luminous room for it where the temperature won’t drop below freezing.
Regular adding of citrus plant fertilizer will greatly increase blooming and fruit formation of your Fortunella margarita.
Very informative having been given a small tree which is in a pot.
i shall transfere it to the garden. soon.