Kumquat Tree

Question

My wife was given a small kumquat tree in a pot as a birthday present five weeks ago. She is generally excellent with houseplants and has even grown a nut tree from a Cadbury’s chocolate nut. The tree is kept in a cool, bright room and watered sparingly once per week from the top of the soil. Not only are the fruits falling off but so are the leaves, which look dried up. Is this due to a lack of water and should it be watered from the top or the base or both?

Thanks

Jim Barr

Answer 1

Here a few things to check that came to mind:

Soil moisture - the soil of a kumquat should be kept consistently moist (but not damp/soggy).

Is it rootbound? It very well could be. Kumquats do not like to be root-bound and prefer large pots, so maybe a re-potting (in a pot with fresh soil and large drainage holes) is just what it needs.

For more information on the care of kumquat tree, please visit the following link:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/kumquat/growing-kumquat-trees.htm