QUESTION: Dear Coach Anne,

I purchased a Kumquat tree. I am wondering how I should care for my new tree? What size pot should I have it in? How much sunlight? How often should I water it? Should I fertilize it? Thank you so much for your time and help and have a great day.

ANSWER: Pot your tree in good draining soil. You can purchase soil for citrus which would work well. Use a pot just a couple of inches larger across than the one it is growing in. Make sure it has drainage holes. Plan to pot it up into larger containers as the tree grows.

Make sure you do not plant it any deeper than it is growing now. Water it well after you plant it to make sure no air pockets are left.

Your tree should be going dormant and so won't need fertilizing until you see new growth start to break late next spring. Then, give it a good quality citrus fertilizer, which contains micronutrients, according to package directions.

Kumquats are late to come out, so don't be discouraged if you don't see new growth right away when it warms up. Keep the whole plant, including the root ball, at least at 65 degrees F. throughout the winter. Long, hot summers are best for the tree to develop fruit, so move it outdoors after frosts are finished.

This site has good info on potting and growing:

http://progressivefarmer.com/tabid/1438/Default.aspx

Although Kumquats are hardy to 20 degrees F, my experience has shown that they are not that hardy in a container. I lost one I left outdoors on a patio. If you are in a mild climate and your kumquat is large enough, you could put it in the ground. It won't take sustained temperatures below freezing, though, just occasional freezes that don't last.

Thanks for visiting The Plant Coach!