Description of the distinguishing features of fortunella, indoor care, advice on breeding kumquat, problems in growing exotic and their solution, types. Fortunella is a member of the Rutaceae family and is included in the genus Citrus in the broadest sense, but sometimes it is separated into a separate genus Fortunella. Her true homeland is the southern or southeastern regions of China (Guangzhou). But the most interesting thing is that this plant can no longer be found in the wild, it is grown only as a culture. In nature, there are several types of this tree with wonderful fruits that differ in shape. But not only Chinese farmers are engaged in its cultivation, its cultivation is flourishing in Southeast Asia, in the lands of Japan, in the Middle East. This occupation did not pass the territory of Southern Europe, you can still see fortunella growing in Florida (USA). The plant has several other names, such as kumquat - this is the name of the Chinese, which means "golden apple" or kinkan - this name was given to him by the inhabitants of the Japanese islands and means "golden orange".
Only in the 19th century, the kumquat began its journey through the countries of Europe and America. In the process of fruiting, the tree begins to cover with small fruits, painted in golden yellow, bright orange or amber shades (apparently for this feature the plant has such poetic names). The shape of the fruit of fortunella is elongated-oval or rounded - they are the smallest among all representatives of the citrus genus. In size, the fruits reach a length of 3-4 cm with a diameter of 2-3 cm, somewhat resembling a medium grape or large olive.
A large number of hybrids have already been bred, which are either created by Mother Nature or by man. In these hybrids, a kinkan is always one of the progenitors of a new specimen, and the second is a citrus tree, for example:
- by combining mandarin and kumquat, we obtained calamondin;
- when crossing kumquat and lime, limequat came out;
- oranjevat also came out of crossing mandarin and kumquat;
- a hybrid of citrus tripoliant and Japanese kumquat is called citrumquat;
- if you cross a citrus tripoliant, an orange and a kumquat, you get a citranjquat;
- but citranzhin is called a plant obtained by combining a hybrid of kumquat and tangerine with a hybrid of a trifoliant and an orange.
And this is not a complete list of various plants bred on the basis of the "golden apple".
In Europe, the kumquat was described only in the middle of the 17th century (in 1646) and the mention of the healing properties of the plant and the sweet-sour taste of its amber fruits was found in the "Hesperides" of the famous book of Ferrari, but alas, even in our time, the kinkan still does not have widespread in European countries. But in ancient Chinese authors always in their treatises mentioned the taste and properties of the "golden orange".
Only in 1912, the kinkan was described from the point of view of the science of botany, and was given by a French scientist from Algeria - Louis Charles Trabu. According to his records, fortunella is a small branchy tree that never changes the color of its foliage. The shoots of the kumquat are flattened into three sides, they can be covered with thorns, but sometimes the branches are smooth. Its leaf plates are small, approximately 3–6 cm long and 2–2.5 cm wide. The venation on the surface is clearly visible in the lumen. Kinkan blooms with white flowers, which are located in the axils and grow either singly or in three.
The most important thing about a plant is its unique fruits. Their shape is egg-like or elongated-elliptical, they are painted in shades of golden yellow, orange or fiery orange color scheme. The fruit peel is glossy, fragrant and sweetish-spicy. The pulp is juicy and has a sour or sour-sweet taste. The fruit itself usually contains 4-7 lobules and 2 to 5 seeds. Ripening stretches from February to March.
Some plant species tolerate wintering well in our non-harsh conditions, for example, in the Crimea or Sochi. The plant is a long-liver, and if you adhere to the rules of caring for it, it can delight with its fruits for a dozen or more years.
Recommendations for growing fortunella
- Lighting and location selection. For a kumquat, a window of any direction, except for the north, is suitable. The plant loves sunlight, but without scorching rays. It is better to spend winter time for kinkan on the window of the southern location without shading, but supplementary lighting with phyto-lamps is still required, since daylight hours must be increased. With the arrival of summer, the tree can be taken out into the fresh air, but select a place without a bright ultraviolet flux at noon.
- Content temperature. The plant is afraid of sudden changes in heat and it is necessary to ensure that when grown at home, the temperature indicators do not differ in the room and on the windowsill. In summer, 25-30 degrees is required, and in winter and during the budding it is not lower than 15-18 degrees.
- Humidity for kumquat should be increased, especially during the winter period, when heaters and central heating batteries are operating. Here spraying of the crown, mechanical humidifiers are used.
- Watering fortunella should be moderate, both overdrying of the earthen coma and its excessive moisture should be avoided. If the pot is not large, then the signal for watering is the drying of the topsoil. When the specimen is large, then watering is carried out in the case when about 5 cm of soil has dried out deep into the tub. Water for irrigation is taken necessarily soft and warmed up to 20-24 degrees Celsius. If the water is hard, then to soften it, add oxalic acid at the rate of 1/4 teaspoon per 8 liters of water. Under the influence of this drug, calcium and magnesium salts, if a lot of them settle to the bottom. And only after a day the soil is moistened with such water.
- Fertilizers. The smaller the container in which the kinkan is planted, the more often it requires additional feeding. From the beginning of the vein until September, two or three times a month, it is required to fertilize fortunella with complex mineral mixtures, but only they should not contain chlorine. In other periods, only a one-time feeding per month is sufficient. It is good to add organic fertilizers such as 1:10 mullein solution or wood ash. They need to be alternated with mineral ones.
- Transplanting and soil selection. When the plant is still very young, then a transplant will be needed when the pot becomes small for a tree, the capacity should correspond to the size of the crown. For an adult kumquat that bears fruit, the pot and soil are changed every 2-3 years. This operation is performed in February-March and only by the transshipment method so as not to injure the root system. The top layer of the soil must be changed. At the bottom of the container, it is necessary to pour high-quality drainage (expanded clay, pebbles, shards or broken brick). Then a layer of coarse sand is laid up to 4 cm, and only then the substrate. After transplanting at home, the plant must be placed in a warm place and the crown should be periodically sprayed with water.
To change the soil, soil mixtures with good air and water permeability and rich in nutrients are selected. You can buy ready-made soil for citrus plants, or you can create a substrate yourself based on the following components:
- fertile greenhouse soil, sod, rotted manure or humus from leaves, river sand or vermiculite (in proportions 1: 2: 1: 1);
- turf soil, coarse sand or perlite, peat soil or leaf humus, crushed coal (all parts are equal, only coal is only 1/4 part).
Self-breeding exotic kinkan
You can get a new plant with amber fruits at home using cuttings, grafting, layering or planting seeds.
Cuttings can be cut at any time of the year, however, it is noted that April is the best time. The cut cutting should not be less than 8 cm, its cut is processed with a growth stimulator. Twigs for planting are taken semi-lignified, having at least 3 buds. The lower part of the cutting is powdered with crushed charcoal or activated charcoal, and the upper part of the leaves is cut off by one third. After planting from a sandy soil substrate, the branches are covered with a glass jar or a cut plastic bottle - this will maintain high levels of humidity and heat (mini-greenhouse). A layer of drainage material should be poured into the pot, then a layer of chopped sphagnum moss, and only the soil is laid on top. It is recommended to pour a 3-centimeter layer of sand on the top of the substrate.
Planting cuttings at home should be no more than 2 cm deep. The seedlings are set in a warm place with good illumination, only without direct streams of the sun at noon. It is necessary to regularly remove the vessel and air the cuttings and moisten the soil. For this, only warm and settled water is taken. If the conditions of care are met, the cuttings will take root in about two weeks. After that, it is required to transplant by the transfer method (without destroying the earthy coma) into pots with a large diameter and a substrate suitable for further growth.
To carry out reproduction by layering, you need to pick up a branch whose age is approximately equal to a year. The length of the shoot should be measured at 19–20 cm. In a place that is 9–10 cm above the base, it is necessary to make a couple of cuts located at a centimeter distance. The ring from the bark, which has formed, is removed and the leaf plates located slightly higher or lower must be removed. It is recommended to take a plastic transparent pot or a half-liter glass with a diameter of 8 cm. It is cut lengthwise and a semicircle is cut out on each part of the bottom, which will be equal to the thickness of the branch. Half of the container is attached to the shoot so that the cut is inside in its central part. Then both halves need to be fastened (with wire or tape) and filled with a substrate from a mixture of sand and peat. The soil in this design will require regular moisture. Usually, after a month, root processes will appear slightly above the incision. After a few more months have passed, it is necessary to cut off the shoot slightly below the place of the bottom of the container. A young kumquat with the soil in which it gave roots must be transplanted into a larger pot and soil for further growth. The soil should be constantly moistened, and the place in which the small fortunella is placed should not be strongly lit for the first 14 days.
When the plant is grafted, this procedure is performed in those months when the branches of the tree are intensively growing. In this case, the stock is a seedling of grapefruit, lemon or kumquat with a thickness of 0.8 cm. Budding is performed with an “eye” (bud) behind the bark of the plant. Inoculation is carried out in time for the growth of shoots and the movement of juices on the rootstock and scion. After the "eyes" take root well, the parts that are above the ground, before grafting at the kinkan, it is recommended to cut it off, the crown of the tree will already form from the growing branch. A kumquat that has been grafted becomes more hardy than a plant obtained by cuttings or cuttings.
When planting seeds, varietal traits are usually lost and a plant that has grown later will bear fruit only for 8-10 years of life. Seed material must be sown in a substrate of sand and garden soil. After more than 40 days have passed, you can wait for seedlings. Only when the first 4–5 true leaves appear on the seedlings, the seedlings can be dived (planted in separate containers). But 10 days before this moment, it is recommended to cut the main root of the seedling directly in the ground with a secateurs, this will be the key to further branching of the tree's root system.
Problems with kumquat cultivation
The plant, if the growing conditions are violated, can be affected by the red spider mite, scale insect, aphids, mealybug and whitefly. For pest control, wiping of leaves and shoots with soap, oil or alcohol solution is used. In case of severe damage, it is recommended to spray with insecticides, with re-treatment after 2-3 weeks for prophylaxis. From funds can be used "Fitover", "Aktara", "Aktellik" or "Korbofos".
Among the difficulties are the following:
- a lack of iron or magnesium leads to yellowing of the foliage;
- if the foliage has acquired a light green tint, then this means an insufficient degree of illumination or a lack of nutrients;
- If leaves and buds began to fall massively, then either the earthen clod is overdried, or the soil has been flooded;
- if there is a lack of light or fertilizer, then new young shoots grow thin;
- the tips of the leaf plates began to turn brown in case of insufficient soil moisture or low air humidity.
Interesting facts about fortunella
Due to the fact that the taste of kinkan fruits is very pleasant and it is not only in the pulp, but also the peel is edible (the fruits are usually eaten with the peel), it is customary to cook candied fruits from them, dry and dry. They are used in cooking to prepare sauces for meat. Jams, jams, candied fruits are produced in industrial volumes.
The ancient Chinese also knew about the healing properties of the kumquat fruit - they stimulate the vital processes of the body, has the properties of deodorization, as well as anti-inflammatory actions. The fruits of fortunella contain a lot of nutrients and trace elements, for example, vitamins C, B1-3, B5-6, B9-12, as well as K, E, A.
Kumquat species
At the moment, there are six types of plants:
- Oval kumquat or Fortunella margarita. You can find this plant called Nagami kumquat. Differs in fruits of an elliptical elongated shape, in which there are few seeds. Rarely exceeds a meter height. The runs are smooth, without thorns. The length of the leaves is up to 4 cm in length.
- Round kumquat or Japanese Fortunella (Fortunella japonica). A small tree about one and a half meters tall, shoots are covered with thorns, leaves reach 5 cm in length, fruits 2, 5-3 cm in diameter are painted in bright orange or amber color. Its flesh is sour, but the rind is sweet and edible. The fruit has 4 to 7 lobules. Fairly hardy species. This variety is very productive. It is sometimes called the Marumi kumquat and is rarely grown indoors.
- Hong Kong kumquat or Golden Bob kumquat (Fortunella hindsii). This plant has a very slow growth rate. It rarely reaches the meter mark even in adulthood. Its mini size is good for bonsai cultivation.
- Fukushi kumquat (Fortunella obovata). This plant is grown as a pot plant in China and Japan. The plant grows well under artificial light. Differs in obovate fruit and sour taste. It has a lush crown and leaf plates are the largest of all types - up to 6 cm in length.
- Malay kumquat (Fortunella japonica). This variety of fortunella is used for decorative purposes. It can be cultivated as a pot culture and grows up to meter indicators. In nature, a tree can reach 5 meters in height.
- Meiva kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia). This plant differs in larger fruits than other varieties that have an oval shape. The flesh of the fruits of this variety is the sweetest and is grown as a fruit tree. This variety is bred as a result of a natural hybridization process in Japan.
Learn more about the kumquat in this video:
