The kumquat comes from Asia and loves warmth and light. Although it needs a hibernation in order to bloom and bear fruit again the following year, it does not tolerate prolonged frost.
During the hibernation, you should only water your kumquat sparingly. Make sure, however, that the soil does not become completely dry. The plant does not need fertilizer at all during this period. Only in spring, when the kumquat is warmer again, can you water more and slowly start giving fertilizer again.
The ideal winter quarters for a kumquat tree
If you want your kumquat tree to flower and bear fruit again next year, you should offer it a cool, bright winter quarters. A frost-free greenhouse with temperatures between 5 and 10 °C is ideal, and an unheated conservatory is also suitable.
Even in winter, the kumquat needs a lot of light. If she loses her leaves anyway, you can possibly help with artificial light. Special daylight lamps reproduce natural light particularly well and are often used to care for light-hungry plants.
If your kumquat is in a heated living room all year round, then the probability that the plant will flower is relatively small. If you have a cool, bright basement room, you should allow your kumquat to hibernate there for a few weeks to increase the chances of flowering and fruiting.
The essentials in brief:
- bright cool location
- Frost free
- ideal temperature: 5 - 10 °C
- pour little
- no fertilizer
tips and tricks
If you want your kumquat to bloom again next year, provide it with a bright, cool winter quarters and adequate hibernation.