The kumquat comes from Asia and loves warmth and light. Although it needs winter rest in order to bloom and bear fruit again the following year, it cannot tolerate prolonged frost.
How do you properly overwinter a kumquat?
To overwinter a kumquat successfully, place the tree in a bright, cool and frost-free location, ideally at 5-10 °C. During this time, water sparingly and avoid fertilizer. This will increase your chances of flowering and fruiting in the coming year.
During winter dormancy, you should only water your kumquat sparingly. But make sure that the soil does not become completely dry. The plant does not need fertilizer at all during this time. Only in spring, when the kumquat is warmer again, can you water more and slowly start adding fertilizer again.
The ideal winter quarters for a kumquat tree
If you want your kumquat tree to bloom and bear fruit again next year, then you should offer it a cool, bright winter quarters. A frost-free greenhouse with temperatures between 5 and 10 °C is ideal; an unheated winter garden is also suitable.
The kumquat needs a lot of light even in winter. If it still loses its leaves, you may be able to help with artificial light. Special daylight lamps (€23.00 at Amazon) replicate natural light particularly well and are often used to care for light-hungry plants.
If your kumquat is left in the heated living room all year round, then the probability that the plant will bloom is relatively low. If you have a cool, bright basement, you should allow your kumquat to rest there for a few weeks to increase the chances of flowers and fruit.
The most important things in brief:
- bright cool location
- frost-free
- ideal temperature: 5 – 10 °C
- water little
- no fertilizer
Tips & Tricks
If you want your kumquat to bloom again next year, then offer it a bright, cool winter quarters and sufficient winter rest.
