kumquat

Im getting mixed messages about whether you can grow a kumquat plant permanently in a pot. Is this possible ? is there a variety thats best for pot growing ?

 

Hi I have a small variegated kumquat that has been in a pot for many years, though I repot it every few years and feed when I remember. It fruits well, and last year produced enough for me to make a few jars of marmalade. It tasted good!

 

is it an outdoor or indoor plant ? i should have said i want to keep it outdoors. do you know what specific type of kumquat it is ?

 

They are not hardy in my experience so basically a greenhouse in winter outside in summer.

Mine died this winter as I forgot to water it, it was behind a lot of other stuff, I'm not bothered as I never found a good use for the fruit.

 

poor kumquat

 

Definitely greenhouse, though mine is only just frost free. This year a lemon has made it through the winter in my cold greenhouse section. But for safety I keep the caviar lime and kumquat in the frost free section. @pete despite being small, the fruit made an easy marmalade. I think I had to get pips out, but apart from that, just used a stick blender to break them up after simmering.
This year I don't see any buds yet - it's probably exhausted! Whereas the caviar lime is plastered with flowers again. The only shame is they aren't scented like the kumquat.

 

OK I probably didn't have enough fruit to make marmalade.
I've been slowly picking lemon all winter, a bit small, probably because I allowed too many on the plant, I find if you leave the fruit on too long after it's ripe it has a bad effect in the following years crop.

Still got the caviar lime you sent me it's just making new growth but no flowers.

I've got a decent crop of what I believe is seville orange this year but only just ripening.

 

Glad the caviar lime survives @pete! I've taken more cuttings - the success rate is very poor. Interestingly, the limes freeze very well. I've added the little "caviars" from a defrosted one to a G &T this evening