Bring on the kumquats

By Brenda Heinold Victoria County Master Gardener Dec 10, 2022

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BRYNN LEE – Kumquat Tree at Victoria Educational Gardens

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER NANCY KRAMER – Kumquat from a backyard tree in Victoria.

When my daughter was in high school, her cross-country training route took her by a beautiful tree covered with tiny orange fruit.

Each day, she and her teammates picked and ate a couple of the delicious fruit. And each night, she came home and told us about the beautiful tree covered with delicious fruit.

Since then, I have learned that she was describing a kumquat, but at the time, I had never heard of it.

Years later, when I became a Master Gardener, I admired the beautiful kumquat trees that graced the Victoria Educational Gardens and, like my daughter, ate more than a few while working in the gardens.

Fast forward to February 2021 when one of the worst freezes in the last several decades hit Victoria and surrounding counties. I had recently acquired a kumquat in a large flowerpot from Victoria County Master Gardeners and had decided to transplant it into the yard. Bad decision. Just a few weeks later, the freezing weather began. When it was over, I had lost my beautiful, tasty kumquat tree along with many other citrus trees.

I wasn’t alone. Many homeowners throughout Texas lost their citrus trees. They decided to dig them up and replace them. Although nurseries have restocked other citrus trees, kumquats have been difficult to find. Local nurseries have not been able to restock due to shortages at the wholesale nurseries.

Two years later, it appears that more kumquats might be headed to local nurseries in the spring, and I plan to be the first in line to purchase several of these beauties.

If you would like to plant a kumquat, do not rely on purchasing them online. Agricultural regulations often prohibit shipment of citrus trees from other states into Texas and from one quarantined area within the state to another area. These regulations are designed to prevent the spread of diseases and pests that threaten to destroy the citrus industry in Texas and other regions.

Please be a responsible gardener and purchase your kumquat from a reputable, local nursery.

Kumquat is a small citrus, seldom growing taller than 10-12 feet. A native of Southeast Asia, it grows in hardiness Zones 8b-11, making them ideal for backyard planting in the Victoria area. They also adapt well to container gardening and make attractive additions to a patio area.

Whether in the ground or in a container, they provide great summer and winter interest with their glossy leaves, abundant white flowers and bright splashes of orange fruit that can hang on the tree for months.

Kumquats prefer well-drained soil with slightly acidic to neutral PH and average water. Like other citrus trees, they benefit from regular applications of a citrus fertilizer with zinc.

To plant in the ground, pick a spot with full sun. You may mix a little compost into the soil you dig out of the hole and then backfill, planting no deeper than the tree was growing in the pot. Otherwise, do not add any supplements to the soil.

Spread an organic mulch around the tree, keeping the mulch a couple of inches away from the trunk. Water your newly planted, mulched tree every two or three days for the first few weeks and then weekly thereafter.

Three varieties to consider are Nagami, Meiwa and Marumi. Of these three, Meiwa, whose fruit are round rather than oblong, is the sweetest.

Which variety do I plan to plant? Any and all that I can get my hands on.

For more information, check out Aggie Horticulture or Bexar County Extension

The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or [email protected], or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.

To enjoy kumquats

• Eat whole, skin and all

• Make into jam or marmalade

Aggie-Horticulture Kumquat Marmalade

3 quarts water

2 cups thinly sliced kumquats

Orange peel slices from one orange

1 ½ cups chopped orange pulp

1/3 cup lemon juice

9 cups sugar

Add water to fruit; cover and let sit in cool place overnight. Bring to boil and cook until peel is tender. To each cup of fruit, add 1 cup sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cooks to jellying point, about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Pour boiling mixture into jars and process in water bath for 10 minutes. Yield: 8 half pints.