Calamondins and Kumquats

[Dog Rose]

Is anyone familiar with these plants? I saw them in the Garden Centre at the weekend, and thought one or the other might make a nice addition to the fruit selection. The problem is that I'm not that familiar with growing citrus fruits, since they don't do well outside in our climate. The Calamondins look like very small oranges, while the Kumquats are more oval and longer.

They are advertised as indoor-only for a kitchen table feature, but when I researched I saw some much larger specimens. Even indoors it looks as though they can get to quite a size! Has anyone grown either of them, and what would I need to watch out for? Could they go out into a conservatory, and how cold-tolerant are they?

Also, on a slight diversion, what do they taste like? I've got a lot of sweet fruits like alpine strawberries, so I was looking for something a bit different, and the centre won't let me have samples. Too many people tried to walk out with seeds!

 

[Becky]

I've not had kumquats for ages, but I remember quite liking them. You eat the skin as well as the flesh, it's not as bitter as other citrus skin - in fact it's kinda sweet. Overall, kumquats can be quite tart though! It's certainly different

Will you be growing them inside or in a greenhouse? I've only grown kaffir lime plants indoors before, but then they got a bad attack of spider mites and never recovered. I'd like to give them a try again sometime though, as the leaves are very useful.

 

[Dog Rose]

Kumquats sound really nice.

I was hoping to grow whichever I got inside the conservatory, since there's a lot more room for them to expand than letting one take over the kitchen! The problem is that it is insulated but not heated. It gets some heat from the house and a lot from the sun, but it can still get quite cold in winter.

You have raised one other good point though. I did try growing a Meyer Lemon indoors, but the ants got in and destroyed it. I hadn't considered the issue of pests, and I'd like to make sure I know what I am dealing with before I bring a plant in!

 

[Fernsdaddy]

Calamondin is not a kitchen table plant the can get up to 5 feet tall and about 3 feet wide I have one in my kitchen that sits near a south window along with a Meyer lemon that I all most lost due to lack of water , you can get rid of ants very easy by flushing your pot with lots of water, the water will kill all the little ants before they can get big and make a mess of your plant..
You can set the both out side in the summer but they need filtered sun and make sure you lemon doesn't dry out too much they like a damp soil. Meyers make great lemon aid or just for eating like a orange, there a bit sweeter than most lemons.