It’s safe to say that almost everyone equates citrus with the state of Florida. It just goes hand in hand. Most people first think of citrus as being oranges and grapefruit. Even by traveling south on I-75 or I-95, our welcome centers will gladly supply you with a complimentary cup of the juice of your choice, orange or grapefruit. However, the kumquat is a fruit that rarely comes to mind. The Panhandle is prime habitat for this forgotten fruit.
The kumquat is a native of southeast China, but it has found a home on the Gulf coast. It’s a cold hardy citrus, much like the Panhandle favorite satsuma orange. Due to the plants ability to be semi-dormant in the region, the kumquat has been known to withstand temperatures in the low teens. The kumquat fruit is an oddity in the citrus world. The peeling is sweet, the pulp is tart and it’s all edible, except for the seeds of course. The fruit reaches maturity around October, and will remain viable on the tree until March.
Figure 1: Kumquat fruit: Nagami variety.
Credit: UF/IFAS.
There are two varieties grown in Florida. The Nagami (Fortunella margarita) is by far the most popular in the state. This variety has oval shaped fruit and 2-5 seeds. The Meiwa (Fortunella crassifolia) has a more rounded shaped fruit with almost no seeds. This variety’s fruit is more sweet and juicy compared to the Nagami.
Kumquat is one of the easiest fruits to grow in the Panhandle. Most gardeners enjoy the ease of management as the kumquat tree is relatively small in size, and requires much less care compared to other citrus. Another advantage to kumquats is the ability to be grown in containers. Also, the dark green leaves and orange colored fruit is quite appealing on your back deck or patio.
When planting a kumquat, make sure the location has plenty of sunshine. Always apply mulch, but be sure to keep the mulch at least a foot from the trunk to combat any potential of disease. As for container growing, be sure to purchase a large container with adequate drainage holes. Place a screen in the bottom of the container, rather than rocks. This will ensure no soil is lost during drainage events. Newly planted kumquats will need significant water on a regular basis to become established, especially if planted in a container. Once established, watering can be limited.
Kumquats will need a fertilizer regimen too. A citrus formulated fertilizer works great. Although not required, pruning should be done after April or later in the summer before new flowers appear. A major plus, kumquat trees generally bear fruit just after a couple of years.
Kumquats are a delight to grow in the Panhandle and a fantastic evergreen for your landscape, back deck or patio.
Homeowners and businesses will often send in plant and insect pictures to the Extension Office. This is a convenient practice for both clientele and Extension Agents, but sometimes it may make diagnosis more difficult and more time-consuming. More often though, a fresh or living specimen is necessary for proper identification.
In an age when high quality pictures can be taken and viewed within milliseconds, plant, disease and insect ID can still take time. Often it is due to the fact we simply don’t know the answer right away and research is required. Sometimes poor picture quality and scale can make the diagnostic process more difficult. To improve identification turnaround time follow these basic steps:
When it comes to taking pictures for diagnostic purposes, more is better. The more pictures depicting angles and magnifications received for a sample the better. If you want a plant identified, take a picture of the entire plant including flowers, leaves, and roots. Take pictures of various stages of spots on leaves, stems, and fruits if you suspect a disease or nutritional disorder. Take pictures from multiple angles and of various body parts for insect identification.
Place an item in the frame of the picture to give a good idea of the size of the specimen through the concept of scale. You could use a ruler, a coin, or even a ballpoint pen. Objects such as coins work well for tiny insects when the measurements on a ruler may be too hard to see in the photo. You can even place the insect on the coin.
A computer keyboard used to show scale for a photo of an aphid. Photo Credit: Julie McConnell – UF/IFAS Extension Bay County
Pay attention to focus on the subject. This is especially true when taking closeup photos and photos of small things with a cell phone camera. Cell phone cameras tend to focus on the background instead of the foreground. Sometimes the quickest solution is to place your hand behind the subject to change the automatic focus and then either leave it in the picture for scale or remove it and snap the picture quickly. It is also important to have a contrasting background such as placing a white or black paper or plastic card behind the subject.
A poor picture of carpetweed growing in a peanut crop.
A good picture of carpetweed using a hand for focus and perspective.
Although it is quicker and easier to email or text plant and insect pictures, the most accurate identification can be accomplished with a fresh sample. Whether you are bringing a sample into your local Extension Office or one of the diagnostic clinics located throughout the state, it is important to follow the guidelines detailed in this publication http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/sr007.
Extra Credit – If you want to improve you ability to take magnified photos, you may want to build the device featured in the following video “Turn Your Smartphone Into a Digital Microscope”.
When you don’t know what’s ailing your plant, ask an expert.
Many gardeners get stumped when a favorite plant of theirs comes down with a strange “something”. Many of these gardeners know about UF/IFAS Extension and call their local horticulture and agriculture agents for assistance in figuring out what’s going on. However, even these experts are often stumped by what they see. Fortunately, the agents have another layer of experts to fall back on. In addition to the resources in Gainesville, we have the Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic, located at the North Florida Research Center in Quincy. Plant pathologists here can help determine what fungus, bacteria, virus, or viroid may be the problem.
Plant pathologists are basically plant doctors. They use all sorts of sophisticated techniques to determine what is the cause of a particular plant problem, from growing out fungal spores to examining DNA. Not only do these plant doctors tell us what the ailment is, they also provide recommended cures, or control options. They are also doing research to prevent different diseases from taking hold in our area and reduce the impact on our local growers.
Plant pathologist at work!
At a recent workshop in Quincy, we learned that plant pathology researchers are working on a fungus that affects watermelons, virus and bacteria that can wipe out a farmer’s tomato crop, and a virus that could impact our local roses. Working as a team of scientists, they study these pathogens in the lab and conduct controlled field experiments to figure out which techniques are most effective. Some of this research is leading to different methods and/or products that can help growers and gardeners alike keep their fields and landscapes healthy.
So, if your plants have problems, please contact your local Extension Office. If they don’t know the answer, then the network of scientists, including plant pathologists, in the UF/IFAS Extension family can be called on for backup to provide you with the best possible answer.
