Growing Kumquat Trees in Pots

Several years ago, I bought a kumquat tree to grow in a pot. Poor thing struggled, and its leaves were always yellow. I was advised this was due to either too much water or not enough. An iron deficiency or whatever, so I bought various expensive commercial feeds, and they did not make that much difference. Moving on several years, I discovered the magic of nettle tea and liquid manure.

Why Are My Kumquat Leaves Yellow?

Fast forward to Jan 2023, I started feeding the Kumquat tree homemade nettle fertilizer or liquid manure; in Jan 2024, the results speak for themselves. I fed the tree about once a month, and when my supply of nettles ran out during the summer, I used liquid manure feed. Again, I make this myself. See Below

Nettle Tea for Plants

I collect the nettle leaves during the winter months and soak them in either rainwater or water from my dehumidifiers for about a month until the brew smells disgusting! In Portuguese is called chorume and widely used. Strain through mesh and then dilute 10 parts water to one part nettle tea.

Liquid Manure Tea

This is my recipe. It works on my plants, so I will add a disclaimer as we all paddle our own gardening canoe. What works for me might not work for others.

Because I only have a small urban garden, I buy processed horse manure, which is sold in bags.

I add 1 trowel of horse manure to about 10 litres of water (I make this in a bucket). Let it soak for a week and it is ready to use. Depending on the plant, I further dilute or use as is. I recommend starting with a weaker solution if you use it weekly, as I do on tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, courgettes, peppers, etc., once their first fruits have set. For my Kumquat and ornamental orange trees, which grow in pots, I used a slightly stronger solution. Again, it is better to start with a weaker solution than stress the plant.

Related Post: https://pigletinportugal.com/2016/09/22/why-are-my-kumquat-leaves-yellow/