Calamondin orange tree, commonly known as Calamansi, is a popular citrus tree that bears fruits. Calamansi can be grown indoors in containers or outdoors. Its fruits are delicious and rich in vitamin C. Besides, it is very beautiful and decorative. Many people use it as a houseplant to adorn their place. Calaamansi can grow up to 7 meters tall. Therefore, if you want to grow it indoors, you should choose a dwarf variety such as the Calamondin. However, whether you are growing it indoors or outdoors, you need to learn how to care for Calamansi. Thus, this article will provide with all the information you need to successfully grow this adorable plant.
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Grow a Calamansi Plant
Besides growing Calamansi from seeds and from cuttings, you can grow a young Calamansi plant if you don’t want to wait too long for your tree to produce fruits. Calamnsi usually produces fruits when it is 2 to 3 years old. Thus, you can plant a young 1-year-old plant and wait for it for two years to bear fruits.
You can also grow a 3 years old tree to get fruits within a few months. However, you should buy Calamansi plants from a well-known nursery store to make sure that you don’t buy a diseased or a damaged tree.
2. Growing Calamnsi from seeds
Before choosing to grow Calamansi from seeds you should keep in mind that Calamansi may take up to 3 years to start producing fruits. Besides, some seeds may fail to germinate. Therefore, you should use fresh viable seeds rather than buying store seeds. You can get fresh seeds by cutting a Calamansi fruit into two halves and squeezing it.
Even if you want to plant your tree in your outdoor garden, for growing Calamansi from seeds, you should start the seeds indoors especially if the weather is cold. You can take them outside when the weather is warm. Calamnsi seeds need the following to germinate within 2 or 3 weeks:
- Warmth
- Fertile soil
- Water
3. You should know how to plant
Learning how to care for Calamansi starts with learning how to plant Calamansi. First of all, you should use a large container that will allow Calamansi’s root ball to grow comfortably. Depth is required more than the width. Any container whether it is plastic, clay or ceramic, is a suitable container for growing Calamansi as long as It is deep and has many drainage holes.
Once you choose a pot you should start filling in it. For best results, you shouldn’t fill it only with soil but rather, you should first add some small stones and pebbles at the bottom of the pot, then, fill it with a with a mixture of peat, perlite, and potting soil. If the soil you are using is already slightly acidic with pH soil level that ranges between 6 and 7, that is great. If not, add some vinegar drop to the water before you water your tree to increase its acidity.
Once the container is ready to accommodate your plant, seeds, or tree, plant them at least 2 inches deep. After planting, water thoroughly and place the container in a spot where your tree can receive bright sunlight. Any citrus tree needs between 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight to grow. You don’t fertilize Calamansi at this stage.
4. Keep the soil constantly moist
You should regularly water Calamansi tree to keep the soil moist. Moisture is essential for the growth of any citrus tree. However, keep in mind that regular watering is different from daily watering. Daily watering is harmful to Calamansi since it makes the soil waterlogged which in turn causes rot.
Water your Calamansi only when the top 2 inches layer of soil is dry. You can use your finger to check it. Watering Calamansi once a weak is enough in fall and winter. However, as temperature degrees go up in spring and summer, the watering frequency should go up as well.
Indoor and outdoor Calamansi trees don’t have the same watering requirements. Naturally, outdoor trees require more watering as they are exposed to more heat. In spite of the fact that Calamnsi is a drought-tolerant tree, you should never let the soil completely dry out. In brief, make sure neither to overwater your pant nor to underwater it.
5. Protect the Plant from frost
Citrus plants are drought tolerant but not frost tolerant. Calamansi is stronger than the rest of Citrus plants. It requires warmth and can grow even when the temperature degree exceeds 100F. It can also tolerate cold as long as temperature degrees don’t fall down below 20ºF. However, when the temperature is under 55ºF, the plant grows slowly.
The ideal temperature degrees for growing Calamnsi are between 70 to 90ºF in summers and 60 to 70ºF during winters. However, if you live in a cold area, it is better to grow Calamansi in containers so you can bring them indoors in winter when the weather is freezing outdoors.
6. Feeding and Pollinating
Citrus trees are heavy feeders and they require the application fo fertilizers to get the nutrients they need to produce flowers and fruits. You should feed your Calamnsi once every three weeks from spring to summer. Apply a balanced fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous to them.
When it comes to pollination, you should not worry about it if you are growing Calamansi outdoors. However, for indoor Clamansi you need to hand pollinate them using a Q-tip or soft brush.
I hope this article showed how to care for Calamansi. Follow these tips and your Calamansi tree will not only grow but will also produce heavily.