This Dwarf Calamondin Tree Hanging Basket is a great way to add delectable citrus to your home while saving space. The Dwarf Calamondin Tree is a dwarfed cross between a tangerine and a kumquat. Calamondins are small, thin-skinned, tart citrus fruits that can be eaten fresh, made into juice, added to salads and used in baked goods and preserves such as jam. The fruit is orange, round, 2 or 3 inches wide, and the trees have beautiful, dark green, shiny leaves.
This Dwarf Calamondin Tree Hanging Basket is a great way to add delectable citrus to your home while saving space. The Dwarf Calamondin Tree is a dwarfed cross between a tangerine and a kumquat. Calamondins are small, thin-skinned, tart citrus fruits that can be eaten fresh, made into juice, added to salads and used in baked goods and preserves such as jam. The fruit is orange, round, 2 or 3 inches wide, and the trees have beautiful, dark green, shiny leaves.
Dwarf Calamondins can be grown outside in USDA Zones 8 to 11, and indoors over winter in colder areas. These unique trees with their decorative orange citrus fruits can produce Calamondins in their first year. They can live in their hanging baskets for years with root pruning and repotting, or you can plant them in the ground where they will reach heights of 8 feet. Either way, the Dwarf Calamondin Tree is decorative fragrant citrus that is easy to grow and provides a bountiful harvest of small juicy fruits with many uses.
Like other citrus trees, the Dwarf Calamondin Tree must be in soil that drains well. The hanging baskets are designed with holes for drainage so the soil never becomes saturated. When watering your Dwarf Calamondin Tree Hanging Basket, allow the water to drain fully from the pot. If you are growing your basket citrus tree inside, you can water it in a shower or utility sink to accommodate the draining water.
Dwarf Calamondin Trees growing in their Hanging Baskets do not require pruning to grow fruit, but you can prune them to maintain their size. Prune Dwarf Calamondin Trees in late winter after all fruit has been harvested, but before new growth appears in spring. Cutaway any dead, cracked, or split branches. Also, remove low growing suckers and be sure to collect and compost any trimmed material from the potting soil surface.
Fruit & Harvesting
Dwarf Calamondin Trees bloom at many times of the year, but the most vigorous bloom happens in early spring. The early spring bloom fruit matures from June to November. This winter harvest season makes Calamondins a holiday favorite. Imagine a Thanksgiving feast presented with bright orange Calamondins decorating the table, or a holiday tree decorated with dried Calamondins grown on your own patio.
The best way to know if Calamondins are ready to eat is to do a taste test. Pick when the fruit is round, bright orange, and gives slightly to a gentle squeeze. If the fruit is dry or has a bitter taste, wait for one week and then pick and taste again. The mature Calamondins will be juicy and have a tart but not bitter flavor. Calamondins are great for salads, baking, making drinks, and using in place of lemons or limes for a unique orange twist.
Advice
Begin fertilizing Dwarf Calamondin Tree Hanging Baskets after their first growing year. Use citrus fertilizer amounts according to package directions, and water in well. Dwarf Calamondin Tree Hanging Baskets can be fertilized once every three months in spring, summer, and fall. Avoid adding fertilizer when mature fruit is on the tree, or in the first week that blooms first appear.
Always collect and remove any fallen leaves or fruit that may collect in the Dwarf Calamondin Tree Basket, because decomposing fruit and leaves can cause molds, fungi, and pests that may harm the plant. You can mulch the basket soil with shredded tree bark mulch to help reduce soil erosion when watering and to retain moisture. Add a one or two-inch layer of mulch, and periodically pull the material away from the tree trunk base.
FAQs
Is Calamondin skin edible?
Yes, Calamondin skin is edible. As one of its parent citrus trees, the kumquat, the skin of a Calamondin can be sweet and the flesh tart.
How long will picked Calamondins last?
Harvested Calamondins will last up to a week in a cool pantry. They can be refrigerated for up to two weeks, or the juice can be frozen for longer storage.
Are Dwarf Calamondin Trees suitable for growing in a container?
Yes. The small size of both the Dwarf Calamondin tree and its fruit make it a good choice for growing in a container. Container grown citrus trees stay smaller, but their fruit will be the same size as in-ground trees.
Are Dwarf Calamondin Trees self-fertile?
Yes, Dwarf Calamondin Trees are self-fertile, but indoor trees should be pollinated by hand to grow the most fruit possible.
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