Weeding around kumquat trees should happen early and often

When it comes to weeding around your kumquat trees, early and often is best. If you’ve used weed-free soil and well-rotted organic matter, and laid down mulch, you shouldn’t have a big weed problem.

Properly preparing your soil is an excellent preventive measure against the emergence of weeds. When you till or cultivate the area where you’ll plant kumquats, remove weeds and debris. You’ll likely find that the first few weeks after planting are the only time you’ll be pulling up weeds around your kumquats. While mulch is a good weed deterrent, for kumquats it’s more of a moisture magnet. It’s best to just keep an eye on the soil around your growing tree.

If weeds spring up around your kumquat trees during the growing season, work the soil around the base of the plants with a hoe—only deep enough to kill the weeds and not damage the plant’s roots.

Suckers

The one thing you will want to watch out for is suckers. These are offshoots of the rootstock that sometimes spring up. If you see them, cut them off at the base right away. Left to grow, they will destroy your kumquat tree.

Do you have problems with weeds growing around your kumquat trees? How do you handle weeding—and preventing weeds in the first place? Please tell us how you control weeds around your kumquat trees.