Many people notice that immediately after the New Year, indoor kumquat or lemon begins to lose leaves, the fruits become smaller, and the tips of the remaining leaves turn yellow and dry. The plant looks exhausted, although the watering regime has not changed. It's not just the short day and dry air from the radiators, but the severe exhaustion after fruiting. Citrus fruits are especially lacking in potassium and magnesium – those elements that go into fruit ripening.
But there is a simple remedy that is already in your kitchen. You will need banana peels. It contains easily digestible potassium, which restores metabolism, strengthens the leaves and helps the plant retain the remaining fruits even in the darkest month.
Preparing fertilizer is simple. Eat the banana and cut the peel into small pieces. Fill them with one liter of warm water and leave for a day in a closed jar. After this, strain the infusion and dilute it in half with clean water. Water kumquat or lemon with this solution once every ten days. It is best to apply this fertilizer from January to March.
After just two or three weeks, you will notice that the yellowness on the leaves stops, the greenery becomes rich and elastic, small fruits stop falling, and by February the plant can produce new buds again.
It's important to remember: don't bury the peels directly into the pot, as they may cause mold. Use only fresh, unspoiled peels. And do not feed more than once every ten days, since citrus fruits are sensitive to excess, even if it is natural.
