Calamondin
Citrus × microcarpa
Also known asCalamansi · Philippine lime · Kalamondin · Golden lime · China orange · Acid orange
Environment
The bounded range this crop tolerates.
Climate and zones
- USDA zones
- 9–11 (winter low around -7°C)
- Frost
- frost sensitive (dies at first frost)
- Season
- year-round tropical
Growing systems
Root mass: heavy. Thin-channel systems can't hold this crop.
Growing media
| Medium | pH effect | Retention | Bacterial surface |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expanded clay pebbles (LECA) | neutral / inert | low | high |
| Coco coir (Coconut coir) | slightly acidic | high | moderate |
| Perlite (Expanded volcanic glass) | neutral / inert | very low | low |
| Soil-based mix (Potting soil) | varies | high | high |
Nutrient demand by stage
NPK ratios are relative weights. EC targets shift through the plant's life.
| Stage | N | P | K | EC (mS/cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seedling | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| vegetative | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.8 |
| flowering | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| fruiting | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Companion-growing notes
- Heavy uptake of nitrogen, potassium. Co-grown crops with the same demand will end up deficient even at "correct" EC.
Aquaponics suitability
Not recommended
Fish waste alone doesn't supply enough of what this crop demands. Grows in hybrid systems with supplemental dosing, but expect active management.
Care notes
One of the best citrus for indoor or container growing thanks to its small size and almost continuous fruiting. Use a large container (around 20 L) with well-drained media such as perlite, expanded clay or a perlite-coir mix. Hold EC around 1.6-2.4 mS/cm and pH 5.5-6.5. Keep it at 18–32°C; it is tropical and needs frost protection, though it shrugs off brief dips toward 0°C better than most citrus. Give high light, 18-26 mol/m2/day, with supplemental lighting in northern climates. It is self-pollinating, so a single tree fruits, but gently shaking the branches or dabbing with a soft brush improves set indoors. Grafted stock starts fruiting in one to two years, and an established tree carries dozens to hundreds of small fruits a year; pick them fully orange for the sweetest juice, which is the main product since the fruit is too sour to eat fresh for most people. Citrus micronutrients (chelated iron, manganese, zinc) head off the interveinal yellowing common in container citrus. Scale and spider mites are the main indoor pests, treated with horticultural oil.