I had been putting off refreshing my calamondin plant, but I insisted on finding time today to do it as it had been hanging over my head, making me feel uncomfortable.
Calamondin is my favorite citrus. I use it in cooking, baking, marmalades, beverages, and garnishes. It is a mixture of mandarin and kumquat. They are high in vitamin C, minerals, and antioxidants.
The fruits and leaves and the beautiful white flowers are very aromatic.
But they have been looking very tired and need a lot of TLC.
This angel tears plant has overgrown and is very thick.
The fruits are drying, not many leaves are sprouting, and there are no flowers for new fruits.
So, I first cut off some twigs and leaves.
I saved the leaves for tea; they can soothe stomach issues and improve digestion, and I will use them as a natural air freshener.
I cut off the dead stems to direct their energy into growing rather than repairing, which will promote new growth.
I picked all the fruits that were drying.
I had to remove the angel tears plants covering the soil; they may have been taking the nutrients that this poor little tree needs.
After that, I removed some roots of the angel tears to ensure that the calamondin gets all the necessary nutrients.
I replenished them with fresh soil and checked that they were not root-bound.
I sprayed the leaves and trunk with a mixture of water and a drop of washing liquid to remove the sticky oil and dust covering them.
Then I rinsed it with clean water. This will help the plant breathe better.
I watered it well with some citrus nutrients to boost the plant's essential elements.
They look pretty happy and fresher; hopefully, some new leaves and possibly flowers will sprout in the next couple of weeks.
So I opened the fruits and was amazed that the seeds were sprouting.
I didn't want to throw them away, so I prepared a few plant pots with soil.
I buried the sprouting seeds.
And I watered them well. Hopefully, they will grow, and my calamondin will multiply soon!
I did not want to lose the angel tears, so I also transplanted them to ensure that they continued to thrive without competing with my calamondin.
Hopefully, with sunlight, regular watering, and fertilization, this calamondin will flourish and give me more fruits, and the rest will also thrive.
When done, I added some calamondin leaves to my kombucha tea; it tasted nice and refreshed me, just as I had refreshed the plants. It was a perfect exchange!
Most importantly, I now have peace of mind.
Have a wonderful day, everyone.
Mariah 🍃💗