3/25/2023 0 Comments Grapefruit tree![]() ![]() Grapefruit trees will grow best when planted in full sun. Soil must be deep enough to permit adequate root development. Trees will grow best when planted in a well-draining sandy loam with a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. The trees will tolerate drought conditions but perform poorly in water-logged soil. Fruit will also be damaged by freezing conditions. Young trees may be killed by these temperatures. Mature trees can tolerate short exposures to temperatures below freezing but ice will begin to form in fruit after 2-3 hours at -3☌ (27☏). Grapefruit is less hardy than orange but continual exposure to cooler temperatures will induce a certain degree of cold tolerance. Take care of the insects with a pesticide and the mould will disappear too.Grapefruit is a tropical to subtropical plant and the trees grow best in areas with hot daytime temperatures and warm to hot night time temperatures. Sooty mould – This mould is only a problem when there are sap-sucking insects, as it feeds on the honeydew they produce. EcoBuz Pest Pro is the answer.Īphids – Treat with a pesticide such as Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide to get rid of these pests, which can transmit serious diseases to your trees.Ĭitrus swallowtail – The larvae of this beautiful butterfly can be a problem, but live and let live. Leaf miner – Treat the tree as soon as you see the tell-tale signs of leaf miners (tunnels winding through leaves). The solution is early detection and treatment with Margaret Roberts Organic Insecticide. If the psylla is detected early and is still active then oleum can be used to get rid of it.Ĭitrus thrip – These tiny insects feed on sap and cause sabby silvery-grey scars on the skin. A healthy tree can cope with this and you shouldn’t need to treat it. Grapefruit trees are affected by the usual citrus suspects:Ĭitrus psylla – This is the pest that causes those bumpy leaves. This has large fruit with a pale yellowy-green skin and pale flesh. If you’d prefer a more traditional, yellow fleshed grapefruit, look for ‘Marsh’. If you can’t find a dwarf variety (it is difficult), stick to one of the more popular normal varieties, which should also be your choice if you’re planting it in the ground, such as ‘Star Ruby’, which has sweetish pink to red flesh. ![]() As with many citrus varieties, it is possible to plant grapefruit trees in pots but if you do try to find a dwarf variety so that you don’t spend as much time pruning. Water well, and water the plant regularly every 2 weeks until it is established.īecause it is such a prolific producer of fruit, you will need to feed your grapefruit tree every 4 – 6 weeks with a fertiliser for the production of fruit, like Atlantic Flower and Fruit. Add a handful of bonemeal or superphosphate to the hole for root stimulation, as well as a decent helping of an organic slow-release fertiliser like Atlantic Bio Ocean, then backfill with the removed soil. When planting a grapefruit tree, spend time on digging a really good hole (this is the rule for planting any tree) of at least 80cm deep and wide. Don’t rush the picking though, because they do get sweeter and bigger if they remain on the tree for longer. You can tell that a grapefruit is ready to be picked when it has turned its mature colour, be it pale yellow, yellow or orange. The flesh ranges from pale yellow to deeply ruby-red, depending on the variety, and has a tart, acidic flavour that can cause your face to pucker up, but once a taste for it is acquired it can become a firm favourite. The fruit itself is large (100 – 150mm in diameter), and either yellow or orange when ripe. Trees will usually begin to produce fruit in their second or third year, and when they are established they can become prolific producers with crops of up to 500kg a year. The fruit takes a long time, from 8 – 12 months depending on the climate, and is usually ready to harvest in winter. ![]() These flowers appear predominantly in late winter or early spring, but the tree can actually flower at any time of the year. It is an attractive tree even without the fruit, with glossy, dark green leaves and fragrant white flowers that look like typical citrus but are a bit on the large side. The tree, which does best in subtropical areas, normally grows to somewhere in the region of 5 – 6m although in extreme cases it has been known to reach 15m in height. The grapefruit belongs to the citrus family and is a cross between the orange and the pomelo. But I don’t know if ‘grape’ is the first thing I think of when I see a heavily laden grapefruit tree – you’d think it would have been named after the unique, quite bitter flavour rather than a tenuous similarity. First of all, it is said that grapefruit got its name because grapefruit grow in clusters on the tree, like grapes on a vine. ![]()
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