Grapefruit tree.......in zone 5

General Fruit Growing
#1

Greetings from cold Maine- Zone 5B

I have two container grapefruit plants. This it’s 4th growing season and it’s never fruited. I bring it in during the winter obviously, and water t regularly. They’re both about 4.5 feet tall. What can I do to bear fruit? Any advice? They’re very vigorous and I did prune it back this past fall.

Thanks in advance!

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#2

My grapefruit produced in the first season and died in the 4th season. It was a pummelo hybrid. Has it bloomed yet? I pollinated with a paintbrush, the smell of the blooms are so good they are unlike anything else I’ve experienced.

#3

It hasn’t bloomed yet. What do you mean painted? I’m a bit more inexperienced with citrus than apples/peaches. What I have is hopefully a ruby red tree; I planted a seed from one, anyway.

#4

also, what zone are you in? And did you bring it in during winter?

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#5

Zone 6 , yes I did bring it in every winter. it produced really large grapefruit.

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#6

From seed it can take many more years to bloom (10-20). If you want fruit faster, you have to buy a tree that come from a mature plant.

#7

Like jasmine.

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#8

As long as you’re giving it a big enough container, and lots of sun you should get fruit. As mentioned above seed grow is difficult to fruit I’ve heard.

#9

Thanks all. I haven’t been that serious about getting fruit from my grapefruit because I hear it can be super bitter unless it’s a legit varietal. And is the effort worth it all? We’ll see, maybe this year I’ll fertilize it a lot. Did you guys shape it into a bush or a tree? I’ve heard you can do either and wondering which worked out better

#10

I’m using a 5gal bucket for a 4ft-ish tree. Might move to a 10 gal this spring…should I?

#11

Oh yes I would for sure. I had a flame tree no bigger then four or five feet and it gave 3 or 4 delicious grapefruit a few years ago. Then was killed off from scale :frowning:

This was the second harvest shortly before it’s untimely death here in z5b/6a

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#12

I would put it on the to be grafted list.

#13

How old was it when it produced its first fruit? What months did you start fertilizing and how much water on average did you give it per day?

#14

It was four years old when I got the first fruit. I might have fed it once or twice with all purpose miracle grow. I soaked it with the hose for 2 or 3 min every 3 or 4 days.

#15

Thanks, and what volume buckets were they planted in? Mine is in a 5gal. I have a 10 gal I could move it too if that may help.

#16

This was in 7 gal so 10 would be great.

#17

Thank you.
I tested the soil and it was 7ph. How would I go about lowering it to make it more acidic?

#18

I planted a grapefruit seed when I was like 10 years old, which was over 40 years ago. It grew a wonderful tree, that I eventually moved to a 1/2 barrel fro a planter and grew to be over 7 feet tall and 4’ or more wide (a real challenge to bring in for the winter). It too in the end succumbed to citrus scale, and that was 14 years ago. The tree was well over 35 years old and never had a blossom. I was reading some books when in my 20’s and was convinced grafting was the only way it would ever have fruit.

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#19

Scale on citrus is easy to kill. Use dormant oil. Potted citrus seedlings
may never bear fruit. The tree has to get to a large size to bear fruit
in the ground. I’ve had seedlings bear in 2-5 years in the ground. I’m currently
growing out sugar belle in the ground. A friend waited 17 years for cocktail
grapefruit seedling to bear in the ground.

#20

Grapefruit don’t require pollination to fruit along with 99% of other citrus.

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