How to grow Grapefruit

Citrus x paradisi

Full Sun
Medium

Fertilizing:

Non-bearing trees – fertilizer every two months approximately 50-100 g/tree of 14N, 14P, 12K TE. A minimum of two annual foliar sprays containing zinc, iron, copper and manganese. Foliar sprays should be applied on semi-matured, vegetative flush.

Bearing trees annual fertilizer – Nitrogen at 80-100 g/tree/per year of age, Phosphorus at 10 g/tree/per year of age, Potassium at 40-50 g/tree/per year of age during July-August or after droughting. Apply 100g/m2 Dolomite before and after the Wet. A minimum of two annual foliar sprays containing zinc, iron, copper and manganese. Foliar sprays should be applied on semi-matured, vegetative flush.

Irrigation: Water to keep the soil moist but not soggy. Use under tree sprinklers. Monitor irrigation using tensiometers to keep moisture in the root zone. The method of droughting after the Wet Season for 6-8 weeks can improve flowering.

Pruning: When trees are young the most important thing is to get a canopy quickly, so don’t over prune but rather shape the tree. In mature trees remove all dead wood, suckers and “skirt” the lower part of the tree by removing all branches and shoots below a height of 30 cm from the ground.

Growing Grapefruit from seed

Do not dry out the seeds. Use straight from the fruit. Place in a fold of a moist paper towel. Put in a baggie. If you have a fridge that is not too cold (things defrost easily in it) then it is safe to put the seeds on the top shelf for 2 weeks.

Put the baggie on a vent if it is winter. 60 degrees will be warm enough. From this point on, you can scarify the seeds for faster germination.

A box cutter will easily penetrate the hull so you can pull a portion off. Your nails may also suffice. Pull only one side of the seed cover off. Don’t worry if the brown coat also comes off, exposing white underneath. It’s okay as long as you don’t puncture the white seedling inside.

After scarifying and sitting in a warm place, you will have happy little sprouts to plant.

Grapefruit will grow true from seed.¹

Try to ensure a gap of at least 13.00 feet (4.00 metres) when sowing to prevent overcrowding your seedlings. Soil temperature should be kept higher than 60°C / 140°F to ensure good germination.

How long does Grapefruit take to grow?

These estimates for how long Grapefruit takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Grapefruit to germinate?: 7 days
Average 7 days | Min days | Max days (0)
Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Grapefruit?: + days
Average days | Min days | Max days (0)
Days to Maturity How long until Grapefruit is ready for harvest / bloom?: + 138 days
Average 138 days | Min 70 days | Max 8401 days (2)
Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Grapefruit?: = days

Other names for Grapefruit

Misspellings: Grape fruit, grapesfruit

Footnotes

¹ Citrus Propagation