Trees should be planted at or higher than the level of the nursery pot. The best time to plant citrus trees is in Spring after all danger of frost has passed in your area. Grapefruit trees can be purchased as seedlings which have already been grafted and only require planting in the garden or orchard. This process, known as “lopping” allows all of the nutrients to be diverted to the bud Once the bud begins to grow and reaches several inches in lengthe, the lop can be removed completely from the seedling. The top of the seedling should then be pushed over towards the ground. Finish the join by wrapping the bud with budding tape.Īfter the union has formed and the tape is removed, the bud is forced to grow by cutting the rootstock stem 2.5–3.9 cm (1.0–1.5 in) above the join about 2/3 of the way through the stem on the same side as the join. Immedietely insert the piece of bud into the cut on the rootstock by sliding it under the opened bark so that the cut surface lies flat against the wood of the rootstock plant. This piece should measure 1.9–2.5 cm(0.75–1.0 in) in length. Remove a bud from a budstick by slicing a thin, shield-shaped piece of bark and wood from the stem, beginning about 1.25 cm (0.5 in) above the bud. A horizontal cut should be made at either the top or the bottom of the vertical cut to produce a “T-shape” The horizontal cut should be made a slightly upward-pointing angle and should reach through the bark. Using a sharp knife, a 2.5–3.8 cm (1–1.5 in) vertical cut should be made in the stem of the rootstock, through the bark. The area to be joined should be pruned to remove any thorns or twigs and the cut made approximately 15 cm (6 in) from the ground. The simplest way to join the budwood the the rootstock is by T-budding. These budsticks can be stored for 2–3 months under the correct conditions but it is best to use them as soon as possible after cutting. The budwood to be used for propagation should be trimmed to create budsticks which are 20–25 cm (8–10 in) by removing any unwanted wood and leaves. The use of diseased budwood can cause the spread of many serious citrus diseases which can kill trees. It is extremely important to only collect budwood from disease-free trees.
The twigs should have well developed buds and should be as close as possible to the diameter of the rootstock onto which it will be joined. Twigs (budwood) should be collected from the previous growth flush or the current flush so long as the twig has begun to harden. Common rootstocks for grafting and budding of citrus trees include sour orange and rough lemon.īudding should be carried out when seedling stems have reached roughly the diameter of a pencil (6–9 mm/0.25–0.36 in) and at a time when the bark of the rootstock tree is slipping (this is the term used to describe a period of active growth when the bark can be easily peeled from the plant). Budding is commonly used in citrus propagation as it is the easier of the two processes and works very well. Budding is a special type of grafting where the scion that is joined to the rootstock consists of a single bud. Grafting is the process by which a scion from plant is joined to the rootstock of another to produce a new tree. Grapefruit seedlings are usually produced by grafting or budding to an appropriate rootstock as seeds will not produce fruit true to type.
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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. 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.
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