About 10 years ago a friend who was employed by a local florist was eating a grapefruit for lunch. She put one of the seeds into a flower pot and the thing sprouted. She gave the small plant to me. I kept it in a container on the patio until it just got too large for me to have there. So I planted it in the garden. The tree is now about 10 years old, the trunk of the tree at the ground is at least 6 inches in diameter. It stand about 10 feet tall. I keep it pruned so it doesn't get any larger.

Each spring the tree is loaded with white blossoms but it has never produced fruit. Any idea why?

Thanks

Larry Wilson
Myrtle Beach, SC

Grapefruit from seed usually take at least 10 years + to fruit. By pruning the tree you are cutting off the fruiting branches, delaying the time even longer. Have a look at this thread...

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Laaz, I know what you are trying to say about seedling grapefruit. However, this tree is now a mature tree and the tree is producing blooms, and these blooms should produce at least SOME fruit wheather it is a seedling tree or not. There is some other factor at work here. I fully agree that pruning the tree is a problem, and should be quickly discontinued. I wonder, because of the pruning, if any of these blooms are leafy inflorences? Also is the grower watering the tree well, just before and during the bloom? Stop pruning the tree and spray the tree's foliage with a foliar application of Potassium Nitrate one month before the onset of blooming, could greatly help. On a citrus tree it is the leaves that are entering their second year on the tree, that supplies nurishment to the blooms, not the new season flush, and Larry is pruning these leaves off of the tree???????? Lazz I think the pruning has something to do with it. Lastly, is the tree well watered, and well fertilized (at least 3 time a year from April to August? - Millet

Didn't read the complete text... Millet is correct if it is producing blooms you should have some fruit. Do you have any photos of the tree ?

Larry,

What sort of pollination insects are you seeing around your patio when the grapefruit tree is blossoming? With all those flowers you ought to see at least a few fruit set (though they may later fall off), but if you're not getting any pollination that could be why you're not seeing any.

.....Alan.

Perhaps I would graft another grapefruit variety to it for better and seedier pollination.

Most citrus flowers including grapefruit are perfect, having both sexes on the same blossom, so that self-pollination takes place regardless whether any pollinators such as bees pollinate the flowers or not. Consensus of citrus experts suggest pollination is NOT REQUIRED in grapefruit, but there is some evidence that open pollination has benefited the one variety Marsh, by increasing fruit numbers, but also produced twice the number of seeds per fruit. However, there is a growing number of citrus varieties which require CROSS pollination because they are self-incompatible, but grapefruits are not one of these varieties. Wether Larry's grapefruit were polliniated by bees or not should not make much of a difference. - Millet

I had the same problem about the blooms with my Satsuma before, I have blooms but very few fruit sets. The solution was to apply fertilizer (mostly in the form of ammonium sulfate) about 2-4 weeks before they usually bloom. When I did this, usually it is during the last rainy days of late winter to early spring, I simply topdressed the fertilizer and the rains brought it down to the root zone by the time it is needed. If there is lacking rain, I water the fertilizers in. So I usually keep my eye on the forecast of rain before applying fertilizer during pre-bloom. This has made my leaves greener earlier and have a lot of fruit sets. When my cara-cara started blooming, I only had ten flowers but with 80% fruit set. Had I not practiced pre-bloom fertilizing and most importantly irrigation when there is no rain during the bloom, then I think my fruit sets would be poor due to water or nutrient stress during spring growth flush.

These guys are the best. Even with the mites killing off a lot of the honey bees in this area, on a tree that size you should get some pollination by accident.
I'm in Wilmington, NC. I go to Alligator Adventure quite often. I would be more than happy to take a look at you tree when I’m in the area.
I can do grafting. I have several cold hardy citrus that we could add to your tree if you like. I have an interest in home raised cold hardy citrus. There is an 8 year old Satsuma and a 14 year old Citrange/ lemon cross here in Wilmington.
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Send me an email
Terry