Grapefruit: care, uses, and much more

El pomelo It is a very decorative fruit tree, ideal to have in both small and large gardens, and even in pots, since its height does not exceed 6m, and its root system is not invasive.

In addition, its rounded crown provides a bit of shade, so it can be planted in rows to achieve a more protected space. Know everything about this interesting fruit tree.

Grapefruit characteristics

The grapefruit, whose scientific name is citrus x paradise, is a fruit that arose from the crossing of pummelo and sweet orange in Barbados (in the West Indies). Shortly afterwards it spread throughout the Caribbean, and later throughout the rest of the world. It grows to a height of between 5 and 6 meters, with a rounded crown. The leaves are simple, alternate, ovate in shape, and the edge is slightly serrated, between 7 and 15cm long, dark green on the upper surface and lighter on the underside.

Its flowers are hermaphroditic, which means that they have the female and male organs in the same flower, and they are fragrant, white or purple in color. The fruit is globose in shape, and measures up to 15 centimeters in diameter. It is edible, although bitter in taste.

How do you take care of yourself?

To have a healthy grapefruit, it is very necessary to consider the following:

Location

It is a tree that has to be placed outside, in full sun and protected from the wind.

Irrigation

It must be frequent. In its place of origin, around 1200mm of water falls a year, so if you live in a dry climate you should water very often, preventing the earth from drying out too much, but also waterlogging, since otherwise they could rot.

Thus, it is important to check the humidity of the substrate or soil before watering again, inserting a thin wooden stick (if it comes out practically clean, it is because it is dry), or using a humidity meter sold in nurseries.

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It is highly recommended fertilize from early spring to late summer / early fall with organic fertilizers, such as guano, earthworm humus o manure.

Land

Grows in sandy, cool soils with a pH between 6 and 7. It does not tolerate salinity.

Transplant

Whether you want to move to the garden, or to a larger pot -which must be done every two years-, it has to be done in spring, when the risk of hauling has passed and temperatures begin to rise.

Pruning

It can be pruned in late winter, before the tree resumes growth. A) Yes, weak and diseased branches will be removed, and the cup will be shaped into a glass, cleaning the center so that the light can reach all the branches well.

It is advisable not to prune in excess, since the harvest decreases in proportion to the intensity of the pruning.

Rusticity

Withstands frosts up to -3ºC, but when the temperature drops below 15ºC its growth stops. On the other hand, and unlike other fruit trees, it does not require cold-hours to fructify.

Plagues and diseases

It can be affected by the following pests and diseases:

Pests

• Cottony mealybug: it feeds on the sap of the leaves, weakening the plant. It can be treated with paraffin oil, or by removing them with a swab from the ears dipped in alcohol if it is a young specimen.
• Red spider: they are mites, less than 0,5cm, that feed on the cells of the leaves, so that pale spots appear. They can be treated with potassium soap or neem oil.
• Citrus miner: The leafminers are insect larvae that live inside the leaves, which feed on the cells of the plant. Before long you can see elongated and thin spots, as if they were little paths. It is treated by cutting the affected parts, and treating the tree with neem oil.

Management

• Phytophthora: they are fungi that attack the fruits that are in contact with the ground. They can be prevented and treated with copper oxychloride.
• Viruses and viroids: they are microorganisms that produce a great variety of symptoms, such as deformations in the leaves, variegated petals, rickets. Once you have a diseased plant, it is best to uproot it to prevent the disease from spreading to others. Fortunately, it can be prevented by removing wild grasses that grow around it, controlling vector insects (aphids, whiteflies, thrips,…), and cleaning pruning tools before and after use.

Multiplication

If you want to have a new specimen, you can multiply it by seeds or cuttings in spring, as follows:

Seeds

1. Obviously you have to acquire the seeds first. To do this, you can buy them directly online, or buy grapefruits and extract them carefully.
2. Once you have them, it is advisable to clean them with water, keeping them in a glass for 24 hours. In this way, you will know which ones will germinate - which will be the ones that sink - and which ones will not.
3. The next day, you can go on to sow them in seedling trays, pots, yogurt containers, ... well, wherever you want, with a universal growing medium. Put a maximum of two seeds in each pot or socket, since this way, if the two germinate, it will be easier for you to separate them.
4. Water, and place the seedbed in an area with a lot of light, if possible direct.

After a few two months they will begin to germinate.

Cuttings

• Cut a branch at least 20cm long, making an oblique cut (not straight).
• Next, moisten your foundation with water, then infuse it with powdered rooting hormones.
• Then plant it in a pot with a porous substrate, such as black peat mixed with 40% perlite.
• Water it.
• And finally put it in an area protected from direct sun.

If all goes well, it will root in a maximum of three months.

Uses of grapefruit

This is a very decorative tree that is often used to decorate gardens. But ... did you know that it has other uses? In fact, it can help you lose weight, as it is diuretic and depurative. Also it is very low in calories (it only has 37 for every 100 grams), and is high in vitamins C (40 mg.) y A (80 mg).

How to make grapefruit juice?

If you want to drink grapefruit juice to lose weight or simply to refresh yourself, you will only need two grapefruits and a small tablespoon of honey or whole cane sugar.

You got it? If so, now you just have to wash the fruits well, cut them in half, and squeeze them. Once ready, all you have left is serve it in a glass with water, and sweeten to taste.

The benefits of grapefruit seed extract

The seed extract of this amazing fruit has multiple health benefits. It serves as antibiotic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, cardiotonic, and antiseptic.

In order to take advantage of them and have good health, it is recommended to take 15 to 20 drops of the liquid extract for 2 to 4 weeks.

And with this we end the special on grapefruit. What did you think of this fruit tree?