Distinctive features of the plant, conditions for growing grapefruit in the room, advice on transplanting and reproduction, diseases and pests, interesting facts, species. Grapefruit (Citrus paradis) is part of the genus Citrus and, as a dicotyledonous and dicotyledonous plant, is included in the Rutaceae family. The plant appeared at the whim of Mother Nature, as a result of the natural crossing of an orange and a pomelo. It is grown mainly in areas with a subtropical climate.
The world first learned about this fruit thanks to the Welsh priest Griffiths Hughes, who was a naturalist and botanist. It happened in the middle of the 17th century (namely in 1750). For some reason, this scientist gave him the name of the "forbidden fruit". Then this fruit was even called "small shedok", since it resembled a pomelo, only of a smaller size. Well, the pomelo was called "sheddock" in honor of the captain of England Sheddock, who brought this unusual fruit to the island of Barbados in the 17th century from the island territories of the Malay archipelago. It was only in 1814 that Jamaican traders renamed this exotic fruit to grapefruit.
The plant got its name from the merger of the English word "grape", which translates as "grape" and "fruit" - meaning "fruit". Why is there such an association? Because the fruits of this citrus are often gathered in bunches like bunches of grapes.
In 1880, there was a surge in the cultivation of this crop on an industrial scale in the United States, and then in all the lands of the Caribbean, as well as in Brazil, Israel and South Africa. And after a little time, grapefruit confidently took its place in the world fruit market and in the XX century we can no longer imagine the whole variety of citrus fruits without this fruit.
On the basis of grapefruit, as a result of human selection, tangelo was created, a hybrid plant obtained by combining one of the mandarin varieties (Citrus raticulata) and grapefruit and mineola (citrus bred in the 30s of the XX century due to the crossing of the Dansy mandarin variety and the Duncun grapefruit variety).
Grapefruit is an evergreen citrus fruit with a tree-like growth and a beautiful branched crown. Most often, the height of the tree reaches 4–5 meters, but some specimens even reach 15 meters. In indoor conditions, they stretch only 1, 5–2 m.
Grapefruit leaf plates of dark emerald color, reach lengths up to 15 cm, with a glossy surface. Flowering occurs with delicate whitish or milky buds, consisting of 4-5 petals fused at the base. And the diameter at the opening of the flower reaches 5 cm in diameter. They have a delicate aroma.
The fruit of the grapefruit is very similar in taste to the orange, but there is more acid and there is a little bitterness. It is often indicated in numerous encyclopedic manuals as a fruit that can be consumed during a diet. The fruits ripen on the tree for 9-12 months. They usually reach 10-15 cm in diameter. It is difficult to separate the peel from the pulp. The pulp itself is a bag filled with juice, the color depends on the grapefruit variety and goes from light yellow to ruby red color. The peel of the fruit is mostly yellow, but in varieties with red tones of flesh it acquires a reddish-orange color.
The plant is distinguished by the presence of up to 20 varieties with different colors of the peel, pulp and taste.
Agrotechnics when growing grapefruit in the room
- Lighting and site selection. The grapefruit is a light-loving plant and it just needs a daylight hours equal to 10-12 hours. You will have to find a place on the windowsill of windows that face east, west or south. On the latter, you will have to arrange a light shade at noon so that the sun does not scorch the leaves. But in the northern direction of the windows, the citrus will lack light, it is better to supplement it with special phytolamps. It will also be required on any other window in the autumn-winter period with a natural reduction in daylight hours.
- Growing temperature. The plant is quite thermophilic and it is necessary to withstand heat indicators of 20-27 degrees. In the summertime, flower growers take the citrus pot out into the air, in the garden or on the balcony. But for this, a place is selected taking into account the dislike of grapefruit for drafts and direct streams of ultraviolet radiation from 12 to 16 hours of the day. In order for the plant to delight with flowers and fruits later, in the autumn-winter period, it will be necessary to lower the temperature to 4-6 degrees.
- Air humidity. Grapefruit will require maintaining an average moisture content of 50-60%. To do this, in the spring and summer, you can carry out daily spraying of the crown of leaves with warm and soft water, and once a month "pamper" the tree with a warm shower.
- Watering the grapefruit. The plant likes the soil to be constantly moist, but it should not be waterlogged. Overdrying the earth also threatens the death of citrus. In extreme heat, watering is carried out daily, and with moderate heat, only when the top layer of soil in the flowerpot dries up. With the arrival of winter, humidification is significantly reduced, especially if the grapefruit is kept at low heat levels. Distilled or river water is taken, some growers collect rainwater or drown snow in winter, followed by heating the liquid. If this is not possible, tap water can be passed through a filter, boiled or defended for several days.
- Fertilization should be carried out from February to October when the grapefruit is in the active growth phase. It is necessary to apply special additives for citrus plants twice a month. If grapefruit is kept at low temperatures in the autumn-winter period, then fertilization is not carried out, but if this is not possible, fertilizing is continued with regularity once a month.
- Transplantation and choice of substrate. It is necessary to change the pot when the grapefruit roots completely absorb all the land provided and become visible from the drainage holes. It is better to use the transshipment method, so the root system will be least injured. Holes are made in the bottom of the new pot so that excess water flows down and a drainage layer is laid. The soil should be with neutral acidity, loose and fertile. You can use citrus primer. Florists compose a soil mixture on their own based on sod land, humus, leafy soil and river sand (in proportions of 3: 1: 1: 1).
Recommendations for self-propagation of grapefruit
Citrus is propagated by planting seeds, cuttings or grafting. If the plant is grown from seed, then it will have increased resistance and health. However, it will be difficult to wait for flowering and fruit. A seedling may only have flowers 7–15 years after planting. To achieve an earlier flowering, citrus will need to be grafted. The graft here can be a stalk of an orange, lemon or grapefruit tree, which has already had fruits.
From the fruit, you need to get the grains and immediately plant them in a substrate for citrus plants (you can take mixed sand with humus). The seed is immersed 2–3 cm in slightly moistened soil. You must put on a plastic bag or put a container under a piece of glass on a container with seedlings. It is necessary to regularly moisten the soil and ventilate the seedlings. The germination temperature should be between 22-27 degrees. The pot is placed in a bright place, but without direct sunlight.
The time of emergence of the first shoots is very dependent on the grapefruit variety, and it can stretch from one week to several months. It is interesting that from one grain there is a possibility of germination of several sprouts at once - this is a feature of citrus fruits, their seeds contain several germs. Later, the strongest plants are left, and the rest are removed. When a pair of true well-developed leaves is formed on the sprout, a neat dive is performed in separate containers with a diameter of 7-9 cm. When grafting, a branch is selected from a fruit-bearing tree and its length should not be less than 10 cm. The cuttings are planted in moist river sand without clay … The bottom sheet plate will need to be removed. Before planting, you can process the slices with any growth stimulator - this will help the early formation of roots, "Kornevin" or "Epin" will do. You can use a plastic bottle as a container for the habits. It is cut into two parts, a couple of holes are made at the bottom for water drainage and coarse sand is poured, approximately 2/3 of the volume. The sand is disinfected with boiling water, when it cools down, a 2 cm depression is made with a stick or a long nail.
The stalk is planted there a little at an angle, the sand around it is slightly pressed. Then the upper part of the bottle is put on and this whole structure is placed in a warm and well-lit place, but so that direct streams of the sun do not fall on it. The temperature during rooting is maintained within the range of 20-25 degrees. It is regularly required to moisten the substrate and ventilate the branches. Watering is carried out with warm soft water. When a month has passed, the cuttings will have white root shoots and can be transplanted into a slightly larger pot of citrus soil. It is important to perform the operation carefully so as not to damage the young roots.
Diseases and pests when growing citrus
Most of all, red spider mites, scale insects or mealybugs can bother grapefruit. The symptoms of the appearance of these pests are yellowed leaves, their deformation and discharge, punctures appear along the edge on the back of the leaf plate, as if from a needle, the back of the leaf may become covered with brown or gray-brown dots (pest eggs). All leaves and branches become covered with a thin cobweb, sticky sugary bloom or formations that look like small pieces of cotton wool.
If the listed problems appear, then it is necessary to carry out processing:
- soapy (30 grams of laundry soap or a little dishwashing detergent, which dissolves in a bucket of water);
- oil (using a couple of drops of rosemary essential oil diluted in a liter of water);
- alcohol solution (for example, a pharmacy tincture of calendula is suitable).
Apply the product to a cotton pad and manually remove insects or plaque from leaves or branches. You can also spray these solutions on the leafy crown of the tree. In the event that non-chemical agents did not bring the desired result, then they are treated with insecticides, for example, "Aktara" or "Aktellik".
A plant may also suffer from a fungal or viral disease, such as gommosis or gum disease. In this case, the bark at the base of the stem begins to deteriorate and dies off, after which a light yellow liquid appears - gum. For the fight, all the spoiled bark is removed to the living tissue of the trunk and processing is carried out with garden pitch. Bordeaux liquid or Fitovir is used against fungi (wart or anthracnose).
If the plant is in direct sunlight, then the leaf plates become covered with whitish spots due to sunburn. With low air humidity, the tips of the foliage begin to dry out. If the soil is flooded, the leaves will be covered with brown spot, and they can fly around.
Interesting facts about grapefruit
In countries where grapefruit trees are grown, February 2 is recognized as the "Grapefruit Gathering Festival" and it can last for several days.
Red (or pink) grapefruit contains more vitamin C in its fruit than its yellow-skinned counterpart.
The fruits of this citrus are used for gum disease and dental problems by making a tincture of the fruit rind and using it to rinse the mouth. Naturally, it is recommended to use it for colds or flu.
I found the use of grapefruit in cosmetology, with the help of juice, you can cleanse the skin of the face from freckles or acne (it will be able to regulate the fat balance), and in general it has a replete effect. You can also get rid of the manifestations of cellulite or edema. Grapefruit oil is added to creams, masks and lotions.
Naturally, because of the trace elements that are part of the grapefruit fruit, it is used in the so-called grapefruit diet, which burns fats. The main ingredient here is naringin, which stimulates the body's metabolism.
The aroma of this fruit, which can be heard in essential oil, helps to leave the feeling of fatigue, instills self-confidence. However, the use of the fruits of this citrus is contraindicated for people with stomach and duodenal problems, kidney or liver disease. If a person suffers from bouts of hypertension and takes appropriate medications, then it is necessary to carefully use grapefruit. This also applies to women taking hormonal pills.
And recently, American researchers have proven that due to the increase in blood levels of estrogen when eating grapefruit fruits and the development of breast cancer in women, there is a direct link.
Types of grapefruit
All types of grapefruits are divided into red and light depending on the color of their pulp. Red fruits can be used to lower blood cholesterol levels more effectively and are sweeter than citrus with a light heart.
Since there are about 20 varieties, here are the main ones:
- Marsh. This variety has a light-colored flesh, rich aroma and smooth yellow skin. It has a taste with a pronounced sourness. It is customary to make juices with the help of this type of fruit. The fruit contains a small amount of grains.
- Ruby Red. The peel of these fruits is smooth, rather thick and tinged with a yellowish-pink hue. The pulp is red. They are very sweet to taste, but there is some astringency. Most often used in cooking for the preparation of fruit salads or desserts.
- Star Ruby. The shape of the fruits of this variety is slightly flattened, the skin is thin and bright yellow. The pulp has a strong aroma and dark red color. Has a sweet taste with bitterness.
- Rio red … Fruits are large in size with a very thick yellow rind with a reddish spot. They have a juicy flesh of a dark red tone. It tastes sweet and sour, but there is a slight characteristic bitterness.
- Flame. In this variety, the fruits are distinguished by a smooth orange skin. The pulp is juicy, rich in aroma and sweet taste, and has a red color.
- Duncan. The taste is very sweet, the color of the flesh is light yellow, there may be a slight greenish tinge. The peel is smooth, with a light yellow tint.
- Oroblanco. It is a hybrid plant obtained by crossing a pomelo and a white grapefruit. Its peel has a green tint, rather thick and glossy. The pulp of the fruit is light orange, juicy, sweet.
- Melogold. Fruits are large in size with a thick skin of bright yellow color. The color of the pulp is rich yellow, the taste is very sweet, but the astringency is well expressed.
- Wite. This variety has a thick skin, smooth surface and a light yellow tone. The pulp is very sweet, white in color, yellowish tinge may be present. Practically free of seeds.
Watch in this video how to grow a grapefruit:
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