Received a 15 year old Grapefruit !

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 8:50 am

Friends were downsizing, and gave me this 15 year old started from seed collected in Dominican Republic.

He pruned it often to maintain a dense bush shape.
Man, the thorns are an inch long!

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:44 pm

I was going to say-that sucker must have been trimmed.
I have a lemon tree that size that's 4ish years old and it didn't start growing until this year.
You won't believe how fast they grow once they get going!
Mine is still growing fast inside!

I hope we get some blooms this year,the fragrance is out of this world!
Nice score!

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 2:46 pm

When I heard that I was getting a 15 year old plant, I looked up at my ceiling

So I'm glad it's a bush.

I remember the almost overpowering fragrance from my two Calamondin orange trees (they died this year...damn!)

Do you mist yours?

The previous owner had his sitting in a North window and said it barely made it through each winter until it went back out on the patio.
Since arrival, it's been in a south window, and has grown 8 inches

Fertilizer for acid-loving plants?
Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:39 pm

I can nearly hear this Grapefruit growing.
Holy cow!
Nearly a foot of growth on this branch!

Dusty leaves

Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:16 am

That's a really awesome score there Barb. I really wish I bought a few citrus trees when I was in Fla. last spring. I have two lemons now, a meyer and a ponderosa. The meyer has a pretty fat lemon on it and the ponderosa has ton of buds getting ready to open. I have them in a south window, they seem happy there.

You might want to ask Todd about the buds once they flower, I think your only supposed to leave a few in each cluster on there to get better fruit. I not sure though. I pretty sure Todd will know, He has some beautiful trees.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 7:42 am

Yup, Todd is THE citrus man here.

Hate to tell him both my calamondin orange croaked this year.
Too hot and dry, and soil too alkaline probably.

Have heard how popular the meyer lemon is.

Re citrus fertilizer, ammonium phosphate is recommended.
Then I read that calcium nitrate is best if supplemented with trace (iron, etc.)

What do you use?
Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:58 am

I haven't had them that long but I used dyna gro on them. I'll get them some citrus food for there next feeding

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 12:21 pm

That dyna gro 7-9-5 sounds like great stuff.

Website: http://www.dyna-gro.com/

I'll see if the nursery has it.
Thanks.
Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 8:04 pm

If it's in a sunny spot that shoot will grow 3'+ I bet'cha.
I have not had problems with citrus plants in dry indoor air.
They do grow them in the desert,just give it plenty of water while it's growing like that or it will terminate that shoot.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Nov 05, 2009 9:06 pm

3 feet?

OK, but you'll be eating your meyer (OK...in a drink) before I see a grapefruit.

Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 3:47 pm

Yeah Barb, dyna gro is really good stuff! I've always had very good results with it, so much that I bought a gallon of it. I use it on the palms as a booster here and there, since carl pool is my once a year main fertilizer. That one is really awesome for palms, I'm sure you've heard of it.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 9:35 pm

Yes I have heard of it, Bill.
We Canadians not only have trouble getting good diversity in palm stock, we have a hell of a time getting decent fertilizer.
But I'll keep looking.

Jim -- that shoot is growing at about two inches a day!
It sure likes that south window.
great weather sticker!

Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 10:28 am

Jim's bet of 3 feet isn't far off.

Previous owner said it needed repotting.
So I did.
Gave it a tiny bit of a comparable fertilizer (couldn't find dyna gro).
Today growth is at 2 feet!

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 11:45 am

Barb
That things a monster! And-it's just getting started.The branches it's putting out now will also throw out a bunch more next year!
Hope it blooms for ya,not many fragrances compare to citrus blooms!

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:30 pm

Looking great Barb, it's probably a good thing you didn't find dyna gro or it would be growing 4" a day! All I can smell in my living room is the lemon flowers, it's a pretty nice smell, I hope your flowers for you soon.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:50 pm

So everybody's is flowering NOW?
And the pictures are WHERE?

I do recall that wonderful fragrance...my two Calamondin orange croaked during our heatwave this year.
Or, more correctly, lack of water during a heatwave.

At this rate, will have to prune it.
It may beat the Bottle Palm to the ceiling.

Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:49 pm

Here's a few pictures for you Barb! It's not really a whole lot to luck at but it will pump out the lemons. How can you tell when your a plant nut? When your living room looks like a jungle, and you have to slide over on the couch so plant leaves aren't in the way of the tv. South side windows sure are prime real estate in my house!

There's more on the other side of the speaker too

Bill

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 2:54 pm

I should have taken a picture of the one with the lemon on it! Duh, here it is.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 4:12 pm

Thanks for the blossom pics, Bill.
Nice size lemon for a young plant.

Do you hand pollinate with a q-tip? tiny paintbrush?

What windows?

I thought all the nanas were down in the Dexter room.
What's the nana in the highball glass drinking?

Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 5:03 pm

That's a baby ice cream nana that I cut off the moma, it's just starting to root now. The one behind it is an orinoco. Q tip seems to do the trick, time will tell.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Nov 23, 2009 8:20 pm

I'll be cutting pups off mine in spring.
Would like to learn how yours is coming along.
How many roots need to show in water before you pot it up in soil?
Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 6:36 am

No problem Barb. It depends on how big the pup is I guess, once they start breaking out of the bottom on all side there good usually. I keep them in smaller pots for awhile though until they root up again.

Bill

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 11:27 am

Any root will usually do it,if the stem doesn't rot.
Nice lemon flowers Bill,probably a response to being brought inside in warmer temps?
Orange trees in Az didn't usually blossom until March.
Nice dwarf ponytail palm Bill-

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 1:55 pm

Thanks Jim.
I've had the ponytail palm for five or six years now, it came from Home Depot for 10 bucks, it was the same size then pretty much. I like the fact that it stays small, I can always find a nice spot for it. It lived in my office for many years that really doesn't receive a ton of sun and it did very well.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Thu Jul 01, 2010 6:36 pm

Grapefruit's gone crazy...guess it likes the Palm Special Fertilizer

The branches are so weak, they wouldn't be able to hold a golfball up, let alone a grapefruit.

Even older wood doesn't look strong.
I believe it's P (of NPK) that provides strong stems?
Will have to give it some of that.

Barb

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:28 pm

Also promotes flowering

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Jul 02, 2010 1:31 pm

I hope the stems get stronger, Jim, before they set flowers.

But I am looking forward to that beast beginning to flower...

thanks!
Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 8:03 am

Barb,
You'll be surprised how much they can hold. I though the same thing and my little lemon has three lemons on one branch. I need to keep the dam tree rats away from them, some bastard squirl bit one off the other day and dropped it about two feet away. I was pretty pissed about that.

Bill

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 10:23 am

squirl bit one off the other day

And with all the plants in pots, you can't even use a pellet gun (too many new drain holes, ha ha).
Maybe a couple of cats?
Have you still got chickens in your backyard? Chickens would chase a squirrel away, I bet.

Barb

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sat Jul 03, 2010 8:37 pm

No chickens here Barb that picture was from Cape Cod I was just having fun with Eric. I could shot them and I might if they keep messing with my stuff, I have a semi auto I could light them up with

There somewhat safe for now but that could change quickly!

Bill

PalmsNorth.com

Received a 15 year old Grapefruit !

Received a 15 year old Grapefruit !

2 feet growth