Author Topic: when to pick Chandler pummelo?  (Read 7354 times)

brian

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when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« on: November 12, 2021, 11:52:05 AM »
This is the first year that my container Chandler has produced full size fruit.  Previous two years it is had made a few fruit that reached only grapefruit size. 

Any suggestions on when to pick this fruit?  It is the only one on the tree so I can't do the usual sampling.




tedburn

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2021, 02:38:25 PM »
Hello Brian,
I have also a Chandler with 3 fruits this year.
After my experience from last year I decided to wait with harvesting until March/April. Because last year I tested in October, in January and March and the March fruit was the best.



sc4001992

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2021, 03:07:25 PM »
Brian, one of my large pumello tree is a Chandler tree. I have many varieties grafted over it but I still get some Changler fruits from the lower branches. Your fruit looks nice, the Chandler fruit will hang on the tree for about a month after it is ripe so you should not worry about it getting over ripe if you wait. From your photo, to me it does not look ripe, it is still green even if it reached it maximum size. There are two methods I use to determine if I should pick my fruits, the first is you can wait for the skin to turn more yellow overall than it is green like your photo. Also check you fruit now by lifting it upwards, remember how heavy (or light) it is. If it feels like its not 2 lbs for that size fruit, wait until it feels heavy. The last thing is, when the fruit is fully ripe and hanging to long, you can just lift it and slightly turn it, if it falls off the stem it is ripe for eating. Main thing is to let it get ripe, so you get the best flavor.

The Chandlers they sell at the market is always green since they pick it before it gets fully ripe, but at home you can wait until it turns yellow. My pummelos start to get ripe in Dec, and goes until March here.


brian

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2021, 05:02:43 PM »
Thanks, guys.  I will try the "light twist" test once it becomes yellow. 

Yes, they are always half green when I see them at the grocery store.

Millet

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2021, 12:29:55 PM »
I picked a Valentine Pummelo this morning.  The peel looked much like Brian's (mostly yellow with some light green).  Upon cutting open the red coloration was not fully distributed, and the pulp was still some what grainy.  I will wait another two or three weeks to try another fruit.

sc4001992

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2021, 11:25:14 PM »
I picked a Chandler pummelo yesterday that was light yellow and it was not ready, no taste or sweetness.
I think for me in CA it won't be ready until end of Dec, mid jan.

FV Fruit Freak

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2021, 11:04:06 AM »
Is Chandler considered the best Pummelo?
Nate

brian

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2021, 03:34:13 PM »
There don't seem to be any consensus on pummelos, I have seen every type rated both excellent and terrible depending who you ask.  I really like Chandler.

Plantinyum

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2021, 12:42:21 AM »
Doesnt pomello just fall of when it is ready, or is it past prime condition when that happens?

brian

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #9 on: November 15, 2021, 01:32:51 AM »
I have no idea... does it?

sc4001992

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #10 on: November 15, 2021, 03:21:08 AM »
No, if the pummelo fruit falls off then its already to ripe. But you should be able to eat it still, it lasts weeks before it will be spoiled.

FV Fruit Freak

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #11 on: November 15, 2021, 11:13:25 AM »
Thanks Brian, glad I added it to my tree last spring and lookin forward to tasting it!
Nate

Millet

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #12 on: November 15, 2021, 12:01:47 PM »
 have had a few small  immature Chandler Pummelo fall off so far this season.  They have been laying on the ground for several weeks.  I will cut one open to see if they still mature when off he tree.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2021, 04:42:51 PM by Millet »

luak

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #13 on: November 15, 2021, 03:01:39 PM »
have had a few small  immature Chandler Pummelo fall off so far this season.  They have been laying on he ground for several weeks.  I cut one open to see if they still mature when off he tree.
Lot depends when flowering start. Are your trees growing in a greenhouse, colder zone, lots of cold days?






« Last Edit: November 15, 2021, 07:26:13 PM by luak »

tedburn

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #14 on: November 16, 2021, 12:23:59 AM »
Hi Luak,
look nice your pomelos, are they in a greenhouse, do you heat your greenhouse ? On which min. temperatures do you heat your greenhouse ?
I have mine from about october to march in the greenhouse and I only try to avoid freeze, min. temperature I keep by about 2 degree Celsius for my chandler pomelo and other citrus.
Regards Frank

luak

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #15 on: November 16, 2021, 11:52:11 AM »
No greenhouse but a Greenroom/ X workshop. Temps for winter storage, around 65*, from November till March.
Red dots are trees I am growing in the room.










« Last Edit: November 16, 2021, 11:55:09 AM by luak »

tedburn

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #16 on: November 16, 2021, 02:35:37 PM »
Thank you Luak for your information and pictures.
So you keep them pretty warm, mine are kept at about 35 ° F, as minimumtemp. at night, daytimetemperatures normally are much higher due to sun warming.
For my Chandler this worked quite well in the last winter in my greenhouse.


brian

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #17 on: December 06, 2021, 02:09:45 PM »
I lifted it slightly today to look at it, and the fruit fell off so I guess it is ripe.  It was very good, sweet and juicy. 

It wasn't what I expected at all, though.  The pummelos I have bought at the grocery store, which I had always assumed were Chandler, are not juicy and all and the pieces can be pulled apart dry.  Also, the grocery store fruit is pink inside while my Chandler is yellow.  I wonder what they the grocery store is selling?







tedburn

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #18 on: December 06, 2021, 02:20:43 PM »
Looks very nice Brian, good to hear that it tasted sweet and juicy. Mine are still more green than yellow - its hard to wait  ;)

Millet

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #19 on: December 06, 2021, 03:16:42 PM »
The pulp of a ripe Chandler pummelo is pink in color

brian

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #20 on: December 06, 2021, 04:33:36 PM »
I guess it is a bit pink, might not be fully developed.  I will buy one of the pummelos I see at the grocery store for comparison.

My tree is from Fourwinds so I highly doubt they would mislabel the variety.

sc4001992

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #21 on: December 06, 2021, 05:41:27 PM »
Brian, good to hear you pummelo taste very good. But yours does not look like a Chandler to me. I have a large tree and the fruits do get about 1-2 lbs and pretty round shape, but your flesh doesn't look like a pummelo. It looks more like a hybrid of a pummelo and grapefrut.

My Chandler pummelo fruits always showed some pink around the outer flesh of the fruit, never fully pink all over. Also when you cut the Chandler you can't easily peel it, and the individual sack segments needs to peeled apart, then the membrane needs to be removed before you can get to the flesh.  See the photo from UCR of what the Chandler normally looks like.

Your fruit looks more like my cocktail_grapefruit or the Oroblanco. The Chandler should have seeds, your has super small seeds.



Seanny

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #22 on: December 23, 2021, 09:48:30 PM »



For here, most years they are ready by new year.

Tastes much better than Sumo at this time.

brian

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2022, 10:27:55 AM »
I ate a Melogold (pummelo/grapefruit hybrid?) that I bought at a grocery store when I was in Florida, and it was just like the supposed Chandler fruit from my tree.  I wonder if Fourwinds sold me a mislabelled tree?

I am thinking of ordering a new Chandler from MadisonCitrus, and of course I see they have a bunch of other pummelo types I've never tried.  Hirado Buntan, Large Pink, Red Shaddock, Pink Sensation, Siamese Pink.  I will probably just stick to Chandler though as I know I like it.  The only other pink pummelo I've tried was a chinese type from a grocery store that was quite similar to Chandler but not quite as good in my opinion.

Seanny

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Re: when to pick Chandler pummelo?
« Reply #24 on: March 20, 2022, 02:18:28 PM »



Cooler pomelo fruit means more lycopene, deeper red.
The bag above blocked most light to keep fruit cool.

Maybe your Chandler fruits were too hot inside GH?