Author Topic: Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?  (Read 410 times)

Tortuga

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Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?
« on: January 09, 2025, 05:38:41 PM »
I love a good red fleshed grapefruit and want to grow one. My concerns are:

Will the summer be long enough to get plump fruits?

Anyone growing these in pots with success in more temperate regions like myself?

I’ve also wanted to grow Ugli fruit but I read these need a longer summer than my zone 8 can offer. My hunch says grapefruit are similar?

Thanks!

Eric101

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Re: Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2025, 08:21:20 AM »
I am in Virginia 7a.  I have a two year old Rio Red which is currently in a 5 gallon bucket.  I got two fruit that stayed on last year about size of baseballs but never ripened.   Currently in my greenhouse and still on.   I am about to give up on them and remove them but still hopeful.  Unlikely, I know.   Figure it will bloom as soon as I remove the fruit.   So far, then, I am a no.  I have successfully grown Meyer Lemon, Persian Lime, and Navel Orange here so still hopeful. 

brian

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Re: Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2025, 09:19:02 AM »
I am growing multiple grapefruit and pummelo in zone6, with the trees outdoors in summer and greenhoused in winter.  They are very productive and the fruit is excellent

countryboy1981

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Re: Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2025, 01:02:12 PM »
I am growing grapefruit in ground in 8b which was just reclassified as 9a (even though its not true with hitting 16 degrees last winter and 18 the year before).  Last year the ruby red was killed to where I banked the soil line, this one was cutting grown.  The two seed grown duncan grapefruit trees I have in the ground sustained a decent amount of bark damage but recovered most of the way by this winter; they have been in ground since 2015 and have seen 16 degrees before but did not have 80 degrees prior those times.

Millet

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Re: Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?
« Reply #4 on: January 11, 2025, 12:40:24 PM »
I m growing a white Marsh grapefruit, and also a red grapefruit in zone 5 Colorado inside a greenhouse.   Both do well, however the red fruited grapefruit never turns red. This is due not enough heat.   I  could turn up the greenhouse heat greenhouse but cost would greatly go up.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2025, 04:48:36 PM by Millet »

Desertcitrus

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Re: Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?
« Reply #5 on: January 11, 2025, 04:41:12 PM »
I am growing grapefruit in ground in 8b which was just reclassified as 9a (even though its not true with hitting 16 degrees last winter and 18 the year before).  Last year the ruby red was killed to where I banked the soil line, this one was cutting grown.  The two seed grown duncan grapefruit trees I have in the ground sustained a decent amount of bark damage but recovered most of the way by this winter; they have been in ground since 2015 and have seen 16 degrees before but did not have 80 degrees prior those times.
Do you protect them in the winter? I’m in zone 8b. Thinking of planting a grapefruit tree.

countryboy1981

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Re: Anyone successfully growing grapefruit in zone 7,8, or 9?
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2025, 07:27:33 PM »
I am growing grapefruit in ground in 8b which was just reclassified as 9a (even though its not true with hitting 16 degrees last winter and 18 the year before).  Last year the ruby red was killed to where I banked the soil line, this one was cutting grown.  The two seed grown duncan grapefruit trees I have in the ground sustained a decent amount of bark damage but recovered most of the way by this winter; they have been in ground since 2015 and have seen 16 degrees before but did not have 80 degrees prior those times.
Do you protect them in the winter? I’m in zone 8b. Thinking of planting a grapefruit tree.

I did last winter on all of them (banking soil about a foot high).  It ended up being not necessary on the seed grown ones but the grafted ones it was--they regrew fron the line where the soil was banked.  The seed grown ones are about 10 to 15 ft tall.

 

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