Watering is crucial, typically when citrus is planted into the ground there is a worry of proper drainage and overwatering your tree. Step 3: Watering for Rio Red Grapefruit Trees

We have just removed a large part of the headache of growing citrus by having all customers grow their citrus in containers and using any standard potting soil which is available at your local nursery garden center supply store. You also don't have to worry about the pH balance of the soil. With a standard potting soil for your container gardening, you do not need to worry about any of these factors. Other types of soil such as different types of clay soils especially with limestone mixed in will have a very difficult time draining and this will adversely affect the root health of your tree. This is advantageous because even if you lived in a citrus growing region, you would have to take into consideration the type of soil.įor example, US Citrus is based in the Rio Grande Valley, and we have a wonderful sandy loam type soil which drains very well. We do not recommend gardening soil or topsoil to use for citrus fruit container gardening. All you need is any sort of potting soil. Step 2: Soil for Rio Red Grapefruit TreesĬhoosing soil for your Rio red grapefruit trees is simple. We find that anything above 25 gallons is quite difficult to physically move with only one person, so we recommend 15 gallons as the sweet spot. Secondly, the size of the pot should be at least 5 gallons, with our favorite size recommend being 15 gallons. The keys to an appropriate container are having sufficient drainage through the material either being some sort of mesh cloth (SmartPots) or having a few holes on the bottom of your planter. Step 1: Container for Rio Red Grapefruit Trees You can keep any citrus tree pruned back, but the Rio red grapefruit is naturally a smaller dwarf type variety which gets to be about 4 to 6 feet, but it will still produce an abundant harvest. The actual planting process of citrus trees in pots is very straightforward, with standardized use of potting soil and watering and fertilizing schedules. The Planting Process for Growing Citrus Trees in Pots You can use a plastic barrel, a wooden planter, a nice decorative pot, or really any sort of container that has adequate holes on the bottom for drainage.Īnother option, which we enjoy, are fabric smart pots which do not have holes, however, the entire container is made of a fabric mesh which allows proper drainage and aeration of the soil. So how do you grow citrus outside of these growing zones? You do so by planting your tree in a container. However, we consider this a good thing, because it's going to make your citrus growing a lot easier. If you do not live in those regions, we do not recommend planting citrus in the ground. However, the growing regions in the United States where citrus can be planted into the ground are California, Arizona, South Texas, Louisiana and Florida. With proper care, having a citrus tree such as lemon, lime, grapefruit, Rio red grapefruit, Rio red grapefruit or orange tree will produce decades of delicious fruit. Vigorous growing, large tree, with a spreading canopy, large dark green leaves.Grapefruit has the highest heat requirement of any citrus.The tree will start bearing sweet, tasty red-fleshed grapefruit in its second year.The grapefruits from the Rio Red grapefruit tree ripen between November to May.Juicy with fine sweet and tart flavor, fairly easy to peel.The classic Rio Red grapefruit variety is widely known for its delicious pink-red fleshed fruit.Large fruit with yellow rind with a red blush.Rio Red grapefruits are some of the tastiest and juiciest grapefruits in the world.If you haven’t tried a grapefruit from a Rio Red grapefruit tree, they might just be the best grapefruits you will ever eat! And, you can easily grow your own Rio Red grapefruit tree in a container or pot by following the 8 steps below. One of the most aromatic smells you will experience will be the incredible scents of your Rio Red's flower buds! Hensz from the Texas A&M Citrus Center.Īt the time, the grapefruit was discovered growing on the branch of a Ruby Red budwood. Introduced to the general public in 1984, the Rio Red grapefruit hails from the breeding program of the citrus legend Dr. The Rio Red grapefruit is the official state fruit of Texas.

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