hardware@watmath.UUCP (MFCF Hardware Lab) (02/18/85)
Help! I am trying to grow a grapefruit from seed, but it has stopped growing, and has a serious lack of leaves (two to be exact). I started growing it over 8 months ago, but it is only 4 inches high and has two leaves, 3/4 of an inch long! What an I doing wrong? Does anyone know what growing conditions a grapefruit needs? lots of water, very little? sunlight, shade? fertilizer? what?? I would like to keep this thing alive, but I don't seem to be doing a very good job! If you can help me in any way, please reply here, or send mail to: hardware@watmath University of Waterloo Waterloo Ontario Canada. Thanks
ems@amdahl.UUCP (E. Michael Smith) (02/21/85)
> Help! I am trying to grow a grapefruit from seed, Citrus does not 'come true' when grown from seed. That is, you will get a plant, but it may or may not represent the parent stock. If you intend the grapefruit to be eaten, buy a commercial grafted plant. > but it has stopped > growing, and has a serious lack of leaves (two to be exact). > I started growing it over 8 months ago, but it is only 4 inches high > and has two leaves, 3/4 of an inch long! What an I doing wrong? > Does anyone know what growing conditions a grapefruit needs? lots of > water, very little? sunlight, shade? fertilizer? what?? > I am not an expert, but the citrus I have seen do well was growing in plenty of soil (very large tub or in the ground) in a sunny area with plenty of fertilizer. In particular it needs Iron to maintain a good green color. Get a commercial citrus fertilizer mix. Make sure the plant is well watered, but do not overwater. They are a warm, dry climate plant. You may not be doing anything wrong, it might just be that the plant is a dwarf. I would suspect a shortage of sun and fertilizer though...
ems@amdahl.UUCP (E. Michael Smith) (02/21/85)
> > Help! I am trying to grow a grapefruit from seed, > A post script to my prior posting: Trees tend toward yearly growth cycles. We are now comming out of winter. The tree will have slowed its growth during the winter cycle. If it does not grow this spring, then worry. Otherwise it is just taking a winter vacation ...