How to Care for Dwarf Oro Blanco Grapefruit

Grapefruit trees thrive for years with proper care.

Grapefruits are the results of crossing sweet oranges and pummelos, and oro blanco grapefruits (Citrus x paridisi “Oro Blanco”) are the results of backcrossing grapefruits and pummelos. This produces a milder, sweeter grapefruit that is nearly seedless and easily peeled. Standard grapefruit trees grow more than 20 feet tall, but dwarf grapefruit trees reach 7 to 10 feet. Citrus trees are cold sensitive and grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant zones 9 to 11. Grapefruit trees thrive for years with proper care. Does this Spark an idea?

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Shovel
Mulch
Whitewash
Paint brush
Ammonium sulfate
Citrus fertilizer
Hand shears

Instructions

- 1
  
  Wait until the last chance of frost has passed in the spring to plant your dwarf grapefruit tree. Find a location with full sun and well-drained, sandy loam or loam soil.
- 2
  
  Water the grapefruit tree well before planting. Dig the hole the same depth or a little shallower than the container holding the tree and at least double the width. The upper part of the root ball must be around 1 inch above the ground level after settling.
- 3
  
  Place the grapefruit tree in the center of the hole. Check the height of the root ball and then backfill the hole partway. Tamp the soil lightly and then finish filling the hole.
- 4
  
  Mound up the leftover dirt several inches high to make a watering ring surrounding the grapefruit tree that is slightly larger than the planting hole. Fill the ring with water to settle the tree in place.
- 5
  
  Add 2 to 3 inches of mulch over the entire planting hole and watering basin. Keep a 12-inch area next to the grapefruit tree’s trunk mulch-free. Extend the mulch out yearly to cover the ground beneath the grapefruit tree’s canopy.
- 6
  
  Paint the lower part of the grapefruit tree with whitewash or use a tree wrap to protect the trunk from rodent or sunburn damage for the first growing season.
- 7
  
  Fill the basin with water once or twice weekly for the first season, depending on the rainfall and soil. Apply water when the soil dries a few inches down. During the following seasons when the trees established, only water the tree once every week or two.
- 8
  
  Apply 1/2 tablespoon of a nitrogen fertilizer, such as ammonium sulfate, around the base of the tree monthly throughout spring and summer. Start using a citrus-type fertilizer beginning in February of the second season and reapply it every four to six weeks as directed on the label. Most dwarf varieties use half as much fertilizer as standard-size trees.
- 9
  
  Prune the grapefruit tree only as needed to remove dead or damaged branches. Most citrus trees require minimal pruning.