Re: now grapefruit was: back to oranges

In a message dated 9/16/99 4:43:00 PM EST, tmiller4@tampabay.rr.com writes:

<< Why would almost every grapefruit on my Ruby Red grapefruit be splitting 
 open on the tree? 
 
 Tom Miller >>

Tom:

My guess would be that the trees are getting more water now than they were 
when the fruits were formed, causing them to swell and burst their skins.  
For best results, at least here where I live (absolutely no rain for nearly 6 
months of the year), citrus need consistent watering.  When I first started 
growing citrus, I read all those books that said you have to be careful about 
overwatering them and should never plant them in a lawn, etc.  In my climate, 
at least, that turned out to be a bunch of hogwash.  Here, they like plenty 
of water, and they like it applied consistently.  We even give them a deep 
watering in winter if it's been awhile since we've had any rain and it looks 
like it's going to freeze.  It seems crazy, because the surface of the soil 
looks damp, but it seems to give the plants an added degree of cold 
protection.  I had some of my Washington Navel oranges split this year, and 
I'm sure it was because I hadn't been as consistent with the water as I 
should have been.

Kurt Mize
Stockton, California
USDA Zone 9
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