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Citrus Pollination

 
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Having looked around my neighborhood, I believe I am the only one with a grapefruit tree. I have little room, so I must choose my trees carefully. I am wondering how important it is to have a second grapefruit tree nearby for cross pollination?

Also, I am considering a second citrus, and need advice on what kind. My local friend recommends against sweet orange, because a disease recently devastated the sweet oranges in the area. The wild citrus in the pastures are mostly sour orange (which the locals use as a marinade, not for eating), and sweet lemon. How 'bout that? I live in a country where the lemons are sweet and the oranges sour! I thought about planting the tangelo, but I was reading about its pollination and I am unsure. The articles I read said that tangelos are not good at cross-pollinating each other, and recommended tangerines for pollination of tangelos. What the articles did not mention was whether the tangelo's other parent, the grapefruit, can be effective in pollination. As much as I like tangerines, most of them are a bit small for my liking; whereas tangelos taste like tangerines, but are bigger, at least the size of oranges.

Awaiting replies from experienced citrus growers.
 
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Most citrus are self fertile and don't need another tree to provide pollination. However a few require it for good fruit production.

I have a Tangelo and it fruits well all by itself - though likely pollinated by nearby lime and 'lemonade' trees.

After deciding what fruit you want, choose a variety that is self fertile - there's many choices.

Depending on where you live and availability, one citrus I'd suggest is the 'Lemonade' - it was developed in Australasia, tastes just like a lemonade drink and is really nice on a hot day.

Just remember they like regular feeding with compost/manure, even watering, a bit of trimming, and no competition from grass.
 
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Citrus can cross pollinate each other.  Plant any citrus you like near your grapefruit tree and both will benefit. If you are trying to produce seeds from a specific variety,  then this could be less undesirable.  You could produce seeds that carry mixed characteristics from both trees. The fruit holding those seeds will still be the same fruit.
 
Jason Hernandez
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Casie Becker wrote: If you are trying to produce seeds from a specific variety,  then this could be less undesirable.  You could produce seeds that carry mixed characteristics from both trees.



The more research I do on citrus, the more apparent this becomes. I read up on some citrus species, that originated as a hybrid between two other species, which in turn originated as hybrids between yet other species. I begin to think all citrus are really just one big superspecies by now.
 
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