where to plant a grapefruit tree

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APRILMAEMAE San Antonio, TX Feb 16, 2009

i just got a grapefruit tree. i wanted to know where to plant it?
does it need total sun or some shade? how close to a fence or house should it be?
any info would be great.
thanks a bunch

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DebiH Fort Payne, AL Feb 19, 2009

My experience with grapefruits is based on the results of someone else's grapefruit tree, which they planted in full southern california sun (which was appartently right, since it was abundant with fruit and about fifteen feet high) close to their deck thinking it would provide nice shade (which it does) and nice aroma (which it does).

What I don't think they counted on was being bombed by falling grapefruit, which they were, and which I as a visitor was. A grapefruit suddenly dropped from roughly ten feet above one's head manages to attain a high enough speed and - because it's a grapefruit - a fairly significant mass that it HURTS when it hits said head.

They had indeed at one point draped a net over the entire deck to catch the grapefruit, but they (apparently) never cleaned off the net, and (apparently) falling grapefruit are indeed heavy enough to break through nets, so they had more holes than nets.

Grapefruits that did not hit people instead hit the deck and surrounding earth, bursting open into gooey messes. I suspect that had they picked the fruit when it was ripe, this entire issue could have been avoided - but they didn't - maybe because the tattered net, though unable to stop falling grapefruits, prevented access to the fruit. I'm not sure.

SO. I recommend that you plant your tree in a fairly open and very sunny area, firmly (deeply) stake its trunk rather than attach it to a house or fence, and make absolutely sure that you prune it correctly for eternity.

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