We bought a house with a bearing age grapefruit tree...tag said "Flame." The fruit has VERY thick skin and tough membranes that make it almost inedible. Is there something nutritionally or care-wise that I can do to help the tree produce sweeter, juicier, less tough fruit? We're in zone 8b-9a, sandy soil to which I've added lots of compost of various kinds (cow, mushroom, worm). Any suggestions?
Is my grapefruit tree missing something?
Cut it back. Here's a very interesting article.
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/AD5.pdf
Increasing the potassium nutrition will help to produce sweeter juicier fruit.
http://www.yara.us/agriculture/crops/citrus/key-facts/role-of-potassium/default.aspx
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss583
Hi Susan,
Hitting it with bone meal 3 times a year helps with less of a thick rind.
Alot of the it has to do with how much water or no water it gets while the fruit is growing .
Cuting back Citrus tree's will not fix anything .
Don't you love Florida REDS ? lol PINK