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Post by mrtexas on Dec 19, 2019 23:54:37 GMT -5
A friend in Houston has a sweet white marsh grapefruit, the sweetest grapefruit I've
ever tasted. It tests out at 15-16 brix. I've grown marsh and duncan myself
and never had them that sweet or this early by December 1. It is not a fluke either as
the fruit was just as sweet last year. His tree is mature and was purchased at a Master Gardener
Tree sale years ago. Satsumas are testing out around 12 brix now around here.
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Post by millet on Dec 20, 2019 15:21:08 GMT -5
Interesting. I have a white Marsh in ground grapefruit tree, growing on FD rootstock. I would not say the fruit is sweet. My tree is a young tree (5 years old), Mr. Texas how old is your friends tree?
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Post by sc4001992 on Dec 21, 2019 9:32:01 GMT -5
Mrtexas, have you tried Melogold ? I have both Melogold and Oroblanco and I think the Melogold is the sweetest. Friends agree that it is a very good tasting grapefruit.
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Post by mrtexas on Dec 21, 2019 17:34:52 GMT -5
Interesting. I have a white Marsh in ground grapefruit tree, growing on FD rootstock. I would not say the fruit is sweet. My tree is a young tree (5 years old), Mr. Texas how old is your friends tree? Mature, 20+ feet You don't get the heat days in Colorado we do in Texas which is what is needed for really sweet grapefruit. |
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brian
Full Member
Pennsylvania zone6 w/ heated greenhouse
Posts: 158
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Post by brian on Dec 22, 2019 10:06:00 GMT -5
What type is marketed as "Sweetie", Oroblanco? I see these for sale at the grocery store but I think they are awful tasting. I don't know if I've ever had a store bought Marsh, ...only a runt I picked from my tree last year. I am looking forward to trying it next crop.
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Post by millet on Dec 22, 2019 15:55:44 GMT -5
A grapefruit tree has to get some age to it before the tree starts producing high quality fruit. My in ground Marsh grapefruit tree is now 7 years old, and still produces quite sour fruit. I remember on the old forum, Dr. Malcolm Manner posting the very best grapefruit he ever ate was picked off a 25-year old Marsh grapefruit tree growing on the grounds of Florida Southern College..
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Post by samodelkin on Dec 22, 2019 16:41:17 GMT -5
Of the white grapefruits, I like Sweetie best. No bitterness films and low acidity. For the sweetest taste the fruit should hang for a long time on the branch until it falls The best quality fruit in my conditions is obtained on the rootstock pummelo or panderosa lemon. The fruit on the rootstock of trifoliate smaller in size, ripen late, high acid and resinous taste   |
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Post by millet on Dec 22, 2019 20:27:15 GMT -5
I have to disagree with Samodelkin about the trifoliate rootstock. I have all types of citrus on FD. Over the last 20 years have never ever tasted any thing resinous in taste.
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Post by Laaz on Dec 22, 2019 20:52:21 GMT -5
I agree with millet poncirus has produced the best quality grapefruit for me if not grown on their own roots. I have never had any with "resinous" taste.
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Post by mrtexas on Dec 31, 2019 20:28:11 GMT -5
Got another 5 gallon bucket of 17+ brix marsh white grapefruit today. Thanks Bill Arendt. Never tasted a grapefruit before way sweeter than an orange! Wish I could drink the juice but blood sugar is too high already. I will savor every one I don't give away! Also got some budwood. Will bark graft it to an existing tree in the spring. Store in the refrig until then. Often in Houston grapefruit will start to grow in January so picked dormant wood today. If I have to wait for this sweet I also like the typical white grapefruit.
17+ brix is not a typo. I bought a brix refractometer and tested it myself. These grapefruit are the sweetest citrus I have ever tasted.
This is not oro blanco. It has the typical grapefruit bitterness in the section membranes.
Oro blanco and melogold aren't grown much in Texas. I have tasted oro blanco. The skin here is
very thick.
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Post by millet on Jan 1, 2020 14:30:40 GMT -5
Phil, how old is your Marsh Grapefruit tree? You give me hope for my new tree. This years crop from my Marsh was more bitter than sweet. As I have posted before, Dr. Michael Manners of Florida Southern College once posted ...."The very best grapefruit I ever tasted was a Marsh Grapefruit picked off a 25 year old tree.
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Post by Laaz on Jan 1, 2020 16:30:30 GMT -5
Millet grapefruit require a lot of heat to sweeten up, I don't think in your area you get sufficient heat to properly sweeten up the grapefruit.
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Post by millet on Jan 1, 2020 21:30:45 GMT -5
Laaz, that true for Colorado. However, the Marsh grapefruit is growing in the ground inside a greenhouse. Night time temperatures never fall below 55-F, and day time temperatures can be anywhere from 60 to 80 during the coldest winter months. Summer is of course warmer all around.
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Post by Laaz on Jan 2, 2020 6:05:08 GMT -5
But here during the growing season daytime temps are 90+ & nighttime temps don't usually drop below the mid 70's...
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Yorgos
New Member
Houston, TX near NRG Stadium USDA Zone 9a
Posts: 19
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Post by Yorgos on Jan 20, 2020 14:00:00 GMT -5
I too, recently tried Bill Arendt's white grapefruit that Mrtexas spoke of and can attest to their excellent flavor. Amazing fruit. My in-ground, 7 year old Rio Star is improving,year over year in quality. Looking forward to future crops. The first few years predation by neighborhood fruit smugglers (thieves really) helped themselves but the fruit was smallish and quite sour which has deterred them subsequently. They have left the tree alone since then.
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