I have a grapefruit tree in my backyard that is full of fruit but I am not sure when or how to harvest it. We have owned the house for a short while and I know nothing about fruit trees, can someone give me some pointers?

The fruit is dark green right now and about the size of a tennis ball, do I wait until the fruit turns a specific size or shade before pulling or pick in a certain month? Also what is the best way to get the fruit in the high branches without killing myself?

Use one of these to get the higher ones:



Used these all my life to pick my pear trees.

my grandmother has been growing grapefruits for years. she picks her's around nov., dec.

when it's ripe.

quote:

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Generally,grapefruit does not 'ripen" in the normal sense of the word,rather,it matures to good eating quality. Texas grapefruit will usually achieve legal maturity in mid-to-late October,although the peel color will likely still be quite green (plus the red blushing of red-fleshed varieties). Natural degreening occurs gradually through the next couple of months. The longer the fruit remains on tree,the larger it becomes and the sweeter it becomes. Grapefruit holds very well on the tree,so fruit can be harvested as needed from late October through May.

As stated previously,the interior flesh color of 'Ruby Red' fades rapidly after the first of the year, while that of 'Henderson' begins to fade rapidly in late February or March. 'Rio Red' retains its deep red color throughout the season.

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From the TAMU Horticulture site.

Thanksgiving is usually a safe bet.