March 31, 2001
Question: Some years my grapefruit has a thick skin and at other times the fruit has a delightful thin skin. Is the tree showing it’s displeasure with me and it’s care?
- Robert Budzik, e-mail
Answer: There are two factors affecting rind thickness of grapefruits, humidity and excessive nitrogen. In areas of high humidity, such as south Florida, grapefruits naturally develop thin rinds. However, when springs and summers are abnormally dry, humidity lessens, and rind thickness increases. Consequently, arid, less humid growing areas such as California, consistently produces grapefruits of thicker rinds than their Florida and humid tropics counterparts. A second, but less consequential, cause of varying rind thickness is Nitrogen fruit concentration. Fruits with excessive nitrogen, relevant to Potassium concentration, are prone to develop thicker peels.
Stephen Brown is a horticulture agent with the Lee County Extension. To submit questions call the horticulture desk at 461-7504 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or via e-mail at shb@gnv.ifas.ufl.edu. Listen to the ‘Garden Show’ at 8 a.m. on 1200-AM WINK/WNOG.