If we remove it and place it in a sunnier spot, I believe we could be lucky and get the amount of grapefruit we long for. The removal will happen next weekend. I propose to move some of my other citrus plants to the same area as the grapefruit tree so they can get more sun.
Citrus trees do not require much pruning, except to cut away any tangled wood growing into the tree. If the growth is getting a bit overcrowded, then it is preferable to thin out some of the stems after fruiting has finished. Shoots that appear below the budded union should be taken out as soon as they appear.
I believe lemons are perhaps the most popular of the citrus varieties for the home garden - they have such good culinary uses. Here, two of the most popular varieties bearing fruit all the year round are Eureka and Lisbon.
They tell me citrus trees first arrived in Australia in 1788, when Captain Arthur Phillip left for Australia with orders to plant seeds, bushes and trees. He bought citrus trees from Rio de Janeiro on the way out; these being mostly oranges, lemons and limes. These were planted in Parramatta and Sydney. Others have been imported, and some have been developed in Australia since the early days.
Last Saturday I bought an olive tree. The writing on the label tells me the olive tree is an Olea europaea, a handsome highly drought and frost tolerant evergreen silvery foliaged tree - a long living fruit bearing tree. The Olea europaea requires good drainage and plenty of water, particularly during the flowering, fruit set, and as fruit develops. I propose to plant the tree along the side of the house that faces north, where there is plenty of sun in the summer. I believe it will be ready for picking in the autumn when the fruit is light green or later when the fruit is black. The soil where I wish to plant the tree is quite heavy. There will be a need, in that case, to raise the level of the plant slightly to ensure the run off of excess water.
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