I am no gardner, but I planted a ruby red grapefruit tree two years ago. It was little more that a shoot. The neighbors dog urinated on it every day all summer on his way through each morning. It turned yellow on some leaves. It got chewed off near the ground, but now has seven 3foot shoots. They grow straight up and are covered with very long spikes! Thorns, actually. Do I still have a grapefruit tree, or should I did this up and burn it? I welcome your advice. Skidboots
Was the tree grafted or planted from seed? If grafted the shoots are below the graft line--then you have a rootstock. A rootstock can be grafted if you want to learn how--it is really simple. If it is a trifoliate, it will have leaves that are made of 3 leaves growing on the same stem..
I believe it has one stem growing off the limb, and each tiny stem has 3 leaves...at least I think so. The whole thing appeared to die, but now 70percent has reemerged with healty green shiny leaves, yet 3 inch thorns on every limb and trunk! I need to know if I have a grapefruit bearing tree or useless rootsock that only produces thorn tree! I have snapped a couple digital pics, but my computer (dial up) can only send photos to email address. To send a picture, I would need to know someones email. Skidboots
It is not uncommon for vigorous shoots on a citrus tree to revert to some of it's juvenile traits like long thorns--these eventually go away.The grapefruit leaf is very distinctive with large petiole wings. If the leaves on the new shoots have large wings on the petiole, your tree is still a grapefruit.
