Tangelo is a mandarin-grapefruit cross, it is similar to a mandarin but juicier, making it ideal for both eating and juicing.
- CLIMATE SUITABILITY
Subtropical and warm temperate zones. It can also be grown in cool temperate zones in sheltered areas. Can be grown in Ballarat’s climate. - MAXIMUM HEIGHT
2 to 5 metres. - FROST TOLERANCE
Yes, though the degree of frost tolerance depends on the variety. - POLLINATION
Requires cross pollination with another compatible tree. However a number of other citrus varieties will cross pollinate with them depending on the Tangelo variety being grown. - LEAF GROWTH
Evergreen. - SUITABILITY FOR POTS
Yes. 35 Litre + pots. - SUNLIGHT REQUIREMENT
Full (80%-100%). - TIME TO FRUIT AND FLOWER
2 to 3 years. - HARVEST MONTHS
July through to October, depending on the variety. - WATER REQUIREMENTS
Moderate. - PREFERRED SOIL TYPE
Good Drainage. Soil pH: Neutral (6.6 to 7.3).
Like all citrus varieties Wheeny grapefruit do best when planted in well-drained soil that gets plenty of sunlight and is sheltered from strong winds. See Planting Citrus Trees for planting information.
Citrus trees are heavy feeders, requiring lots of rich organic composted matter to produce a tree ladened with juicy fruit. They also need a fertiliser high in nitrogen with fertiliser additives that contain all the nutrients and trace elements needed for strong growth. Suitable fertilisers include:-
- CHICKEN MANURE
Very high in nitrogen. - DYNAMIC LIFTER
Pelletised chicken manure that is high in nitrogen. - BLACK MARVEL FRUIT & CITRUS FOOD
Apply as directed by the instructions on the package. - UREA
Soluble nitrogen. EPSOM SALTS (MAGNESIUM SULPHATE)
Australian soils are low in Magnesium sulphate and citrus trees need it to thrive.
Fertilise every four to six weeks during the growing season or as directed by the instructions on fertilser bags.
Regular pruning of citrus trees will yield more and bigger fruit, prevent damaged and diseased wood, and help maintain the size of and shape the trees.
- PRUNE AFTER THE RISK OF A HEAVY FROST HAS PASSED IN EARLY SPRING
A second pruning can be done at the end of Summer or early autumn. - REMOVE EXCESSIVE SHOOTS AND DEAD OR SAGGING BRANCHES
- PRUNE THE OUTER BRANCHES TO THE HEIGHT AND SHAPE THAT YOU WANT
But no more than 20% of the trees foliage should be pruned at any one time. The outer small branches can be removed using garden sheers or a hedge trimmer.
The main pests of all citrus varieties are mealy bugs, (small, white, furry looking insects that are sticky to touch), scale and aphids, all of which are sap sucking insects. The sugary substance they excrete discolours the leaves with a black sooty mould, which impedes the ability of the leaves to photosynthesize. Spraying with white oil and pyrethrum will usually control these sap sucking insects, though you will usually have to spray two or three times.
Another citrus pest is the citrus gall wasp. This insect lays its eggs in the branch, which swells so the hatching insect can get food. To control gall wasp, prune the gall out and get rid of it before September, when the adult hatches.
Queensland fruit fly is also a serious pest for citrus trees in areas where fruit flies are active.
My Tangelo tree produces large juicy fruit that is suitable for both eating and juicing, it’s my best juicing citrus tree, sweeter than the fruit my Washington Navel orange trees produce and easier to squeeze as the skins are thinner. The fruit stays on the tree from July through to the end of October, which gives us a ready supply of tangelos for an extended period of time. The tree suffers very little frost damage even though the night temperature in winter in Ballarat can drop to as low as -5 °C.
My Tangelo tree. It has consistently produced a heavy crop of fruit that sits on the tree from July through to the end of October.
The fruit my Tangelo produces is similar to a mandarin but juicier, making it ideal for both eating and juicing.
