The grapefruit is the result of a hybrid between the orange and pummelo.
According to delange.org, citrus tree cultivation in Arizona is limited to the Yuma, Maricopa, Pinal and Mohave counties, since they typically remain frost-free and adequate, cheap water is available. Unfortunately, land may be taken out of citrus production and converted to cotton or grain; urbanization also limits citrus production Does this Spark an idea?
Grapefruit Tree
In 1948, grapefruit specialists discovered that the fruit is probably a hybrid between an orange and pummelo. When grapefruit began to be cultivated, horticulturalists attempted to have the name changed to pomelo, but the name was confused with pummelo, and so the current name stuck. Grapefruit trees reach 15 to 20 feet in height. Blossoms have four petals, are usually white and give a strong fragrance.
The Foster variety is common in Arizona. The fruit on this tree is round or oblong and medium-large. Though seedy, the fruit is also juicy and tender. This particular grapefruit has a strong pink pulp color and has yellow to yellow-blush skin color. The "Marsh" is even juicier and richer in flavor, and it has only 3 to 8 seeds per fruit. The fruit is smaller, only medium-sized. It bears in the middle to the end of the season. This grapefruit also holds well after it's picked. In Arizona, grapefruit trees are grown in alkaline soil. Frequent irrigation causes unwanted alkali to rise to the soil's surface.
Lemon
According to Texas A&M University's Horticulture Department, lemons are the most cold-sensitive of all citrus. Like other citrus, they thrive in Arizona's frost-free areas. During the 1950s, Arizona and California together were the largest cultivators of lemons in the Western hemisphere. Arizona lemons are typically "true" lemons. Both varieties originated at some point in India. These lemons ripen between the spring and fall months, depending on the variety. Like other citrus, lemon trees work well with a watering ring to slowly absorb and maintain moisture. Soil should be well drained, which is typically not a problem in Arizona.
Orange
The University of Arizona's Citrus Research Center stated that as of 2005, 81 percent of consumers with children bought citrus fruit in the last 12 months, and 70 percent reported buying oranges. This high-demand fruit originated in southern China, northeastern India and southeastern Asia. When Spaniards founded the Arizona missions between 1707 and 1710, they brought the orange with them. Arizona is the world's 4th largest producer of oranges, following Florida, California and Texas.
Common Arizona varieties include the "Parson Brown". The fruit has rough skin, light-colored juice and is somewhat seedy. The tree bears from October through December --- a long season. Cultivation is limited to Arizona, Texas and Louisiana. Like lemons, oranges are cold-sensitive and fair better in frost-free zones. They prefer partial shade, since Arizona's direct sun can cause burns on the bark and affect the taste of fruit.
While California red scale used to be a problem in Arizona's desert orchards, pheromone trapping in Arizona's San Joaquin Valley has practically eliminated the pest in commercial groves there.
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