How to Grow My Own Pummelo

Using the shovel, dig the planting hole twice as wide as the rootball, if you're planting a sapling. Make the hole as deep as the nursery container the tree came in, and set the tree in the center of the planting hole. Make sure the top of the rootball is even or just slightly below the top of the hole. Use the excavated dirt to fill in the hole, and water thoroughly.

Use the hand trowel to dig a hole for small seedlings a few inches wider and deeper than needed. Backfill loosely, then excavate a planting hole for the seedlings. Place the seedlings in the hole and cover the roots loosely with dirt. Water the planting site. For both sapling and seedling plantings, wait until the water is absorbed into the soil, then add more soil as needed to make it level with the top of the hole. Make sure the crown (top) of the roots is not exposed.

Mulch the newly planted pummelo with grass clippings, bark chips or other organic material. Spread the mulch up to but not touching the main stem of the tree or seedling. Do not fertilize at planting time. In a container, spread bark chips or decorative pebbles to make the planting attractive while providing moisture retention and protection for the root system.

Water the tree once a week during the summer and every two weeks in winter for the first year. Refresh the mulch as needed to prevent weeds, keep the roots cool and preserve moisture. Do not overwater container-grown pummelos. Let the growing medium dry to a depth of an inch or so between waterings.

Beginning in the tree's second year, spread any brand of balanced granulated fertilizer around the tree and water thoroughly. Use 2 to 4 tablespoons of fertilizer, and repeat the application two more times during the growing season. Use a liquid, slow-release fertilizer on container-grown trees, if that is more convenient. Follow label directions.

Beginning in the third year, give the tree a total of 1/2 lb. of actual nitrogen spread out in four to six applications throughout the growing season. If the tree's leaves begin to yellow in any season but winter, apply an iron sulfate or iron chelate product. Follow label directions carefully for timing and application rates.

Prune annually while the pummelo is dormant, removing just the dead wood and any suckers. Prune container trees more severely if needed to control size.

Monitor the trees from spring through summer for insects and developing diseases. Aphids, thrips and orange dogs usually do not damage the fruit. Mature trees withstand these insects without chemical controls. Wash or wipe the insects off the trees. Pummelos may contract fungal infections if conditions are excessively moist and humid. Improve drainage around the tree and water only from the bottom to keep fungal spores from spreading on wet foliage. If container trees develop fungal infections, remove the trees and discard the growing medium and mulch. Sanitize the container and refill with sterile growing medium. Wash the tree's roots and dip or spray them with a fungicide, following label directions, before replanting in the pot.