How to Cut From a Grapefruit Tree and Regrow It

Grapefruit trees are often cultivated on top of rootstocks that are better suited than they are to the type of soil they're being planted in. After talking to someone in your local county extension office or a horticulturist at your local nursery, you’ll be ready to select a citrus rootstock that will grow into a productive, healthy grapefruit tree. Keep in mind that while a grapefruit tree can grow from a single grapefruit seed, it's not as likely to succeed as if you attach a bud from your existing tree onto an established rootstock.

Grapefruit branch with 8 to 10 buds
Shovel
Dirt
Granular fertilizer
Vermiculite
Floral tape or wire

Instructions

- 1
  Dig a 2- to 3-foot deep hole and fill it with a mixture of soil, granular fertilizer, and sand or vermiculite. Mix the materials thoroughly. Plant a citrus rootstock in the sandy, well-drained hole at least six feet away from your property. Let the rootstock grow and establish itself for one year. By establishing a rootstock, your grapefruit tree will be more disease- and insect-resistant, and more likely to successfully produce fruit.
- 2
  Use a sharp knife to cut a mature, healthy, round branch with 8 to 10 inches of buds on it from the parent tree that you want to propagate. Using floral tape or wire, tie the bud to the rootstock at least 4 inches above the ground.
- 3
  Cut off the foliage above the bud to force the newly tied bud to grow.
- 4
  Wait 14 to 21 days for calluses to form around the green buds. Remove the floral tape or wire from around the budded branch. Water and fertilize the growing tree regularly to ensure fruit production.

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