The Rio Red grapefruit has become one of the most popular citrus fruit in the grocery store and the home garden likewise . It is a staple of Texas agriculture , where the Texas Rio Red has been trademarked as Rio Star . It has a very high brix ratio , which is the proportion of sugar to acid . Rio Red are more cold - stout than the Star Ruby , which makes it more suitable for both market grower and the dwelling house gardener .

Characteristics

Rio Red is one of the more red - fleshed grapefruit uncommitted , with a flushed blush on its yellow hide . It maintain its red color throughout the growing season . It has a paler red halo in the flesh when cut horizontally . Its figure is doubly as reddish as the Henderson salmagundi , and Food connection tell that it is seven to 10 times redder than its parent , Ruby Red . It has so few seminal fluid that it is look at a seedless motley .

History

According to Citrus Trees Online , the Rio Red grapefruit was discovered by Dr. Richard Hensz of the Texas A&I Citrus Center , now the Texas A&M Citrus Center . He had been working for several age treating grapefruit tree with ionize radiation . Rio Red was discovered as a branch sport of Ruby Red in 1976 and turn to growers in 1984 .

Cultivation

Rio Red is stout in climate zones 9 and 10 . It is more cold - resistant than most other Citrus paradisi varieties . This makes it a widely cultivated commercial variety . It also makes it desirable for the family nurseryman , who may have more varying circumstance than a commercial-grade grower . It does well as a container plant life , if kept snip , which enables a home gardener to keep the tree outside during warm weather then take it inwardly for protection when cold-blooded atmospheric condition comes . It is not as hardy as an orange tree , so protection from cold should be train for . Water your Rio Red good every hebdomad or every other workweek , unless you have very sandy dirt , which drains quickly . For very arenaceous soil , monitor your wet levels and water when the soil is dry one human foot below the surface . Feed your tree one - third cupful of ammonium sulfate per year of tree years in midwinter , late spring and other decline . This mean feeding a five - year - old tree 1 2/3 cups of ammonium sulphate three times each class .

Production

accord to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development , most citrus yield that is marketed as whole yield in the United States is grown in California , Arizona and Texas . Texas bring forth enough Rio Red and other red Citrus paradisi that , in 1993 , it refer red grapefruit the official state fruit . Texas concentrate its production of Citrus paradisi on red variety because they have turn up to be the most vigorous and climate - hardy . Food internet give production figures of up to 1,000 yield per tree per class .

Problems

Rio Red Citrus paradisi grow from seed will uprise dependable to typewrite , but they will be more susceptible to disease like foot rot and root rot . It is for this grounds that most Citrus paradisi trees are transplant onto sour orange seedling rootstalk . That bud matrimony must be preserved , so the tree diagram should be plant slightly in high spirits in the planting position than it was in its growing container . The filth around the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree should be kept at the same level as the border dirt , or even high . Texas Agricultural Extension tell that get the picture a tearing deep or shallow bowl around the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree is a major cause of foot rot and should be avoided . right drainage is important for the health of the Rio Red tree . The Rio Red is a very disease - immune and vigorous diversity . The major problem is that the yield are debauchee than most other grapefruit and they lean to become " sheepnosed , " or stretch at the stem last .

References

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