How Many Years Until a Shatian Pomelo Bears Fruit? A Detailed Explanation of the Fruiting Timeline

The Shatian pomelo is a tree of the genus Citrus in the family Rutaceae, named after the village of Shatian in Rong County, Guangxi, China, where it was first cultivated. It prefers a warm and humid climate, with an optimal temperature range of 13-36°C and an optimal annual rainfall of 1000-2000 mm. It is cultivated in places such as Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, and Chongqing. Let us now take a look at how many years it takes for a Shatian pomelo to bear fruit!

How many years does it take for a Shatian pomelo to bear fruit?

Shatian pomelo seedlings can be propagated by grafting, layering, cuttings, sowing, and several other methods, but in production practice, grafted seedlings are superior to layered and cutting-propagated seedlings. Grafted Shatian pomelo trees generally begin to bear fruit after about 3 years, and enter their peak production period after 5-6 years. Seedling-grown Shatian pomelo trees generally begin to bear fruit after 6-8 years, and enter their peak production period after 8-10 years.

When do Shatian pomelos ripen?

The Shatian pomelo is a mid-season variety, flowering around April, with the fruiting period after late October. Mid-November is the best harvest time. Although they are already on the market around the Mid-Autumn Festival, Shatian pomelos sold before the Mid-Autumn Festival are not very tasty. Those picked after Frost's Descent are better. Ripe fruit has a slightly darker orange-yellow skin that is thick and not particularly smooth in appearance, with most fruits being pear-shaped.

Shatian pomelo blooms but does not bear fruit

The reasons a Shatian pomelo blooms but does not bear fruit are, first, a lack of insect pollination, and second, boron deficiency in the soil. For a lack of insect pollination, hand pollination can be done, with 8-11 a.m. on sunny days being the best pollination time, followed by 4-7 p.m., but the best method is to keep bees in Shatian pomelo orchards that have already been interplanted with pollinator trees. For boron deficiency in the soil, some lime or borax can be applied. It is worth noting that Shatian pomelos bear fruit on shaded branches within the canopy, so these flowers especially need attention when it comes to pollination.