Found some seeds in my grapefruit!

[grandpa]

I've been growing grapefruit now for about 2 years from the same plant. I just recently found some seeds. What does this mean?

grandpa Reviewed by grandpa on 07-12-2008. Found some seeds in my grapefruit! I've been growing grapefruit now for about 2 years from the same plant. I just recently found some seeds. What does this mean? Rating: 5

[Storm Crow]

So she made a few male flowers. You now are the proud possessor of some femininized seeds! :thumbsup: The only other possibility is some pollen from outside floated in, but I think she did it to herself!

Granny:hippy: (wandering off singing "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves ")

[grandpa]

Are the seeds anygood?

[herbie the love bud]

You only found a few? Then it sounds like it hermaphrodited. This is generally due to extreme stress. Plant thinks it's the end of the world and is up to it to repopulate the species, kind of thing.

If you aren't picky then the seeds are good. BUT the wont be the same genetics as the original. If you were growing an F1 grapefruit (first generation from two pure bred parents) then this would be an F2. The seeds though carry the hermaphrodite trait that it got from the mother and I dont see why you'd use them when you have the clones.

Hope that helped.

[Storm Crow]

Under normal situations, a plant that hermies is not a good thing. However, your gal is 2 years old- pretty old for a annual plant- that's stress. She has "selfed" herself. This is from an old post where a guy was asking about forcing a plant to make male flowers-

disABLEme-"If I force stress a clone into a hermie for seeds will the seeds keep the same traits or does it not work that way?"

Stinkyattic-"The offspring of the S1 (first selfed) generation are not necessarily going to be uniform in their traits, but you can grow out that population and choose the female that most closely resembles the mother"

disABLEme then asks about using gibberellic acid to make male flowers on clones- is it selfing?

Stinkyattic-"That IS selfing. But you don't need GA; you can do it with photoperiod stress or allowing a ripe, finished plant to sit in flower for an extra couple weeks. I recommend the no-chem versions, since you can't smoke any part of a plant that has been treated with giberellins." (emphasis mine)

Your gal did has sat in flower a wee bit more than a couple extra weeks! If you use the seeds, they MAY hermie, or they MAY just all be perfectly normal females, but since your gal took 2 years, I'd bet on all females option. Oh, I'd certainly keep an eye out for male flowers, but I'd sure use the seeds and cull if needed.

Granny:hippy:

[grandpa]

I need to clarify, when I said I've been growing for 2 years from the same plant I left out that I have been changing out the mother plant with one of her clones about every 3 months because her roots would clog up the Power Grower ECO. (Sorry!Grandpa's getting old.)

[the image reaper]

I need to clarify, when I said I've been growing for 2 years from the same plant I left out that I have been changing out the mother plant with one of her clones about every 3 months because her roots would clog up the Power Grower ECO. (Sorry!Grandpa's getting old.)

just take your scissors to the roots ... that's what I do, when the roots start clogging up my Power Grower plumbing ... no harm done :jointsmile:

[msjellybean]

ooooooops