“Red-fleshed pomelo — 'I just put this in the ground last year.'”
Background
'Chandler' is a hybrid pummelo developed by Cameron and Soost at UC Riverside (published 1961) from a cross of Siamese Sweet and Siamese Pink pummelos, combining the best traits of both parents. It is the most widely planted and most common pummelo/pomelo in the US. University of Arizona's 'Grapefruit and Pummelo for Southern Arizona' (AZ1925) describes it as one of the standard pummelo references for the region.
Distinguishing traits
Medium-to-large fruit with thick, smooth pale-yellow rind, occasionally pink-blushed. Flesh pale to dark pink, firm yet succulent, sweet with moderate acidity. Can be seedy when cross-pollinated; prone to granulation if left too long on the tree or over-fertilized with nitrogen. Ripens November-January; holds fairly well.
Desert care — zone 9b
- Chill hours
- Low.
- Cold hardiness
- Pummelo is the most cold-intolerant citrus species; protect below ~30-32°F; young trees need frost cover.
- Heat tolerance
- Takes desert heat but is sensitive to sunburn on fruit and foliage; new trees need western shade and trunk protection.
- Water
- Deep, regular watering; avoid alternate wet/dry extremes which worsen granulation; 1-2x/week in summer.
- Soil
- Well-drained, pH 6.0-7.5; deep soils best for large tree size.
- Sun exposure
- Full sun when established; young trees benefit from afternoon shade and whitewashed trunks.