John I just bought 5 pommelos (to eat). If I come across any seeds I'll let you know. Most of them just have the tiny undeveloped seeds. Karyn

Okay, thought you all would like a little update on some of my citrus! I've had this lovely little Rio Red grapefruit that's been full of fruit. It had fruit set when we planted it, and I just didn't have the heart to strip off the fruit. I know it probably will cause the tree to grow a wee bit more slowly, but that's not a bad thing as long as it gets established. Plus, it gets some afternoon shade from a Calif. Pepper tree. It is up on our north slope in the backyard, facing south and this whole area is very nicely protected by a large crib wall to the north of my neighbor's. So, pretty sweet place to put most of my citrus. I left the fruit until May to see if we could possibly get a decent Rio Red, which for my area in N. San Diego county only about 6-7 miles from the ocean is kind of pushing it. Of all the "Texas" grapefruits, this is really the only one that might stand a chance to sweeten up, but questionable still as I'm kind of "on the edge" climate-wise. Well, I decided on May 1st, to pick the softest one and we had it this morning. It wasn't big, about the size of a very large navel orange, but oh my gosh!! It tasted like we had put sugar on it!! It is as sweet as can be, thin membraned, pink with what I'm guessing may be redder as the tree matures!! YIPPEEE for ME!! This was my question mark grapefruit. I am so excited! I have other grapefruit or pommelo hybrids (Cocktail, Oro Blanco and Melogold), but to get a 100% grapefruit to produce sweet fruit, even with 2 relatively cool summers for us out here is exceptional. Yea for me!! Patty S.

Thanks, again, Bencelest! I am really 'stoked' on doing some citrus grafting this spring. Tom MacCubbin, our ag extension person, sent me an email this morning asking for my mailing address, so he could mail me some grafting information. I have a call into a high school Duda buddy's brother who runs the Duda Citrus Ranch in LaBelle. (went to high school in Oviedo...Duda Land...asked some "high tech" farmers) I think that with all the informational resources that I am receiving from everyone that I reached out to is preparing me, well, for this grafting process. I know it is simple to many folks, however I am in the learning phase. Success in grafting a pommelo to my lemon tree is my goal. I really love the heritage behind the pommelo and it tastes great, too. This spring, I have decided to nurture some fig & pommagrante trees. My order to UC-Davis for dormant fig and pommagranate cuttings was mailed about a month ago. After 30 years as a 'repressed farmer' working in a huge global corporation, retirement is keeping me very busy and productive. Thanks, Diana

A garden person at Lowes won't know if a tree has a disease. It could easily get something while sitting in the garden area--bugs fly, after all. Personally, I'd return it for a non-splotchy one. It could be serious, it could be from stress. It doesn't look like magnesium deficiency. Why bother starting out with problems? You're in Texas, there should be a good citrus nursery around you. Go see what they have!