Grapefruit · Moscow, Moscow, Russia
When to plant grapefruit in Moscow
Main outdoor window
16 May - 13 Jun
The window this page is built around.
Timed from last spring frost
2 May
In Moscow, on your chosen risk.
Ready to pick
1 Jan - 31 May
If you plant at the start of the window.
The average last frost. Half of all years are later than this.
Step by step in Moscow
Each window is a range, not a single day. Earlier in the range buys you a longer season; later in it buys you a safer one.
Plant the tree
16 May - 13 Jun
After the last frost, once the soil has warmed. This crop is never fully dormant, so it cannot be planted bare-root in winter.
Harvest
1 Jan - 31 May
Grapefruit through the year
Against the frost risk in Moscow
Why these dates
Similar hardiness to sweet orange, but the very long ripening period means the fruit is exposed to whatever the winter brings.
Grapefruit are planted once and then left in place, so there is no sowing offset to resolve. Nor is there a dormant season to plant into: this crop keeps its leaves and keeps growing through the winter, which is exactly why cold damages it. The window on this page therefore waits until the last frost in Moscow has passed and the soil has begun to warm, giving the roots the longest possible run before the cold returns.
Moscow sits in zone 4b, which is colder than this crop is rated for, so it will need winter protection or a container that can be moved under cover. The dates below still describe the right time of year; the open question is survival rather than timing.
Do not expect a crop in the first year. A plant set out now should give its first worthwhile pick around year 4, and will then produce every year after that, which is what makes the planting decision worth getting right the first time.
Also in Moscow
Other fruits to time
Growing grapefruit in Moscow
When should I plant grapefruit in Moscow?
Aim for 16 May - 13 Jun in an average year. If you would rather not gamble on the weather, wait until 1-29 Jun - by then frost has finished in nine years out of ten.
When will grapefruit be ready to harvest in Moscow?
Expect to start picking around 1 Jan - 31 May, based on 270 to 390 days to maturity from the planting date calculated for this location.
How much frost will grapefruit tolerate?
Similar hardiness to sweet orange, but the very long ripening period means the fruit is exposed to whatever the winter brings.