Farmers "matchmaking" the best grapefruit variety in Hanoi

March - when the gentle breezes carry the scent of grapefruit flowers, it is also the time when Dien grapefruit growers ( Hanoi ) begin the work of hand pollinating grapefruit flowers. This is the most important step that determines the productivity of this Hanoi's number one grapefruit variety.

Farmers "matchmaking" the best grapefruit variety in Hanoi

Friday, March 14, 2025 14:33 PM (GMT+7)

March - when the gentle breezes carry the scent of grapefruit flowers, it is also the time when Dien grapefruit growers (Hanoi) begin the work of hand pollinating the grapefruit flowers. This is the most important step that determines the productivity of this Hanoi's number one grapefruit variety.

These days, people growing Dien grapefruit in the district (Bac Tu Liem, Hanoi) have started hand pollinating grapefruit flowers.

People doing this job must be sharp-eyed and skillful, using 2-3m long poles to pollinate flowers high up.

The pollination tool for grapefruit flowers is a stick with a feather duster attached to the end.

The "primer flowers" are taken from the old grapefruit tree. When the dense pollen brush is taken from the "primer flowers", it is applied directly to the flower buds on the tree.

According to research, the most effective pollination time is in the morning when there is sunlight, or around mid-afternoon.

A Dien grapefruit garden owner in Bac Tu Liem district said that in the past, if grapefruit trees were allowed to grow naturally through wind and insects, the fruit set rate would only be about 30% to 60%.

Since hand pollination has given a high fruit set rate (from 80% to 95%). Moreover, grapefruits from this method are often of higher quality, with smooth skin, plump and uniform fruit, which are very popular in the market.

Normally, garden owners will hire workers to pollinate grapefruit flowers on sunny days. However, because grapefruit flowers bloom for a month, there are days when they have to work all day and turn on the lights at night to keep up with the plants' growth.

To ensure security as well as facilitate monitoring grapefruit growth and development, gardeners often install surveillance cameras.

Every year, Dien grapefruit will be harvested once from October until Lunar New Year with the supply not meeting the demand. Therefore, the price of this first grapefruit in Hanoi is quite high, about 30,000-60,000 VND/fruit, depending on the quality.

Pham Hung

Source: https://danviet.vn/nong-dan-se-duyen-cho-giong-buoi-de-nhat-ha-thanh-20250313120829196.htm