23/05/2026
Small reminder for all those Citrus growers out here in South Taranaki.
Citrus do not ripen more once picked.
So if it has green in the skin it is not fully ripened and will be wasted. I leave all of my fruit on and only pick what is really ripe.
They last on the tree, so why waste fruit?
Also, this helps with purchasing fruits from the supermarket and stalls … don’t buy green citrus, its not ripe, it will not be fully sweet and ready for eating.
Ripe fruit has even skin colour, all orange for mandarin, all yellow for limes and lemons, all orange for oranges & tangelo, golden for grapefruit.
Just because its in the shops does not mean they are ready on your trees, the mountain changes our season, I will not be eating from our trees for a few weeks yet.
EDIT As pointed out by someone wise, some Satsumas in the Supermarket can have a little green on the skin, but thats because they are grown in regions such as Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Bay of Plenty or Kerikeri which get much warmer Summer temps than here.
Summer sun and heat are not equal so the sugars have not had the same conditions to be okay green.
Just be patient with your fruit for best results and don’t compare our growing conditions to other areas … we are cool mountain zone.