How to Grow Tangelos in New Zealand
Updated September 2026
A juicy, easy peel citrus for the warm north and sheltered east
A tangelo is a cross between a mandarin and a grapefruit or pomelo. It has the easy peel and sweetness of a mandarin with the juice and tang of its other parent, and the fruit is often bigger than an orange. Tangelos crop best in the warm north and in sheltered eastern districts such as Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.
Grow a tangelo much as you would an orange. The one extra step is pollination: the most popular variety crops far better with another citrus flowering nearby.
Where Tangelos Grow in New Zealand
Tangelos grow in the warm north and the sheltered east. In Northland and Auckland plant from September to November. In Waikato and the Bay of Plenty plant in October or November after the frosts; they crop well on the Bay of Plenty coast, while inland Waikato needs shelter. In Wellington and the lower North Island plant in spring in a sheltered spot, in October or November, and they crop best in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne. In Nelson and Marlborough plant after the frosts in a sunny, sheltered spot.
The Central North Island is too cold for tangelos to ripen, and Canterbury does not give the summer heat and mild winters they need. Otago and Southland are too cold, and hard frosts rule them out in Central Otago. Choose your region below for local planting months.
Varieties to Look For
Minneola
Deep orange fruit with a knob at the stalk end, rich flavour and few seeds when grown alone. It crops poorly without a pollinator, so plant a mandarin nearby.
Seminole
A late ripening tangelo with thin, deep orange skin and tart, very juicy flesh. It has more seeds than Minneola.
Planting
Plant container grown trees in spring once the frosts are over. Tangelos want full sun, shelter from wind and free draining soil with a pH of about 6 to 7.5.
- Allow about 4 metres between trees. A tangelo grows 3 to 5 metres tall, less on dwarfing rootstock.
- Plant at pot depth with the graft union above soil level, water in and mulch, keeping mulch clear of the trunk.
- Dwarf tangelos grow well in a pot at least 50 centimetres wide. See our guide to growing citrus in pots.
Care and Pollination
Pollination. Bees pollinate tangelo flowers in spring. Minneola sets few fruit with its own pollen, so plant it within reach of the bees from another citrus that flowers at the same time, such as a mandarin. The extra fruit this gives will carry more seeds.
Watering. Water deeply and regularly from flowering through summer. Uneven watering causes fruit drop and splitting.
Feeding. Feed four times a year with a complete citrus fertiliser, in August, November, January and April, the same as oranges. See our orange growing guide.
Pruning. Prune lightly after harvest and after the frosts, removing dead wood, crossing branches and shoots from below the graft. Thin a very heavy crop in early summer to stop branches breaking.
Pests and Diseases
- Scale: Brown or white bumps on stems and leaves, often with black sooty mould growing on the sticky honeydew. Spray with horticultural oil.
- Aphids and mealybug: Cluster on soft new growth. Horticultural oil or a firm jet of water deals with light infestations.
- Citrus leaf miner: Silvery trails in new leaves, which then curl. Spray new flushes of growth with horticultural oil.
- Guava moth: The fruit pest that matters most in the warmer parts of the country. The caterpillar tunnels into developing fruit, citrus included. Use pheromone traps to tell when the moth is active, and bin fallen fruit sealed rather than composting it.
- Lemon tree borer: A native beetle whose larvae tunnel inside branches, leaving small holes and sawdust. Cut out and burn dead or wilting twigs below the damage.
- Collar rot: Oozing, cracked bark at the base of the trunk in wet soil. Keep mulch well clear of the trunk and plant only where water drains away.
For more detail, see our pest management guide.
Harvest and Storage
Tangelos ripen from late winter into spring. The fruit is ready when fully coloured and sweet; taste one before picking the crop. Fruit holds on the tree for some weeks, but left too long it can dry out, so pick through the season rather than all at once.
Clip fruit off with a short stalk. Picked tangelos keep for 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Track Your Tangelo Tree
Add tangelos to your garden in the Planting Season app and get reminders for feeding, pest checks and harvest.
Open the App →Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Minneola tangelo drop its fruit?
Minneola sets few fruit with its own pollen. Plant another citrus that flowers at the same time, such as a mandarin, close enough for bees to carry pollen between them.
Can I grow tangelos in Canterbury?
Tangelos are not suited to Canterbury. They need more summer heat and milder winters. They are also not suited to the Central North Island, Otago and Southland or Central Otago.
When should I plant a tangelo?
Plant in spring after the frosts: September to November in Northland and Auckland, and October or November in Waikato and the Bay of Plenty, Wellington and the lower North Island, and Nelson and Marlborough.
What is the difference between a tangelo and a mandarin?
A tangelo is a cross between a mandarin and a grapefruit or pomelo. It peels easily like a mandarin but is usually larger, juicier and tangier.
See also: Tangelos in the Plant Library
