 Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery grows and sells many varieties of young citrus trees. To insure success with the new tree, answers to many of our Frequently Asked Questions can be found below. Additional Tree Care instructions are found on the Planting Guide and in a printable (PDF) form (you will need Acrobat Reader installed to open this file). A basic care and planting sheet accompanies each order.
Why are Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery trees better?
- Our trees are 30 - 32" tall and about one year old.
- We grow our trees in the same pot that we grow commercial trees. It is a 4 inch square pot that is 14" tall.
- This "sleeve" is perfect for shipping because you get the entire root ball and soil rather than "bare root."
- Getting the soil with the tree greatly increases your success with your new citrus tree.
- The pot is equivalent to a "1 gallon" capacity.
- We grow a standard size, budded tree, not a rooted cutting.
- Trees are on semi-dwarfing rootstock which is good for growing in pots or in the ground. Growing in a pot will limit the growth and overall tree size.
- We also offer dwarf rootstocks for some varieties.
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How tall is the tree I am purchasing?
Approximately 32".
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How old is the tree I am purchasing?
The trees we sell through mail order are approximately 1 year of age.
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How much space do I need to plant a citrus tree?
We recommend planting trees 15 feet apart. You can plant closer, but pruning will be needed at some point.
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How big will the trees get?
Dwarf - up to 8 feet tall in the ground, less if kept in a pot.
All others - up to 12 feet tall in the ground, less if kept in a pot (more pruning will be required to keep in pot).
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How do I pay?
- Our newest payment option is through a secure, online service. Simply e-mail your order request and we will send you an invoice. Follow the links to make your secure payment. We will never see your credit card information.
- Call us with your credit card information. We can process for you. We will process the transaction and send you a receipt.
- Fax an order form with your credit card information. We will process the transaction and send you a receipt.
- Print and mail completed order form with check or money order.
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Can I send a tree as a gift?
Absolutely! We will include a card with your personalized note with any gift order. We will send the receipt to you, not the gift recipient.
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How long before I will have citrus fruit?
Typically, our trees will bear a few pieces of fruit within a year after you receive it. The amount of fruit will increase each year. Some citrus varieties are more prolific (kumquats, limes, calamondins), so you will have more fruit in the first year. To see when you can expect to harvest your citrus fruit, see the extensive chart on the Citrus Trees For Sale page.
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When do I prune?
Citrus trees respond well to pruning. You can do it almost anytime. It is best to prune when the tree is not blooming to avoid cutting off future fruit production.
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Why can’t you ship trees outside Florida?
Due to the widespread occurrence of Citrus Canker and Citrus Greening (Huanglongbing), the USDA placed the entire state of Florida under quarantine. It is against the law to ship or move trees outside the state. This is an action to protect the citrus industries in California, Texas, Arizona and Louisiana. Although we have never been allowed to ship to these states, the USDA feels this action is necessary to prevent a tree from Florida being moved into a citrus state by a homeowner or dealer.
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What is Citrus Canker?
Citrus canker is bacterial disease. It is contagious and can be spread easily by windy rainstorms. The 2004 hurricanes in Florida spread the disease throughout the state. Citrus canker affects the leaves, stems and fruit. It is a scab like lesion with a yellow halo. If you suspect Citrus canker, have your local extension agent look at your trees. To learn more about citrus canker, visit http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/canker/.
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What is Citrus Greening?
Citrus greening is a disease caused by a bacterium that can infect most citrus varieties and some ornamental plants. It was first detected in the US in August 2005 in south Florida. It causes the tree to produce small, unprocessable fruit. The tree will eventually die. To learn more about citrus greening, visit http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/chrp/greening/citrusgreening.html.
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Why do you grow citrus trees in a greenhouse?
Many people ask why you have to use a greenhouse when in sunny Florida. State of Florida CFR 5B-62 requires that all citrus nursery trees be produced inside enclosed, insect-free structures. Any citrus nursery that is in business in Florida is legally required to have a greenhouse with screen on all sides with a “double entrance” and positive air pressure to prevent insects entering the structure. In our case, we also relocated our nursery from Hillsborough County (heavy citrus production area) to Sumter County (no commercial citrus) to further protect from diseases and insects. Prior to January 1, 2007, most citrus nursery trees in Florida were grown outside.
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If you are in a greenhouse, then why can’t you ship outside FL?
The nurserymen of the state of Florida have spent a great deal of money and effort to comply with 5B-62. Based on nurseries compliance with the new regulations, the nurserymen and the state of Florida are collectively negotiating with USDA to allow tree movement outside Florida. We are proposing east of the Mississippi River as a boundary. We hope that the USDA will see this as a reasonable solution and lift the quarantine soon.
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Are your trees disease free?
We grow our trees according to state regulations inside enclosed structures. We are inspected by the Division of Plant Industry every 30 days. Our budwood sources are on-site and also inspected every 30 days. Budwood trees are tested twice a year for citrus greening and various other diseases. We take every precaution to prevent disease in our nursery. This is one of the reasons we don’t allow visitors.
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Where do I get help?
Your local extension agent or Master Gardener is a great resource. There are also links from this page to resources. The on-line community is also a wealth of knowledge. Try Dave's Garden or GardenWeb.
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