Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery. Excellent, grafted trees, often arriving with fruit/flowers. They are well packed, inexpensive and have a strong root system. I have ordered nearly every variety they grow, over the years, and all have done well.

Lisa

Here is a link that might be useful: Nursery web site

Also do I want dwarf or normal?

John

I have two favorite places.. www.briteleaf.com and www.harriscitrus.com Briteleaf is in the process of moving so she's pretty much out of plants right now. Harris sells similar to trees to Briteleaf..I love both places though.
John, if you're growing your citrus in containers, it doesn't matter if you buy dwarf or standard size trees because it'll only grow as big as the container allows it to..All but a few of my citrus are standards, and grow so big. To be honest, I like standards a lot better than dwarfs. Toni

I've heard some places that standards are better thanks for confirming it.

John

Now that's pretty interesting, Toni. I've heard that standards will basically bust out of their containers if they get too big...do you repot yours often? How big are most of your standards?

Jr, perhaps if a person lives in southern Fl/Ca and grow citrus in pots they'd burst..But have you ever seen Ben's trees? They're gorgeous. I believe the majority of his citrus are standards. Ben, if you're out here, please clarify.
My citrus range 4-6' tall..check out my webpage..Toni

My settings might be screwed up or something, but when I hit the tab for your page no pictures are showing up....is it down temporarily? Also, what size pots are your biggest trees in? And on a TOTALLY unrelated note, I looked on the Harris Web site and it looks like they've got my Buddha's Hand in stock...

Why do you prefer standards to dwarf trees, Toni?

Proper root pruning should help you maintain a standard in a container if that is what you want to do.

Jr, no my page works fine..did you click on my name here on GW, then click on the www addy? I don't understand, but I'm not a computer genius..(S) Computers play mind games w/us, for sure.
I think the largest pot is a 24", then 5 gallon and 3 gallons.
Funny you should say Harris has your BH in..that's my doing..lol..I ordered one and because it wasn't listed on their site I wrote Ruth a letter asking if she had any avaiable. She did, but they weren't listed. Anyway, I told her I wanted one, so she added them on their site. My BH will be shipped Mon, I'm assuming..so you'd best grab them if you want one. I hope she has more than the one..For 20.00 you can't go wrong..plus 10.00 shipping.

Rick, I've a few dwarfs, but mostly standards..maybe it's the shapes of the trees I prefer. I really don't have luck w/dwarf trees for some reason..weird, huh? I was given a grapefruit (dwarf) directly from CA last summer..it's living but I KNOW it'll never produce the huge fruit it had when I got it..Toni

My fav place is Four Winds Growers. Great Disease free trees. Slightly more expensive but I think they are worth it. Great selection. I have a probably about half of my trees from them. None have ever died. Believe me, I have tried. Overwatering. Too Much Sun. etc etc etc. Great trees. All Dwarf. They grow standard as well.

From what everyone is saying, it looks like you are going to grow in a container. Even dwarf trees get to be about 8-10ft high eventually. Ultra-Dwarf 6-8ft.

I've bought 2-3 yr old trees from Four Winds and have been quite pleased. On a whim I ordered a variegated lemon from Parks when I was ordering some other plants and would never buy a citrus from them again. All my other citrus trees have been purchased locally.
Karyn

Karyn, I received a letter from Parks..it stated, if I buy a citrus I get another for free. Do you think it's worth 19.99?
How tall is your tree? Is it grafted? Toni

Toni, if you took the last Buddha's Hand from Harris you'll be in BIG TROUBLE!! I just ordered one so we'll see what happens! LOL.

Jr..LOL..I don't think I grabbed the last one..I hope not..I can write Ruth a letter if you'd like..Let me know? Toni

I wouldn't buy another citrus from Parks. I'll keep buying some of their other plants but not citrus. The lemon is growing well enough, about a foot tall but very wide, which I don't care for. Let's just say I'm underwhelmed. Maybe I'll prune it next year and try and root the cuttings. I can't tell if it's grafted but I think not. I don't see any scar or whatever you call the graft site.
Karyn

Thanks Karyn,...that answers my question. I'm not about to order another wide citrus. And I want to make sure they're grafted. So, Park's can keep their offer..I thought I'd try something different, but I really prefer ordering from Briteleaf and Harris. I know what to expect when getting their trees. Nice, 3-4' grafted, standard trees at resonable prices. Can't go wrong, no siree.

Jr. did you try ordering a Bh from Harris yet? Toni

Toni the BH that I got from Four Winds is absolutely beautiful and is growing at an amazing rate. I don't think it was much more expensive than Briteleaf or Harris. When I was looking neither of them had any in stock and I didn't want to wait. Patience isn't one of my virtues. lol Enjoy your new tree.
Karyn

Just kidding, Toni. I ordered my BH yesterday and haven't heard back, so I'm assuming they still have them in stock. Perhaps I got the left hand? (I'll be here all week, folks!) Anyway, to add to this discussion, I probably would have ordered from Four Winds long ago except for one minor technicality.....like, they DON'T SHIP to Florida!! (I know, I know, it's not their fault.) And speaking of Briteleaf, their Website wasn't working the last time I checked....Toni, did you say something about them moving?

Karyn, Ruth from Harris had them in stock, but her website wasn't updated..she told me they've been so busy she hasn't had time to update.

Jr, I'm glad you got your bh, too..that's great..we can take pics of our new trees when they come in..(S)
I have ordered from 4winds and in comparison, to be honest I'd prefer BRiteleaf and Harris..4winds is just too expensive for me..it's possible their 3 yr old trees are nice, I've never seen one, but they want something like 50 or 80.00. It's just too much for me to spend for one tree..I can buy two or three for the price of one..sorry to those who like 4winds..

Jr, what day did you order your tree? She wrote saying she sent mine out already..She's such a sweetie. So is Anna from Briteleaf..I like both women. Toni

Jr, noticed your question after I submitted this post..Yes, Anna from Briteleaf is relocating..that's one reason she hasn't added new plants on her site. But she's not moving far from the farm she's at now. So, nothing will change..Toni

AAAAGHH! My BH arrived from UPS today.....BROKEN! I called Ruth at Harris and she's going to replace it. The good news is, she's heading down to my neck of the woods anyway so she'll just hand it off. I took some pictures and will email them to her. So disappointing because the tree was really beautiful....nice big leaves and everything. Toni, I sincerely hope you had better luck! Ruth mentioned that this is the second bad delivery she's had....it's such a shame. The plant isn't totally destroyed but the whole top part basically came off. So now I've got a short stem. Whatever....!

Jr, oh that's awful..
I can't believe I didn't get my tree yet, and hope it's not broken..it's not like Ruth can drop by and make home delivery..
Is she allowing you to keep the first tree? I hope so..you never know, it may turn into a beauty after time. And you're in a warm climate so you'd have a much better chance than I. Anyway, that's sad..at least she's going to straigthen out the problem.
I could have sworn you ordered the BH after I did..did you not? The reason she posted it in the fist place was becuase I wanted one and needed her to post so I could pay via Paypal. So, as soon as she posted it, or maybe the following day, I placed the order..well, it's still early so UPS might come today..I hope so..I hate thinking of it sitting in some warehouse. What's up w/UPS lately? Can you post a pic of this new BH? Toni

Toni I only paid $37 for my 3yr old BH and Satsuma trees from Four Winds. The shipping was reasonable and the trees were shipped in reinforced containers. Jr that sucks about UPS destroying your tree. At least Harris is being so responsive. I've been really lucky with plants through the mail this year. Out of close to 100 plants I've only had 1 that was severly damaged. It was a Lutea passiflora and it cooked on it's way to Maryland from Texas. Even that has fully recovered. I hope I'm not jinxing myself. lol
Karyn

Toni I'm not sure where you got the idea that Four winds was so expensive. Here's their price list:

One Year Trees:
1 tree for $22.00
2 or 3 trees for $21.00 each
4 or more trees for $20.00 each
Two-to-Three Year Trees:
1 tree for $39.00
2 or 3 trees for $37.00 each
4 or more trees for $36.00 each

Karyn

Got 2 trees! My BH is 44" tall and she sent me another Bouqet de Fr, which is 40". I'm soooo excited..I'll have to snap pics of my new trees..

Karyn, I think 4winds prices are high because I've ordered from them before..think about it. The reason I feel this way is: Okay you mention a 1 yr old tree at 22.00. When I received their 1 yr old trees, I got a small, less than a foot tall plant. When I order from Briteleaf or Harris, I get a tree that's at the minimum, 3' tall for 15-20.00. Do you see my point? And if I ordered a 2-3 yr old tree from 4winds, it's 39.00..I can purchase 3 trees for that price from Harris and BRiteleaf.
Have you ever ordered from either nursery? If you're ever in the citrus mood, check out their sites and spend..LOL. That's one thing I'm good at, spending.
Both women are really nice, and if there's any problems w/the plants they take care of it immediately.
Anyway, that's just my opinion..not that it matters much..I just wish citrus could be shipped to states like Ca, ect..Toni

Hey guys....

I've heard more good things than bad about 4Winds. And I think they have an excellent Web site. But I guess I would agree with Toni that if the Florida trees are somewhat larger and the prices slightly lower, I'd try them first. But you probably can't go wrong with any of them. Of course, for me the point is moot because 4Winds won't ship to Florida, so that's one less dilemma I've got to worry about.

Now, regarding my broken hand....Buddha's hand, that is. (See, I still have a sense of humor even though I'm pissed!) Anyway, what I wanted to say was, I'm pissed at UPS. I feel badly for Ruth b/c she sent me this BEAUTIFUL tree. The leaves are big and green and extremely healthy looking. I had no doubt she'd be cooperative....I just hate the fact that the tree got messed up. And yes, she told me to keep it and I'm sure it will be fine, but it will set the tree back at least a year to get to where it was. I will post pics of what it looked like when it arrived.

Toni, I assume yours arrived safely?

Jr, I could see paying more if the plant was in much better condition than the inexpensive plant. For instance, you can buy citrus at Logees, Direct Gardening, and a few other places for under 10.00..but what you get are non-grafted, half dead plants..I placed an order at Logees back in the early 90's, and what I got was a 2" dead cutting that died within the wk. I also tried a 'fruit cocktail' tree from Direct Gardening, and they sent me 4 or 5 5" seedlings..it was nothing like the picture..what a joke..that set me back 19.95 plus 6.95 s&h. Jung's or Henry's sends citrus, too, but you don't know what you're getting. I've seen threads where ppl asked about one of the two places, and they had no idea what they were growing. Plus, I doubt the citrus were grafted.
Back in the early 90's and earlier the only citrus I could find here in IL were Calamondins..A local nursery sells citrus but they're expensive..beautiful trees though, and huge. There's another garden center that's opened from spring till fall..I went there this summer to look for hibiscus, which they had..I found they also sold dwarf citrus, but they wanted 90.00..LOL. They were small plants in oversized plastic pots. I'm sure they planted these citrus in huge pots to compensate for the costs which was ridiculous.

Jr, yes, I got my BH and another tree. I'm so happy w/this purchase. Both arrived in excellent condition. I already left feedback on gardenwatchdog.com. So far Harris has all positive feedback, so we're not the only happy campers.
I'm glad she told you to keep the first tree. There's a chance it'll be a beauty, especially in your location.
Post pics when u have a chance..I'll try taking pics of mine tomorrow..WE;ll see, tomorrow's my cleaning day and I'm so busy..Toni

Didn't you say you once placed an order with 4Winds and wasn't too impressed?

Toni I'm glad you finally got your trees. What is a Boquet de Fr? My "fruit cocktail" tree is in full bloom, I just wish I knew what was going to develop. The citrus ID link that was posted by another GW member won't open on my computer. It's going to be a long wait and the fruit will probably drop when it goes in the GH for the winter. Oh well the smell of the flowers will have to suffice. I think I might be getting buds on my BH and satsuma now too. I didn't realize that they bloomed this time of the year. I'm still considering the Sambo lemon. In some ways I wish the nursery by my house didn't sell citrus. lol I'll try to remember my camera the next time I'm there. He has some beautiful trees and Toni I'll show you the mango I've been coveting : )

Jr that's great that you will be able to keep the damaged tree. It will recover soon enough. Harris citrus should be able to file a claim for reimbursement from UPS so she shouldn't be out anything. Have either of you grown a BH before? I was wondering how long it takes the fruit to mature. Enjoy your new trees.
Karyn

Hi Karyn,

Bouquet De Fleurs: (From UCR website) a sour orange variety planted primarily as an ornamental. The tree has a low spreading umbrella shape. The mature foliage is dense and bright green, and the new growth is lighter green giving the tree an attractive appearance. Because of its low growth habit, it is sometimes used as a hedge. The fruit is small to medium in size, somewhat oblate in shape, and has a rough orange rind. The low-seeded fruits mature in winter and hold very well on the tree. Bouquet de Fleurs fruits are bitter and acidic and typically are not consumed.

I have a tiny, slow growing 9 month old standard from treesource grafted onto c35 rootstock.

Citrusboy aka Marc

Gang, I'm going to post some photos of the broken Buddah's Hand. Truth be told, I'm starting to think the break wasn't such a big deal....it just went from being a bigger tree to a smaller tree. Anyway, you guys let me know what you think.

{{gwi:608148}}

{{gwi:608150}}

{{gwi:608151}}

The tree will be fine but it's significantly damaged. It should fill out nicely and must have looked great before the break : ( I definitely would have asked for a replacement too. Now you'll have two new babies! BTW there is a difference between their tree and Four Winds trees. I don't have a pic of the BH but this is what my satsuma looked like when I got it and the BH was a bit fuller. They were both about 3' tall.
Karyn

{{gwi:608153}}

Hi Jr,

That's not so bad. Right at the break the tree will start to branch out and now it will get a bit fuller quicker. Buddha's hand trees (from what I have seen) grow like lemons. Quick! Wait till it starts to fruit! The little fruits look like little purple dolls hands.

Citrusboy aka Marc

Jr, that is some break, but I think it'll come back lovier than ever. USP has been known to break items and lately getting notorius about it.
In summer, I ordered from another plant nursery, non-citrus, and the box was smashed in..Good thing the plants were on the bottom of the box, otherwise the plants would have been smashed too..and I know the package wasn't sent out that way.
In Sept, I'm ordering two more citrus trees..I always order in twos. I'll be getting two kumquats. Then I'm set for this yr..Autumn is coming fast so I'm thinking of bringing plants in earlier this year since I don't like working out in the cold..
I'm debating whether I should repot my new citrus now or wait until next yr..anyone have any opinions?? Toni

Toni are you absolutely sure the kumquats are going to be it for the season? lol
Karyn

LOL Karyn..I'm really trying, I promise..Gotta try anyway..I just ordered a stand that will hold 4 plants..I'm going to put in the gh so trees will not sit on the ground..Toni

Toni, are you going to repot your new BH? If so, what size? I'm still new to the repotting thing....I don't want to damage the plant any more than it already is. Gimme a step-by-step!! LOL

Jr, I don't know if I'll repot this yr or spring. As long as your careful there shouldn't be any problems..If I do repot, I'm going to plant in a 3gal pot..I use all purpose soil, peat, sand and Perlite..about 1/4 of each. But I may wait until next spring..we'll see. Citrus aren't rootbound and now that winter's coming there won't be much new growth. Not here in IL..Plants slow down in winter..The only plants I fertilize in winter are Afrian Violets and Hibiscus. I do try using Superthrive once a month though.
What about you? What are your plans? Toni

I also ordered from Four Winds Growers last year.
Six trees. all in great shape. packaged very well.
I'm ordering more again this fall.
Tom

Plans? Me? I never plan...LOL. I can wait to repot...it just seems like such a small sleeve for the BH. But if it can wait a few months I have no problem doing just that. What do you mean about citrus not being root-bound? You never have to worry about keeping it in too small a container? It won't inhibit growth or hurt the plant in any way?

Hello Everyone,

After reading through it, I couldnÂt resist posting on this thread.

I agree with Toni and otherÂs good opinion of Brite LeafÂs trees. I have 4 Â 2 in pots and 2 in the ground. They are 2-3 year olds now, and all want to be big. The lime is doing the best, fruiting for the first time this year, with plenty of fruit, if they all hold.

Last I checked Brite LeafÂs site was working, but they hadnÂt restocked yet. They also have many new varieties, including some more expensive versions on flying dragon rootstock.

I want to add an endorsement for Stan McKenzie at McKenzie-farms in Scranton, SC. He does cold hardy citrus on trifoliate rootstock. I have 4 from him also with 2 in the ground and 2 in pots. My observation is they will stay smaller. He has some great varieties, and I may not be done buying from him yet. At 17 trees, most would say IÂm at my limit, but Toni has introduced me to Harris, so who knowsÂ

Sorry I canÂt share pics, but I also bought a BuddhaÂs hand this year. WeÂll have to start a subgroup within citrus forum for folks with young BH trees. I bought mine from Four Winds, the first tree IÂve gotten from them, because I wanted a dwarf and found no other online source for one. My other trees stay out over the winter, but of course the BH canÂt do that. I couldnÂt imagine getting a mature BH tree in the house every winter. I have limited sunny space and may need some of it for other plants, so it has to be a dwarf. I bought a 2-year old because thatÂs all they had in the BH, and paid more for it than I ever have for a tree. ItÂs been doing well since I got it in May and has plenty of new growth. It came with 2 tiny fruit, but they didnÂt hold on. Maybe the adjustment going from one coast to the other was too much for the tree to hang onto fruit this year. IÂll be curious how all of your BH trees do in the coming years. Any growing tips would be appreciated. IÂve been a citrus hobbiest for less than 3 years and still have much to learn.

Marj

Jr, where are you located? If you're in Fl or Ca then I'd say, go ahead and repot..if you're in a cold climate then waiting won't hurt.
In all I've read, ppl who live in cold climates should wait to repot when winter is nearing..(not only for citrus but other plants) There's really not much reason since growth slows down or halts completely.
Soon I'll be bringing plants indoors for winter..sigh.

Marj, I'm glad I turned you on to Briteleaf and Harris..both nurseires are fantastic as far as plants and prices.
Marj, if your trees are in pots, you can control hight..depending on pot size, citrus will only grow so big. Unless your tree is in a 30" pot, it's not going take over. No Jack and the Beanstalk plants for us who have to grow plants in containers..LOL. Toni

I dont have alot of choices for mail order due to living in Louisiana. Most places can't ship here. Four winds can and although a bit pricey, I have been extremely pleased with the quality and selection of thier trees. This year I ordered Buddah's hand (it has tripled in size since I got it), Aust. fingerlime (doubled in size), Kaffir lime (this was a only one year old and has grown quite a bit, has two decent sized limes on it-was gonna take them off but decided to leave em.)
This spring I also got citrus from Logees. What they seem to sell is cuttings. I got a kaffir lime,citron-etrog, and buddah's hand. The kaffir lime and etrog are doing great. The buddah's hand died and had hardly any roots when I got it. It took them forever to replace it and the next one died immediately as well. I didn't even bother to complain again!. In all fairness, I have had good luck with logees with other kinds of plants.
The buddah's hand wasn't overwatered ( I know cuttings rot easier) but I just gave up and replaced it with the Budddah's hand from four winds and have been happy with that one. I found some nice trees at HD and Lowe's this yearlike Blood orange and red navel.
~SJN

Wow! I'm really excited to see so many people buying Buddha's Hand! I agree w/ Marj that we'll have to form a subgroup and keep up with everyone's progress. We'll call ourselves The Buddah Bunch or something cheesy like that.

Anyway Toni, I'm in South Fla....I'll probably repot soon. I haven't heard back from Harris but I'm hoping to meet up with her one of these days on one of her deliveries down here.

Btw, did you see my earlier post? I was wondering what you meant when you said citrus aren't rootbound. I guess anyone else can answer that, too.

Jr, okay a subgroup it is..Now I'm sorry I didn't order two..One for my gh and one for the house.
Still haven't repotted, or decided what I'm going to do..You see the problem is, we've been working on the house and 2 wks ago from tomorrow, I fell down the stairs carrying a fan. I tipped over backwards. The fan landed on me, my foot went one way, my body the other. It's not getting better, so I don't know if I should see a doc about it..Trying to stay off it is impossible, especially cause I raise Cockatiels and they just had 3 chicks..so soon I'll be hand-feeding which requries more work..
Anyway, when I said, the citrus aren't rootbound, I meant, roots aren't taking over the pot or growing out of drainage holes..I'm sure there are a lot of roots, but my point is they're not taking over the pot. Do you understand my meaning? So, I'm thinking, because the plant isn't rootbound, that it can get by in its pot until next spring..You are soooo lucky living in S Fl..Oh I'd love living there..My plants could stay outside all winter, it'd just be heaven.
It'd be nice meeting w/Ruth. She's a sweetheart..So is Anna from Briteleaf..Have you ever shopped at Briteleaf, Jr? Toni

No, haven't had the pleasure yet. You should see a doc, Toni, just to be safe!