Because plants grown from seed are all slightly different, commercial growers propagate citrus by grafting or budding to ensure they'll always get the same high quality fruit.

To graft, a single bud is taken from the branch of a high quality tree and inserted into the bark of a seedling. That bud becomes the part of the tree that produces the fruit.

After bloom, it takes from 5 to 18 months for fruit to develop.

Citrus is one of the few fruits that can be left on the tree without becoming overripe, and unlike many other fruits, citrus does not continue to ripen after it is picked.

Citrus will grow in almost any kind of soil as long as it drains well.

Protection from frost is a critical factor in growing citrus. Sunkist growers in California and Arizona use fans placed above the trees to circulate the warmer air above the grove with the colder air near the ground.

Citrus is one of the few fruit trees that doesn't require regular pruning.