Seed grown - Citrus trees grown from seed take around 5 -10 years from germinating, to producing fruit, and sometimes never produce at all. Citrus do not grow true to type from seed.
Cutting grown / Air layering- While much better than seed grown, cutting grown citrus will form roots from the variety that you are getting the cutting of. Our grafted trees are on Trifoliata or Flying Dragon rootstocks, which have been chosen after many decades of trials and research, for their rapid growth rate, disease resistance, pest resistance, and tolerance to dry or wet conditions. They are perfect for the New Zealand climate and that's why they are used for almost all the citrus varieties commercially available. With cutting grown trees, you are not getting the benefits of these characteristics. On top of that, Trifoliata and Flying Dragon also have a very vigorous growth rate, making your trees grow faster and reach a good fruiting size much earlier. Cutting grown trees have to spend a huge amount of energy to create roots, and they will never be as strong as a seed grown rootstock plant, so you will need to take much more care of your plant to help it survive.
