
Serving local farmers since 1997, Rucks Citrus Nursery Inc was established by Phillip Rucks, a citrus farmer with 30+ years of experience in growing high-yield citrus trees.

In 1997, Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery was established. Our company had humble beginnings and started at Thompson Nursery located in Winter Haven in 1998.

In 1999, Phillip started building the Cable Pole Structure in Frostproof, FL that is still standing today! Phillip moved operations from the Winter Haven location to Frostproof and started fully operating out of the Cable Pole Structure in 2000. The Cable Pole Structure is still operational to this day.

In 2006, the USDA and FDACS mandated that all Florida Citrus Nurseries must grow citrus in enclosed structures that meet the standards that were issued. Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery started building the new nursery operation in 2006 and it was operational in 2007. The nursery was modernized by automatic planting machines, rolling bench system, bench stackers, and much more. The capacity for this nursery is 1,000,000 trees. This is our main facility for propagations where we graft and grow trees until they are ready to be delivered.
Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery, Inc. was established Phillip Rucks in 1997. With over 40 years of experience Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery is the largest screened commercial citrus nursery in the US with propagations of one million trees annually. The operation is a full service self-contained containerized citrus nursery that grows only the highest yielding citrus trees. The propagation assurance originates from the latest seed source clones and screened disease free budwood houses. The nursery also propagates windbreak trees for citrus canker deterrent and is a low chill licensed propagator of Florida peaches. Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery has a dedicated staff and facilities to insure the future preservation of the Florida Citrus Industry along with other agricultural entities for years to come.
Backed by Science and Years of Experience
Located in Frostproof, Fl, Rucks Citrus Nursery has acres of some of the state’s highest yielding citrus trees. Through scientifically backed research and continued efforts, Rucks Citrus Nursery has been able to propogate disease free, high yield citrus.

About Phillip Rucks
Phillip Rucks, founder of Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery, is a native of Polk County, Florida and a graduate of Frostproof High School. Phillip graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida and has over forty years of experience managing and developing three modern, high-tech citrus nurseries including operations for Becker Groves of Ft. Pierce, Florida and Jack M. Berry, Inc of LaBelle, Florida. He has owned and operated Phillip Rucks Citrus Nursery, Inc. in Frostproof, Florida since 1997. Phillip Rucks innovative efforts in the area of improved nursery practices and standards have become a model for the citrus industry. Phillip has served as President of the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) Citrus Nursery Division and served as President of the Florida Citrus Nurserymen’s Association (FNCA). During his tenure he successfully led a campaign that united the Florida Citrus Nursery Industry to implement mandatory budwood programs to protect the industry form graft-transmissible diseases and prohibit the movement of trees containing severe Tristeza virus strains. Phillip Rucks maintains a high level of personal commitment and a relentless focus on quality and integrity that serve as the core values for one the largest and most efficient citrus nurseries in the world. Over the last thirty years he directed his efforts at developing a self-sufficient, self-contained nursery by establishing plant supportive material including registered high yielding seed and budwood blocks. A screened insect-proof mother budwood house constructed in 2002 supports a disease-free quality citrus tree. To insure future protection a state-of-the-art laboratory houses tissue cultures for the most popular citrus, peach and eucalyptus rootstocks.