Where do you Purchase your fruit trees?

I want to add more fruit trees, and have been looking online at Willis, TyTy, and Northern Trading Company.
I want a Ranier Cherry Tree. Bought one a few years ago, along with a pollinator, Black Stella, I believe. The black Stella is Thriving. The Ranier died. I contacted willis to replace, and they said I called about 10 days past the year long warranty they offer, and wouldn't replace.

I ordered from another place, tree came, we planted, it died. They would not replace.

I kind of wanted to avoid Willis, but they're one of the few that offer bigger trees, of course a 6 ft tree is pointless if it's a dead tree.

All of my current fruit trees with exception of the Stella came from Gurney's. I know a lot of people complain about them, but I've always had great stuff from them, and when it wasn't, they replaced. Gurney's doesn't carry the Ranier Cherry.

I'm open to suggestions, and welcome them!

Long ago I got trees from Stark Brothers and Miller Brothers (heard they are now owned by Stark). Now at another house I have trees from them again and Raintree. Last year Stark replaced non growing trees.

Thanks Carolmo! Two places I hadn't checked.

We have had drought conditions and because of that, I have lost a lot of trees during that first year establishment period, too. I have had better luck with potted trees than bare-root, and slightly better luck with fall planted over spring planted. To get a potted Ranier, you will have to ask a local nursery to order one in for you. I put one in last year (5th try at a cherry, 2nd for a Ranier) - so far so good. But the final test is breaking dormancy, I have had several make it that far then die. Sympathies on the 10-days-too-late, been there, done that.

I originally started ordering from Miller's & Stark's. Stuff looked good from Stark's, even better from Miller's. But they all died and the replacements all died. Not the companies fault - it was just too difficult for bare root to establish during a drought with hot wind AND gophers.

I frequently order from StarkBros. I have also ordered many items from Miller Nurseries which as others have mentioned was sold to Starkbros. Adams county nursery is another as well as Rainier.

http://www.acnursery.com/acn_cherry.php

http://www.raintreenursery.com/Rainier_cherry_Gisela_5.html

Thanks all. I wonder if I potted it through the summer and then planted in the fall if it would do any better?

I have left trees in pots but potted tree takes more monitoring and frequent watering and is at greater risk of getting root bound, so I don't recommend it. You might want to ask how long it has been at the nursery. If they just took it off the truck, you might leave it in the pot sitting where you intend to plant it to see how it likes Ohio for a few days. You will probably need to sink the pot in the ground since the tree will be top heavy. If it seems happy, plant it - if not, take it back. If you can't plant until fall, I would let the nursery take the risk and let it sit in the pot at the nursery. It will decrease your selection in fall a bit unless you can sweet talk them into ordering something for you.

In any case - CHECK TO MAKE SURE IT IS NOT ROOT BOUND IN POT - that is the big disadvantage of potted over bare-root. For both potted and bare root, the planting hole doesn't need to be any deeper that the roots, but it should be a wide as possible. Avoid straight sided holes especially in clay soil - you want more of a saucer or bowl shape.

Thank you Pollen, I'm assuming they will send in the next week or so. Thanks for the saucer/bowl visual. I can explain it to my husband that way. :) (He's my digger)

I am planting some trees also and after ordering some potted plants though the mail then finding them at HD and Lowes decided that it makes more sense to buy them locally. I'm very new to gardening and am also looking for advice.
I planted two cherry trees from Lowes but took about 2 months to finally plant them, then once they were in we got constant heavy rain with them almost sitting in a puddle. The winter brought storm Sandy and the trees did not make it.
Lowes replaced them without much of any fuss, without even the receipt. I put the new trees in right away and we'll see how they do.

As far as potted or not, why not just bare root the tree if purchased potted? I know some do not suggest this but others say to do it. I've done roses that came in 1.5 gal pots - no problem. I did a small blueberry plant that was not happy about it, dropped all its leaves but then came back very strong the next season. Also did a grape vine that was completely root bound and it came back strong after a month or so in the ground.

I'm shopping for Flowering Pear trees now and Lowes has the better Cleveland Select variety but I'm hesitating because I've read that they are not a very long lived tree. Looking at Eastern Red Bud and Kwanza Flowering Cherry also. Lowes has all of them. I'm looking for advice and suggestions.

New post about dead cherry trees in old thread:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1330195/


This message was edited Apr 14, 2014 5:30 PM

There is another freeze tonight - maybe 27 degree F. Expect my favorite peach to get the most damage.

Fruit trees from Stark or Miller: Apricot moorpark - fine, blooming over. Apricot robada replacement by Stark - dead. Peach saturn - fine, blooming over. Peach redhaven replaced from Miller with Stark - alive. Peach champion white - full bloom (sigh - my favorite). Nectarine sunglo replacement by Stark - alive. Plumcot spring satin - bloom over. 3 replaced of 7 - only 2 ok. Cannot seem to get new apricot to survive.

From Raintree: 5 mini dwarf apples - fine, buds showing color. Plum emerald beauty - fine, bloom over. Plum weeping santa rosa - fine, bloom over. Zero replaced. Shipping cost high but trees great.

See this for possible damage by freezing temperatures:
http://msue.anr.msu.edu/uploads/files/PictureTableofFruitFreezeDamageThresholds.pdf

RE Dead Cherries: Cherries do not like wet feet, and need good drainage. You don't want them in a low spot, or in soil so heavy it holds water forever. It is usually recommended that you fill the planting hole with water, let it drain, then fill it a SECOND time and see how long it takes to drain.

RE turning potted into bare-root: Yes, this is what I do, at least part way. I take the tree out of the pot, put it in the planting hole, then blast the root ball with the jet nozzle on the hose. I take off the outer & upper dirt to expose the roots and check one last time for problems. I prune out any circling roots. Then I fill in the hole before the smaller roots have dried out. This is my own method I came up with because I am paranoid about root problems.

I only buy from Raintree Nursery in Washington State. If something doesn't make it - they replace it cheerfully. The plants and trees I've ordered were always beautiful! I give my family gift certificates to Raintree. They are also very nice about helping to choose which cultivar and telling me if I need two trees for fruit.

pollengarden, thanks yes, well I thought that the soil drained reasonably well but we need to direct the water from the gutter down spouts off in another direction because as they are now the trees sit in water when we get day after day of rain.
There is a depression or valley in the lawn, maybe 6" deep that leads down to the street and I think that I should aim the down spout extensions that way in order to completely avoid these trees.

This message was edited Apr 17, 2014 3:28 PM

Using an existing "swale" for drainage is a good idea - unless it is too steep and prone to erosion, or it lies directly over you sewer line or septic system.

Pete, as for tree suggestions. Eastern Red Bud is a beautiful tree. It has purple flowers on it in the spring, and the leaves are heart shaped. It's native where I live, and we have a lot of them on our property. Not much bothers them, at least here.

Thanks Melissa, I've purchased Cleveland Select Pears which seem to be good for a border. I think I might also get and Eastern Red Bud for another location.

My cherries are dead again this season but I have diverted the water from the gutter down spout to the swale in our yard. We had some very heavy rain last week and I looked along the street and sure enough water was draining over the curb from the swale. The swale is positioned right over a city storm drain in the street, seems it was planned that way when they graded the yard.

It finally hit me that the water from the downspout is too much since several new plants are dead that were near the outlet.