Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery

Plants & Seeds: Nut Trees

797 Port Wooden Road
Upton, Kentucky 42784 (United States)
(270) 369-8551

Reviews:

positives
neutrals
negatives

Displaying the 31 most recent reviews

RatingContent
Positive
On Aug 19, 2021, duriandurian (2 reviews) from Buckingham, PA (Zone 6b)

I just wanted to note that this nursery is now closed because the owner, John Brittain, died on June 15, 2020. I ordered from this nursery once and it was a wonderful experience. John was very helpful helping me select the right cultivars to order for my area when I talked to him over the phone. Trees came on time and in great condition. The loss of this nursery is very great indeed for the nut-growing community. RIP John.

Positive
On Dec 23, 2016, Peter9977 (1 reviews) from Knox, IN

This is probably the best nursery for grafted nut trees. They have an excellent selection of Persian walnuts and pecans. They carry varieties that no one else does. Only problem is, that in my zone 5a, I'm in the outer range on the hardiness map for a lot of the pecan and persians. Several pecans died back to below the graft from the severe cold winter of Jan-Feb 2014. Unless you live in the south, I suggest buying the most cold hardy varieties available before looking at other features of the plant(production, nut size, flavor, etc). Otherwise they will grow well for years only to get zapped by one cold winter. Seedlings are stocky (not twigs like from discount nurseries) and come well packaged.

Positive
On Mar 21, 2013, RobThomas (20 reviews) from Readyville, TN

Very good experience. I spoke with Mr. Brittain a couple of times before placing my order. He was friendly and helpful. Trees may be a little pricey, but you can't find named American persimmon trees just anywhere. Trees arrived extremely well packaged. No damage to the plants. They are fully dormant now, so I'll have to wait a few weeks to see how they do. Overall good experience and would buy from Nolin River again.

Positive
On Jan 19, 2013, ojnh (6 reviews) from Mount Pleasant Mills, PA (Zone 6a)

Receiced very nice trees fron nolin river , and would recomend them to any one wanting to get quality nut trees!!! spend the extra money now !!! it is worth it in time saved and quality of product !!! thank you rolin river!!!

Negative
On May 7, 2012, chipkent (1 reviews) from Minneapolis, MN

In early Oct 2011, I placed an order for pawpaws, and the person on the other end of the line was very helpful. Now it is May 2012. My card never got charged and no plants arrived so I decided it was time to check up on the order. My order was lost and they are completely sold out of pawpaws. They are also the only nursery that carries one variety I was interested in. Needless to say, I'm quite upset with Nolin.

Positive
On Apr 4, 2012, SteveGubkin (4 reviews) from Columbus, OH

My experience was very positive. Plants showed up in very good shape. John noticed that the root of one of the Susquehanna pawpaws I had ordered was damaged, so he put a pin in it and gave it to me free of charge. They all look like really healthy plants, and he obviously takes a lot of care with them. Will order again!

Positive
On Mar 30, 2012, treebird101 (13 reviews) from Bedford, IA

I just want to say that if you want quality trees and friendly service, this is the nursery to order from. I just received 12 trees and was very impressed! Great grafting job and healthy sturdy trees on heavy thick rootstock! This nursery is truly American where when times are tough in a struggling economy there are no cut backs on quality and size like everything else you seem to buy now a days. The owner of this nursery has been extremely patient with answering any questions I had and very knowledgeable. If i could rate this nursery beyond 5 stars I would, and believe me, I grade strict!!! I will definitely order from Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery again in the future. Highly recommended, and offers trees that are very difficult to obtain.

Positive
On Mar 7, 2012, tdthompson (3 reviews) from Chapin, SC

Just received an order of four PawPaw trees. Everything was excellent....the trees were larger in caliper than I had expected, they were extremely well packaged for shipping, and the root mass was well formed and very healthy. Spoke to them on the phone once with a question, and they were very helpful. These guys have their act together, and I will order from them again.

Positive
On Jan 24, 2012, Ridgerunner777 (1 reviews) from Spring Hill, TN

I ordered from Nolin River last year. Nice folks, very friendly. Mr. Brittain took the time to answer ALL my questions and I had alot of them. I had a small order and I even received an extra grafted tree of the same type I ordered (you can't beat that). The trees have the best growth of any I have ordered elsewhere. I expect to order from them in the future, overall a very nice experience. Great place to find some of the more difficult to locate cultivars.

Positive
On Oct 7, 2011, mbugaieski (2 reviews) from East Peoria, IL

Fantastic company! Expensive, but you get what you pay for. These are healthy, grafted nut trees - hard to find. Great selection. Kudos to them!

Positive
On Apr 22, 2011, ChuckP (11 reviews) from Adrian, MI

I ordered two Peterson Pawpaw trees from them. They arrived at a good planting time. They were very well packed, moist humus around the roots, both trees tied in multiple locations to a sturdy bamboo stake, burlap around that, black plastic around that, all that in a sturdy cardboard box cushioned with oak leaves instead of the styrofoam or paper that many companies use. The graft is just starting to bud out.

Positive
On Apr 14, 2011, nosushi4u (1 reviews) from Merritt Island, FL

I ordered 6 grafted shellbark hickory trees from this this Spring and am very pleased. They arrived in good shape and shipping was not expensive. All of the grafts appear to have taken and the majority have already opened the top bud and are leafing out just a few wks after planting. Good cust svc via email. thx

Positive
On Mar 17, 2011, BBrandon77 (17 reviews) from Knoxville, TN (Zone 7a)

I received my order of persimmons on time and in excellent condition. These were packed very well, and I couldn't have asked for a better root system. The grafts were all perfect. I'll definitely order from them again!

Positive
On Dec 8, 2010, Utes123 (1 reviews) from Carrollton, GA

I ordered three PawPaw trees and one English Walnut Tree. The nursery made one mistake with the shipment and sent me a Japanese Heartnut by mistake. To correct for the mistake, they let me keep the heartnut and they sent the missing tree free of cost. They run a classy and professional business. I highly recommend them. And, by the way, the trees are in excellent condition.

Positive
On Sep 28, 2010, ben773 (14 reviews) from Waukegan, IL

Ordered five pawpaws and one American persimmon from them last spring. All arrived in good condition. All pawpaws leaved out and growing well. The American persimmon did not leaf out yet (early fall), but the nick test showed that it is still alive. Maybe next year. Spoke to John the proprietor, and he told me that if I need a replacement, he has one waiting even though he's all sold out. Great service, great plants, and nice to deal with. Will order from them again. A++

Positive
On Apr 17, 2010, olm47b (1 reviews) from Reynolds Station, KY

I recently bought 2 pecan trees from John and Lisa, i picked them up at there place of business. i found they were very professional and friendly. John offered me tips on how to take care of my trees. I am thankful I have a place this close to me that offers such quality service and products. i will be a repeat customer. 4-16-2010

Positive
On Apr 15, 2010, gfm (13 reviews) from Melrose, MA

I ordered 2 Peterson Paw Paw's from the Brittains. Due to the mild Spring, I asked if they could be shipped earlier. To my surprise, they were shipped 24 hours later. They did a wonderful job packaging and the trees arrived in excellent shape with no damage to the tap root. Both are now waking up at the same time as my established paw paws, so any problems from here are on me. Highly recommended.

Positive
On Mar 22, 2010, scott_PA (1 reviews) from Millersville, PA

I recently ordered a Hican tree from them and it arrived in beautiful condition. We also spoke on the phone and the nursery owner was courteous and helpful. It's the nicest tree I've ever gotten through the mail. Thank you Nolin River.

Positive
On Mar 19, 2010, echohotel12 (1 reviews) from Jonesborough, TN

This the 2nd order that I have received from them in the past 3 years. I have have always been well pleased with the condition, packaging, and shipment of their product. All ten pecan trees that I recevied yesterday by UPS were in exellent shape, which I promply planted. I have always had good communications with Mr. Brittian who has answered any question that I had by either by phone or email. Nolan River Nursery is a bussiness that I have recommended to my freinds and family.

Positive
On Nov 29, 2008, stewartvh (6 reviews) from Loretto, PA

i ordered 10 trees (chestnuts, walnuts, persimmons, pecans) last spring (4/08). all have done very well. at the risk of being a pesky customer, i have spoken several times with mr. brittain by telephone. at all times, he was extremely gracious in helping me select proper varieties for my location and in answering other questions. i already have my order in for next spring.

Positive
On Oct 23, 2008, Olpea (3 reviews) from Bucyrus, KS

Ordered some pawpaw, pecans, and persimmon for spring 2008 delivery. Trees arrived in very good condition. Pawpaw and pecan send down a tap root and are very hard to transplant. These trees arrived with an 18" taproot intact. This nursery is pretty pricey, but if you want quality stock, they have it.

Positive
On Jun 20, 2008, lezurk (8 reviews) from Toledo, IL

I ordered four pecan, one hickory, and a persimmon from Nolan River this last December. The owner is a very pleasant individual and very helpful in helping me pick the cultivars that were best for my area. The trees arrived in April in very fine shape and I was impressed by the size of the roots. All appear to be doing fine now. I will use this company again Bruce Kruzel

Negative
On Mar 3, 2008, angelfood (6 reviews) from Talking Rock, GA

I want guys like this to stay in business, but realizing how I depend on honest reviews at this site, I decided to relate my experience with Nolin's. Called and placed a phone order for six large trees. I gave my email but never received any information or receipt. He called me a month later and asked if he could ship the trees Feb 4th. I said fine. Date comes, no trees. I wait a week. No trees, no email, no nothing. So I call and ask when they will be sending my order. I wanted to be sure and be here and when they arrived and get them right in the ground. Well, the guy went ballistic on me. Denied ever hearing from me, ever calling me, just kept yelling. I tried calmly to reason with him and sort things out, but he just kept yelling and then hung up on me. I emailed him and tried to reason with him. He never answered me. My wife was standing by the phone in each instance or I would begin to question my sanity. It was a very surreal and unpleasant experience. I try to support small specialty growers like this, but despite their variety and good reputation I will be purchasing nuts from another vendor who isn't.


Company representative comment on March 20, 2008:

On Mar 20, 2008 1:25 PM, Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery added:

We received this order in late December in a phone call. He requested shipment as early as possible and was told that we don't ship before March because it takes until then to finish digging the trees. He said OK. THe only other communication we had with this indivual was when he called again in early February complaining that his trees had not arrived. He said I had told him that I would ship his order on Feb. 4th. When I replied that we have never shipped in Feb., he insisted that I told him I would ship them and he wanted them shipped. In 25 years of business , this was the most rude customer we have ever dealt with. After repeatedly calling me a liar, I cancelled his order and he retaliated with this negative and untruthful posting. Every other comment we have had on Dave's has been positive and this one is spurious. As a nursery, we do our best to satisfy our customers with quality service and products. Unfortunately, some people feel they can get what they want by being pushy and abusive.We regret the misunderstanding that occured with this individual. However, mistrust does not make a tenable basis on which to do business.

Positive
On Oct 31, 2005, dankearth (6 reviews) from Mineral, VA

This looks like an absolutely super company. I haven't actually bought from them yet, though, because they have always been sold out of the items I want. So that's my complaint: Too many "sold out" signs! Also, the Web site could be kept more up-to-date; for example, here it is fall 2005 and at least one item I checked is still listed as being "sold out for spring 2005." Still waiting for my chance to buy from this superior outfit.

Positive
On Apr 30, 2005, Macknrose (5 reviews) from Poseyville, IN

I have dealt with this fine company for several seasons as I buy hard to find Pecan Cultivars from them. I am always treated like an old time friend with the proprieters and always have had my questions answered with satisfaction. Bottom line is that you get a superpacked, superhealthy tree. I have purchased a total of 11 Pecan trees from them and I have 11 beautiful Pecan trees growing. I would recomend them to anyone and plan on doing business with them on a regular basis.

Positive
On May 6, 2004, Ron6338 (6 reviews) from Osceola, IA

I ordered two grafted pawpaw trees this winter for April delivery. Both trees arrived on time and in good shape. I would order from this company again.

Positive
On Mar 31, 2004, glop (7 reviews)

2 years ago I bought 3 pawpaw trees- 6', 4' 5', all were different varieties. I picked them up in person, as it is not a long drive from where I live. They were dormant trees, of grafted, known varieties, all with a very large root ball. They have all grown well for me in Old Louisville.. I plan to buy more soon, and I'll certainly buy them from Nolin. This year the trees are finally flowering, a very exciting development! Looking forward to the fruits.. They were very helpful, and although I don't know what their shipping is like, I can tell you that it's a beautiful drive, if you live near enough to pick the trees up in person!

Positive
On Apr 21, 2003, bigfoot (5 reviews) from Huntington, AR

Ordered two varieties of bare root grafted Paw Paw trees. They answered e-mails in relation to how and where to plant. The packing was wonderful; wet leaves and compost inside burlap, then covered with plastic wrap, then surrounded by straw in the cardboard box. One month later, I have two beautiful paw paws with at least 20-30 leaves each and in great shape. A hint to anyone who plants these trees; Try to plant them in a creek bottom with larger trees near by to break up the wind and keep them moist. I highly recommend these folks.


On October 12th, 2004, bigfoot added the following: I ordered an additional Paw Paw tree and also a Persian Walnut tree this spring of 2004 and they are in the ground this fall and in fine shape. The nursery does an excellent packing of the bare root trees for shipping. For those who are interested in Paw Paws, the University of Kentucky has excellent information on planting and growing this very unique U.S. native fruit tree. The first year leaf growth isn't very large, but this year the leaves of those Paw Paw's planted last year resembled very large hickory leaves and were over eleven inches long. These folks are an excellent company to do business with.

Positive
On May 15, 2002, AlanDrake (1 reviews)

Bought 8 Hicans (every available different variety), 2 Pecans (per their recommendation as additional pollinators) and 3 Paw Paws. Best selection in country of nut tress, IMHO. Good quality trees, worked with me, quite knowledgeable. Will do custom grafting. Small, honest family nursery. Pleasure to do business with :-)

Positive
On Nov 1, 2000, JamesAStamper (1 reviews)

This nursery, located at Upton, Kentucky, is an excellent source for those varieties of pecans and other nut trees that are sought by people who live in those areas that are "iffy" as far as nut production is concerned. Very friendly, very knowledgeable. Prices are very fair. I recommend highly.

Positive
On Aug 1, 1999, Lucky_P (4 reviews) from Hopkinsville, KY (Zone 6b)

NRTN carries grafted nut trees (northern pecans, hickories, hicans, chestnuts, walnuts, heartnuts, etc.), persimmons, and papaws for growers in Zones 6 and colder. Most of their selections have been recommended by the Northern Nut Growers Association. Many of these northern selections will not easily be found anywhere else. They currently have over 175 varieties of nut trees and 25+ persimmon and paw paw cultivars available. Superb selection of hard-to-find cultivars. Proprietors are active members of NNGA and KyNGA.

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