Comments regarding Raintree Nursery

I have nothing but good to say about Raintree. All my fruit trees grew. I have about 25 of theirs to date (all 2011) and more from another nursery which are good too. I had 3 separate orders up to May 15th. Their 4-5' trees are well branched and actually started blooming buds and have fruits the first year. I knocked off all but one on each tree just to see them grow and learn. The wips which were cheaper, but all they had late in the season, are growing nicely and will be well branched for next year. At first, their shipping to the east seemed high but when the package arrived it was well done and time consuming. The heavy weight boxes was 6' long and were quite heavy. I needed a cart. So I it if you want good healthy stock safely packaged, it is well worth it. Who wants to lose a growing season? Not an older retired person...ha. They have very hard to get varieties which will fit in nicely for a small orchard grower. You do need to do some prep work. Dig a nice sized hole "before" the trees arrive. Use some non burning lime and fertilizer (little), soak the trees for at least an hour before planting and spread the roots, water well to settle the tree, and finally don't be afraid to prune. Prune down at least half to a bud pointing in the direction you want the tree to grow. And finally keep the trees watered. I use a drip irrigation system set for 2 hours every 4 days automatically. Check the newer trees, they might need more watering since they were planted late. And, don't forget to use sprays. It's a bad world out there for these little trees until you get things settled down for them. They can't walk away or go to the doctor so you have to protect them. Use the internet for spray guides and read over the material. I found my pears like green light fruit tree spray (neem oil for mites? and they didn't seem to like captan), bonide FTS for apples peaches plums etc. However the later effects good bugs too and you might find using this more frequently to settle everything down where green light FTS might be better for you. And serenade for fungus. It works real well on bad diseases. it kills most and it's even a good suppressant for bacterial spot (peaches-plums etc.) and fire blight apples - pears. It's organic too. I will defiantly buy from Raintree again.

Good luck

I have been ordering from Raintree Nursery for the past 18 years and have always had a positive experience with the 35 trees I have ordered. The staff is knowledgeable, courteous, friendly and responsive to questions. Once when a tree did not grow, they replaced it for me. They offer classes, have excellent plant information in their catalog, and have informative videos on their website. Raintree is also very committed to assisting non profits to make the world a more bountiful place for all.

This was my second year ordering from Raintree and I have to say I'm a happy customer. The dwarf apple trees I ordered from them last year arrived healthy and fully branched out and survived a particularly nasty Vermont winter with no damage whatsoever. This year's order was of similarly well-developed and robust trees. Raintree has a truly excellent selection of rare fruits like quinces and medlars along with hard-to-find European varieties of apples and pears and the prices are reasonable considering the quality of the plants. The only thing I don't like about them is that their catalogue makes me wish I lived in a more forgiving growing zone.

This was my first time ordering from Raintree. My order arrived on time and in wonderful condition. Bare-root trees had great root systems and were safely bundled with lots of wet paper shreddings, then double wrapped in plastic. Blueberries came with a wedge of soil attached, which made me very happy. And kiwis arrived in pots wrapped in plastic, and fully leafed out, which was a surprise.
The plant care guide included in the package was a wealth of information-- I'll be saving it for future reference, probably for years.
I'm already looking forward to placing an order next year.

I ordered several fruit trees and they arrived healthy and in great condition, though delivery was a couple weeks slow. I like their selection and the variety of root stocks they carry.

This was my first time ordering from Raintree, and I would definately order from them again. I ordered 12 fruit trees of 4 varieties and 100 strawberry plants of 2 varieties. The plants were very well packaged and arrived when I expected them. The roots were very nicely developed for both trees and strawberries. I really appreciate that the grafts were made several inches above the roots which allowed me to easily plant my trees at the proper depth without worry of burying the graft in dirt. I also enjoyed the multi-page planting instruction booklet that accompanied my order, it made for fast and easy reference prior to planting.
3 years ago I ordered from another major fruit tree supplier and I must admit Raintree's trees are much nicer. The grafts from that company were very close to the roots and I have had problems with rootstock trying to grow branches. The trees were about the same size but the roots from the first company were small and spindly, not very well branched. From that company I ordered 15 trees and only lost 2 but I feel these new trees will thrive and grow much more nicely than the others.
I did communicate with the customer service department via email regarding one tree, prior to shipping. One rootstock was unavailable but they had the same tree on a different (but just as adequate for my growing conditions) rootstock. I also called them prior to shipping to add more strawberries (origionally I only ordered 50, but later changed my mind). That call was quickly answered, order easily placed, and a confirmation email was quickly received.
Thanks Raintree!

I ordered a BlackGold Cherry on Gisela-5 rootstock. It was very well packaged, had a lot of roots, was well pruned. Lots of little buds. Looking quite happy in my front yarden right now. Will order from them again!

Very positive first experience with this nursery. Ordered several trees, all arrived very well packed with good root systems and minimal minor damage. The trees all look robust and healthy. Very pleased. Would definitely buy again from them.

I placed an order for three Surefire tart cherry trees on G5 rootstock, a sultane fig, and a Violete de Bordeaux fig. I ordered the trees in early december 2010 for spring. I found out the trees were going to ship the week of April 3. I had training for work that week which would have had me planting them in the middle of the night. I sent an email to raintree, and next thing I know my trees are on the way. I got the trees yesterday opened the box, and there were three of the best trees I have ever ordered. The trees had great roots. I was planning on whips. What I got was well branched six foot tall trees with a trunk almost two inches thick! These are on G5 dwarf rootstock. It has taken some of my trees on colt semi-dwarf rootstock 3 years after planting to get to the same trunk thickness. The fig trees came in trade size gallon pots with lots of roots. Again I thought they would be bareroot. The sultane was a little small, but figs grow fast. I should have ordered all my trees from Raintree. I will from now on.

I'm a rare and heirloom fruit tree orchardist with more than 500 trees and vines, and have been using Raintree Nursery as one of my bareroot suppliers for about seven years. I suppose a full 20% of the orchard is Raintree tree stock, as well as scores of assorted small fruits (berries, grapes). They are a trusted supplier. Good height and caliper on the grafted trees, good branch feathering, and decently sized root balls. Their Asian and European plum selections are extensive, with several hard-to-find varieties, and many plums, pears, apples and small fruits and berries from the former Soviet Union and Europe which are delicious and rarely offered elsewhere. Also, they have a degreed horticulturalist on staff to answer questions. That has been a great help. I've had perhaps two trees in all this time that had problems, and they sent me replacements immediately, no questions asked. Overall point total (quality of trees and shrubs, selection, and service) in my experience, among the best in the nation, and I've dealt with more than two dozen in the seven years I've been orcharding.

I have ordered three times from Raintree and have e-mailed them a dozen times. Due to experiences elsewhere over the years, I always call customer service when placing an order. That may not be quite as convenient in some ways, but dealing direct with a breathing life form eliminates plenty of pitfalls. The folks taking calls are on top of things, and they have sent what I ordered.
Out of four apple trees, one pie cherry tree, one black currant and four blueberry plants, only one failed to thrive. It happened to be on the first order; had I been on the ball I could have notified them in time and got a replacement. I'll own that mistake.
Part of the adventure in growing things is the difference in climate from their Pacific Slope/maritime cool and moist to my dry/hot and cold Spokane weather. Some things about their available stock they don't know and they are honest enough to say so. I learn as I go and will toss one of the apple trees for something that shows greater promise in the conditions I face here.
Their website is second to none in providing information regarding their stock to the home orchardist. Raising one's own apples presents both opportunity and pitfall; they've chosen well for the home gardener.
One example: they offer Queen Cox apple trees, stating they are more disease resistant than the original Cox Orange Pippin, just as fertile, and will grow somewhat smaller than COP. What I've learned since planting mine is that some folks believe Cox apples actually improve in flavor if raised on rootstock that may contain some viruses. EMLA26 is a virus-free clone of M26, and Raintree offers Queen Cox on M26. Savvy folks.

This year I ordered about 20 fruit trees- Asian pears, apples, a persimmon and a plum as well as some cranberries and salal. All of the plants looked great, but one Asian pear was missing and an apple that I didn't want was in it's place. Raintree replaced the tree right away. When another nursery couldn't fill my order, even though it was late in the season, Raintree was able to help me find appropriate substitutes. I find Raintree to be expensive, but dependable.

Posted on April 18, 2008, updated May 11, 2010
At this time, only a month into planting, I dont know how my fruit trees will grow, but the shipping was excellent, (worth the high priced shipping) Trees were tall, sturdy, leaved out upon planting, and service, when I called was excellent. Never have I seen such nice trees!
Only downside is that I cant afford to send another order THIS spring.

I've ordered many plants from this company over the last few years, and every time I've been pleased with the results. While all the blueberries I've received haven't always been as bushy as I'd hoped for, they have solid root systems that means they're flourishing by the end of spring. Good selection with great packing and a staff responsive to questions.

Posted on April 14, 2010, updated April 26, 2010
Ordered Tehranivee sweet cherry, Hollywood plum & 2 apple trees. The cherry tree was HUGE, it looked like it was almost ready to grow cherries!..The plum tree was also pretty big w/lot's of branches. The apples trees were basically sticks, but I've heard apple trees grow fast. However, we ordered 2 NON-pollinating apple trees which are never going to produce apples since neither one will pollinate the other one. Didn't read the fine print when I ordered. Wish they would have brought that to our attention. So now in order to get any apples, we have to order 2 more apple trees of different varieties and these both have to be pollinators. (or take these out & start over). Also, there are 4 different seasons of apples, so you have to get 2 trees in the same season, prior season or the next season. Pretty complicated. Overall, good experience...especially since the cherry tree is so big!
Would order again....

Very pleased with my Raintree experience, especially their cherry trees on Gisela 5 rootstock. I ordered 5 trees, a couple hardy kiwis and a rosa rugosa. The trees all have excellent root systems and were as good as any other vendor I've ordered from. I'm always worried when ordering from across the country, that the roots will be a bit dry. Not an issue here...the order was packaged well and everything arrived in great shape for the most part. The Kiwi had leafed out and were a bit banged up from the trip, but nothing serious. I will definitely order from them again.

Once again very happy with the quality of the product from this company. I ordered 2 citrus trees this season and within 1 week of ordering I had two well branched and well rooted trees that were nearly 3 feet tall at my front door. Living on the East Coast, shipping products from the West Coast is always a little expensive, but the quality is worth the extra dollars.

I decided to place an order with Raintree this spring, and am glad that I did. 3 blackberry hybrids, 1 grape, and 2 gooseberries. When the plants arrived, I noted that they were packaged better than any plants I have ever received. The blackberries were in pots, with plastic bags wrapped over the pots to keep the dirt from falling out. The gooseberries and grape were bareroot, and the roots were in moist shredded paper, wrapped in plastic bags. All were in a triangular cardboard tube, which protected them well. All plants are large and healthy. Compared to other nurseries, the prices were decent as well. A good experience and I will be a return customer.

Ordered for the first time from Raintree.. was concerned about the negative and neutral ratings of the past. I ordered this past January, set a delivery date and the two cherry trees and the fig tree arrived on time last week. Both trees were of excellent size and the fig that I thought would be on the small size due to past reviews was a nice size that actually arrived in a pot, not bare rooted like the trees. Both of the trees were in lovely shape, well packed and I was able to get them all planted yesterday. The only communication glitch I experience has to do with the UPS site not updating their information in a timely manner as to the delivery date.. not Raintrees fault. I did call Raintree and was updated as to where the trees were in their delivery and was able to figure out their arrival time from that. I will be ordering from this company again.

I ordered 5 Patriot blueberry bushes, 1 Queen Cox apple on EMLA 26, 1 Stella cherry on 3CR178, 10 EMLA 27 apple rootstocks and 2 Red Pearl lingonberry bushes from Raintree. Everything arrived the other day and to my surprise was of better quality than the plants I ordered from other nurseries. I am very happy with my plants and will definitely be a repeat customer.

I recently received an order of apple rootstock, and was pleasantly surprised by the caliper (larger than advertised) and by the quality of the roots. I was also impressed by how carefully the order was packaged.

I have ordered two different seasons from Raintree. Both times the transaction was easy, and healthy well sized plants were sent at the proper planting time. I'll definitely order from them again.

I have done business with Raintree for years and consider them the reason why I am so interested in edible landscaping. I have never had a problem with the plant material either mailed to me or picked up at the nursery. I have failed to water plants as much as they needed and the one time a plant mysteriously died it was replaced. They also have awesome events during the year especially the cider squeeze. Sam Benowitz the owner is very environmentally concious and the nursery is in an amazingly gorgeous area. I recently purchased blueberries from an out of state orchard and it was a dismal failure. I did this because Raintree was sold out of the variety I wanted. I will not do that again. (Willis Orchards - Dismal Experience) I give Raintree and staff 5 stars!

My experience with Raintree has been very positive. This year (2009) I ordered 4 fruit trees (peach, red tart cherry, 3 in one plum, apricot) and a gooseberry bush. I received everything I ordered. They also shipped when promised. All trees/shrubs are doing great! Several years ago I ordered a serviceberry and it too is growing fine. I just placed an order for a lemon and lime tree. Also, their selection of fruit trees and fruiting shrubs is excellent.

I pre-ordered a 4 in 1 Asian pear tree late last year since I know these types of items tend to run out from companies. At the time they offered a free item with any order over some dollar amount for ordering early, and I qualified. So I picked a cranberry viburnum.
This spring they shipped the week I specified and sent an email reminder to me. The pear tree looks great. The trunk is wider in diameter than I expected and all the grafts look good. The viburnum was a big surprise. I was expecting a little twig. I got a nice shrub! It is at least 2 1/2' tall planted and is going to look really good very fast.

I was a little hesitant about ordering as 20% of feedback left was negative, but I went ahead an ordered anyway.

My fig was taller than I expected, shipped promptly and when I asked to speak w/ the horticulturist before placing my order, I was promptly connected. Order taker and horticulturist were helpful and polite.

Many of their prices are lower than some of the prices on fruit trees I could get locally. I have saved their catalog and it will be required reading next winter when I plan my fruit tree purchases. Will not hesitate to buy from this company in the future.

My original order with Raintree took place last year, spring of 2008. I placed an order with them because they had an exellent selection of hard-to-find edibles, particularly Alpine strawberries, of which I ordered a whole case of 18, in order
to recieve the quantity discount. ($100 seems rather costly for only 18 strawberry plants, but believe me, they are worth it.)
The majority of my order was very satisfactory, and arrived in exellent condition......the one exception was the case of Alpine strawberries. They had been overwatered and tightly sealed in plastic, with predictable results: The plants were steamed to death in the bags.
I notified Raintree right away, and they agreed to replace my strawberries the following spring, (2009.)
The replacement plants arrived today, looking as if I had picked them up at a local nursery! The trip from Washington state to Tennessee is a long one, and I am quite pleased. They did not even charge me for the shipping. After the mixed results last year, I am now confident to give Raintree a positive rating.

Raintree was the only place I could find that had the fig I wanted, Violette de Bordeaux. I also ordered an Eversweet pomegranate. Both were very well packaged, arrived in excellent condition and had lots of roots. I agree with other user comments that the company could be more prompt about emailing the status of your order but I am happy with the plants and would order from them again.

My very first order from them just arrived. 3 Sunshine Blueberries. The plants are larger than expected and look healthy. I have no complaints with shipping, plants or service.

Ordered a Rosa Rugosa Alba. Just received it yesterday, was totally amazed at the size of the rose bush and the very healthy roots on it. The bush is 3 feet tall, and very strong looking. Arrived in perfect timing for spring planting in my area. Just perfect, can't wait for my first rose hips tea :-)

Raintree ROCKS! I'm impressed with the appearance of everything we got. Ordered from several different nurseries last year and Raintree's plants were packaged carefully, labeled, and trees were ready to bud soon after planting. Great selection of unusual edibles, good information and support too. We're doing a huge orer this year.

Orders have been quick, accurate and everything is thriving!!!

A few years back, I ordered some roses and maples and pea shrubs. They all made it except for one vine maple that was constantly pruned by a neighborhood seven year old who used to try to hurdle a six foot bed regularly. I figured this was no place, even for a maple, so I gave the vine maple away to a friend. It's been almost ten years and the vine maple is doing great as a specimen plant with great long lasting color in the fall. I encourage anyone who is interested in vine maple's to plant them out in the open rather then up against a wall, although they do well as an understory. This almost sounds like a plant review so I will get on with it.

The Pea Shrubs are doing well.

The roses were the Frau Damar Hastrip Rose. These are incredible as well. They are fast growing and make a nice hedge or barrier. I hedged them out and they can be controlled with not much labor. They resist most everything. They have a nice flowering period and the hips are long lasting. They really bring the bees in !

G-Man

I ordered 4 grafted paw paws from Raintree. I received them as promised with good packaging. The trees look healthy and have been planted for about 3 weeks and are even trying to put on some new leaves. I exchanged some emails prior to ordering with their customer service department. It took a few days to get an initial response, but follow ups were quick.

good quality plants, prompt shipments, they honor their warrantees, customer service is helpful and knowledgeable

I have ordered from this company a couple of times and been extremely happy. I purchased blueberry bushes, raspberries, and blackberries during the past 4 to 6 years. All the plants grew vigorously and were very healthy. The postman had banged them up some, but the plants were hardy and weren't fazed by it. I was even sent a couple extra raspberry and blackberry plants with my order. I will continue to order from them.

I ordered three semi-dwarf apple trees from Raintree in 2007. When the trees arrived I was pleased with the care taken to package them for shipment. I planted them the next day and was happy. Unfortunately one of the trees, a Liberty apple did not survive. I e-mailed Raintree July 2007 with a request for a replacement tree. I recieved a prompt response from them telling me I would recieve a replacement tree next spring. I recieved a new Liberty apple tree this spring as no cost. I planted it the day it arrived. The tree has already grown 8 inches since I put it in the ground. My other two apple trees are also growing faster than I expected. Thank You Raintree for your excellent products, and customer service.

I have ordered from Raintree the last 4 yrs(approx. 50-60 various fruit trees) While I had sev. trees die in 2007 it was due to the severe dry spell we had from early June until Sept. and not the fault of the nursery stock. Everything I have rec'd. from Raintree has been healthy, strong, and well formed. I will order fruit trees from no other company.

Ordered sweet cherry tree on gisela rootstock and a dwarf apple tree. Both of them arrived on time, well packed, and in excellent condition. Both trees are doing wel.. The tree and plant selection they have is excellent, and cannot be beat by the local nursery. Got 25 tristar bare root strawberries as bonus with order, and they are just producing great strawberries (though not as sweet as I would have liked)