Comments regarding Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company

I want to like this company, but I struggle with a few points. We bought a home with garden space in 2018 and started to look around to see where to purchase related items including fruit trees. A relative had used Stark as one source for their mixed large personal orchard. We liked what we saw on the Stark website. For the next year (yes, year) we couldn't quite figure out how to successfully find what we were looking for in-stock. OK, maybe we had bad timing - it happens. Finally, I actually called them with the basic question of "how in the heck do I find x, y, z in stock on your website...?" The customer service person was friendly and tried to be helpful explaining a few things, but it wasn't a "fruitful" exchange bc I still was unable to find and purchase what I wanted at that time.

It was still awhile before I could find two trees that I was interested in, in the correct size (semi-dwarf). Overall, I'm looking to buy 6-7 semi-dwarf trees across 3 types. Their website is populated 90% (it seems) with out of stock items. When an item is in stock it only gives you what is currently available - not listing what can be available. This is important bc maybe they just don't ever have what I am looking for in a semi-dwarf tree in bare-foot stock.

So, I ordered two semi-dwarf trees, bare-root (same fruit type, 2 varieties that work together for pollination). Unfortunately, only one showed up. they CANCELLED the other one without notifying me. ??? So, I call and the pleasant customer service person tells me they did not have that item and I respond with "I need two of these tree types so I get some fruit - I can't really use just one!" So, amazingly, one of my desired item is apparently available to ship. It arrives. Both were healthy bare-root stock. Although both were the same size purchased (diameter of trunk and height of tree per description), one was twice the thickness in trunk size as the other, both were same height. Yes, I took digital calipers to the tree trunks to verify I was not imagining this size discrepancy. These have been in the ground since Spring 2020, and appear to be doing well.

Overall, their website is attractive, but I find it's useful functionality to be poor. Since I would like to purchase 4-5 more trees, I have routinely been on Stark website, and also added my email to be notified when in stock on particular varieties. However, I'm still very unsuccessful in finding the larger bare-root versions of the varieties I'm interested in. When I spoke with a customer service person, they indicated it was more of a real-time sort of update - they go out in to the field, see what is ready and add it to the site. But, at no point in the past 2 years of frequently checking their site, have I experienced even half of their fruit tree items being in stock at any time - most of the options are "out of stock". At first I had thought "oh, in the late winter they will refresh their site"..nope. then "oh, in late spring or early summer they will refresh their site for fall plantings"...nope.

Overall, my experience has been a frustrating one, that I think doesn't need to be so frustrating from the customer experience side. Maybe it makes logical sense to the company bc they understand their system. But, to me it just ends up being a frustrating shopping, yet unsuccessful, experience.

I ordered from Stark Brothers because local Nursery's did not have strawberry plants in stock. I wanted to get some plants established so that they could get right to business next spring. I thought the price was a little higher than I wanted to pay for 3 month old plants, but I couldn't find many other sources with inventory.
I ordered 6 Honeoye strawberry plants, 4 inch pots. Shipping was surprisingly quick. I ordered on Wednesday and received them Saturday!
As received, the plants looked pretty healthy. The tag indicated they were 3 month old plants. Unfortunately, 2 of the 6 plants had a few bent stems. I do think it's asking a lot to expect every plant to survive shipping without any damage though. I am trying to splint the bent stems to see if they will recover. But, in one case, it's 3 out of 5 stems that are bent on that plant.
Besides the shipping damage, the only thing that bugs me a bit is that several of the stems are turned upside down. I'm trying to support them as they turn back around toward the sun, but they really want to push the leaves face down into the dirt. It almost looks like they were grown upside down, or were tipped sideways.

The plants are about what I expected (age/size/health), but I am not thrilled about the additional care required to "save" 2 or 3 of these plants.

"On Sep 10, 2020 1:03 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. We are very sorry to learn that a few of your plants were damaged upon arrival. Our plants are covered by a one year guarantee so please do not hesitate to contact us if they do not survive.

Your planting success is important to us! "

I have ordered numerous plants from them. All of them were healty and well packaged. But they keep moving the delivery date on an additional plant I ordered now it has been 3 times. I have tried on numerous occasions to cancel the order. They have not responded. If they don't like what they hear they just ignore.

"On Sep 10, 2020 12:45 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We are sincerely sorry for your order being delayed so many times. Our arrival dates are merely estimates because we are at the mercy of our growers providing us with an approximate date in which the product will be ready to ship. We hold them to very high standards and this can cause dates to change multiple times along with unexpected cancellations. Please email us at info@starkbros.com if you need to make any changes or would like to get a update on your order. "

I ordered hundreds of $ of mostly fruit trees and berry plants in early 2019. Twelve of the twenty-seven plants did not survive the winter and I requested replacements in mid-May. Four of the twelve arrived in a timely fashion, but after numerous emails pushing back the shipping dates for the remaining eight, I was notified today that the rest were either no longer available, or would not be shipped until 2021. Utterly unacceptable. The only reason I rated them neutral and not negative is that Stark Bros. has agreed to refund my money for the eight plants. I will not be ordering from Stark Bros. again.

Posted on May 6, 2020, updated May 21, 2020
Posted on May 4, 2020, updated May 6, 2020
Posted on April 30, 2020, updated May 4, 2020
I recently purchased a bareroot tree as well as several bare root berry bushes and grape vines from Stark Bros. One of the vines was completely missing from the order.

The tree come more or less in tact (a few of the branches broken while being jostled, as to be expected during shipment), however all of the other much smaller bare root plants were packaged along with the tree.

What this means is that all moist material was gone from the root systems of the smaller plants. The berries seemed like this was recent as the roots were still relatively moist, however the roots of grape vine I received were bone dry.

The reason this is a negative review and not a neutral review is that it has been almost a week since I received my order and emailed Stark Bros about this problem, however I still have not received a single reply. I'm unable to reach them over the phone as they have disabled their phone support systems.

"On May 19, 2020 1:20 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We appreciate you sharing your experience and feedback with us. Every email that we receive is sent an auto reply just to let you know that we have indeed received your inquiry along with an expectation of when to expect a reply. This is not a resolution email.

We are even more sorry that your order arrived in this horrible condition. I was unable to locate your account but would like an opportunity to review this situation. Please send me an email to info@starkbros.com, Attention Tabitha. This way I will be able to find all of your other inquiries and resolve this for you.

We very much appreciate your business and we are truly sorry for the troubles we have caused you.

Sincerely,

Tabitha R.
Customer Support Manager"

Generally happy with this company and their products. I have purchased blueberry plants and a few apple trees. The blueberries are doing great. However last year, one of my Honeycrisp apple trees snapped off at the graft for no apparent reason. No storms, nothing. Fully leafed tree, lying on the ground. I called (last October) and told them the tree was ordered about 2 years ago. The person said they could refund my money and I could buy another, or they could replace it in Spring. I had bought it on sale, so I opted to get it replaced, and they said to call back in Spring. I called (April 2020), and they now say they will not replace anything ordered over a year ago. Should have taken the refund.

On 1/5/2019, I ordered a Sicilian sunshine sweet bay tree and a Meyer Lemon tree. Based on my USDA zone 8A, I knew the bay tree would ship first, and was delighted to receive a lovely tree, which I have in a terra cotta pot and is doing quite well, with new leaves coming on weekly.

However, after waiting two and a half months for the Meyer lemon, what I received was appalling. On Saturday, 4/6/2019, I opened a box to find a half dead lemon tree with leaves that look as if they had been hit by a shotgun blast. It was obvious insect damage. Since their customer service line was already closed (I got the tree around 5 p.m. my time), I sent an email. On Sunday, I took photos of the leaves. On Monday, 4/8/2019, I called customer service.

I asked why anyone would have even attempted to ship a plant in this condition. No explanation on that, but I did get a refund for the tree back to my Paypal account. The customer service rep offered to send another tree, but the website was showing they were sold out. Oh no, she said, we still have them. I declined - in case they were ALL like that - and opted for the refund.

New order packers? I have no idea. But if it were me, and even if it were my first day at work, I'd have looked at someone who picked THAT tree for me to pack, and asked, "Are you serious?!?"

Submitted a review about it on Stark's website. They have still not posted my review. If you click on "Most recent" reviews, they skip from 12/8/18 to 5/3/19. Stark's doesn't want anyone to know they will ship out plants with insect infestations to customers.

And that's a shame. Back in the day (I'm 60 and remember), Stark Bros. was a really good company with top quality plants. My experience would never have happened then.

I bought trees, berries, asparagus, and supplies from Miller Nurseries for over 30 years before they merged with Stark. Great products---I have blueberries and fruit trees still bearing after 35 years. With Miller gone, I started doing business with Stark. In that time, about half of the trees and berries bought from Stark have died. Yes Stark will replace once, but half the replacements died. Since I've been planting for nearly 50 years with success on the same land, I don't think it's me. I will no longer buy plants from Stark. A lessor reason is their refusal to let you pick the delivery date for plants on their website as all the other companies I deal with do. Instead, you have to call in. If you do and get the little old lady I got last year, she'll tell you they must ship to my area in March because the USDA says they have to ("...it's the law.")(!!). Last year on 15 March we had frozen ground and 3 feet of snow. It's not the date, it's charging your credit card that Stark wants to do ASAP after receiving your order. In all fairness, Stark does have a good selection of specialized fertilizers at reasonable prices if you buy in bulk. I'll still buy those.

Posted on September 10, 2015, updated September 12, 2017
Posted on July 4, 2015, updated September 10, 2015
We have a small orchard (about 200 trees) and have been buying trees by Mail order and then online for about 45 years. I have gone through about every major nursery and learned a lot. I had not ordered from Starks for a long time so I thought I would try them again last year.
Just so everyone understands my unique situation. We had the coldest winter in our history two years ago and our coldest February in history this last winter along with cooler than normal summers so this has been very difficult on all orchards in Michigan. We also live in a strange Micro-Environment. We have a University of Michigan weather station 8 miles away and they have completely different weather than we do here in Capac.
I ordered a Spring Satin Plumcot, Green Gage Plum, Shiro Plum, Bubble Gum Plum and the Cream of the Crop Peach tree collection.
I was very disappointed when they arrived. The Plums were ok but the ‘Professional Pruning was just taking off every limb and cutting to 4’ so they fit in the box. The Peach collection had to have been a mistake. I only order Supreme so they were supposed to be 4’ tall with a minimum 5/8” trunk. They were about 3’ tall and the diameter of a pencil. Plus they were clearly in poor condition.
I planted them the day they arrived and the Green gage started growing within a week. The Shiro and Bubble Gum plum had very limited leave but no growth. The peaches were a total loss. Some had tiny hair-like leaves come out for about 3 days then turn jet black like they were burned by fire. The only one that had leaves was the Elberta Queen but it never leafed out this spring and it was past the warranty.
One the plus side they replaced all but the Elberta Queen without any hassle and the ones they replaced them with were in fact 4’ but still no limbs.
Due to the service I gave them another shot this year. I ordered a Golden Delicious, Candy Crisp apples, Harglow Apricot, Elberta Queen, Flamin’ Fury Jumbo Peaches, Royal Giant, Sunglow Nectarines, Elephant Heart Plum and six jewel Raspberries.
I have several Golden Delicious trees but know the only true ones come from StarkBros so you would think they would send out their best. In fact it was in the poorest condition and still has not started growing as of the 4th of July.
Most of the other trees are going well except for the Elberta Queen which has not produced a single leaf, the harglow Apricot, Sunglo Nectarine and the Burbank July Elberta Peach (replacement for last years).
I am still leaning toward Starks as my go-to but since I am in my 60s a lost year is annoying at best. I may upgrade this review depending on what happens next spring. I also use two other nurseries. They have different issues but I got 100% good trees from both of them this year.
One last note; That Green gage is a freak. It’s 6’ foot tall and has limbs growing 3’ out! It may become my favorite tree when it starts producing.

"On Sep 29, 2017 1:33 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

First and foremost I’d like to apologize on behalf of Stark Bro’s. I am very sorry to learn that your question regarding the Green Gage Plum was removed from our website. I regret that we have made you feel deceived and have given you a poor customer experience—it is the exact opposite of what we pride ourselves on. We value our customers and understand how important it is to offer exceptional service. I understand your frustration.

I would like to thank you for leaving this review so that your situation was brought to our attention. Please contact customer support at 800.325.4180 or email info@starkbros.com so that we can make this right.

We very much appreciate your business and hope that you will remain a valued customer.

Your planting success is important to us!

Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180
"

My experience with Stark Bros. is mixed.

I believe they have some of the best customer service you can find.

However, they are terrible at estimating delivery dates. I am sure they are working toward a solution, but my patience was worn out after the third time I called their support line. I think I made my 6th call in two months today.

Every time I called, the service rep was very cordial and helpful. What they told me about delivery expectations rarely actually happened, but I do feel they made concessions to make things right. I doubt I'll make another purchase with them, but they will work with you if you treat them kindly.

I would suggest picking what you want and then call them to split it into different shipments. I recommend asking for Debbie B. when you do call. She was very helpful and understanding when I called today.

Fingers crossed that the remainder of my order arrives next week!

"On May 6, 2017 9:59 AM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Thank you for leaving your neutral review. We are very sorry for all the troubles with this years order being delayed and the lack of communication that took place. We completely understand your frustration and disappointment as we have been just as disappointed that we had product(s) that were not ready to be shipped on time this year.

We greatly appreciate the positive note in regards to our customer support team.

We take ALL reviews to heart as this is our opportunity to improve our service and your experience going forward. Your continued support and suggestions help us grow into a better company.

Your planting success is important to us!

Sincerely,
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180"

I ordered 4 fruit trees and they arrived in a box with the packing around the roots all dried up. Didn't have high hopes but soaked the roots and planted anyway. Three of the trees have sprouted tiny leaves so they appear to be alive. And the size of the trees is fine.That's why the rating is neutral.

"On Apr 24, 2017 3:22 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Thank you for leaving your honest review and rating us at a Neutral. Bare root trees can dry out a little during transit. This is why we recommend that you allow your tree’s to soak in water an hour or two before planting. We thank you very much for taking the proper steps and ensuring your success. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact customer support at 800.325.4180.

Your planting success is important to us!

Sincerely,
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180
"

Posted on March 6, 2017, updated March 9, 2017
Wow! I have been doing business with Stark Brothers for decades and my dad was also a big fan of them back in the 1990s. I never thought I would leave them a negative review, but have they gone downhill big time and fast! I have nearly a $600 order from Jan 3 that has been back-logged and not able to ship for months. This is the 3rd or 4th time that they have changed the ship date, each time giving a different excuse. Was supposed to arrive the latest this past Sat March 4 after I called them last week and they said they were waiting on a back-order of plants to arrive from out of state to complete the order. I checked the order today and now the estimated ship date is April 21! I understand estimated and that these are live plants, but is that really the best that you have for estimated, changing the ship date multiple times and by an increment of 7 weeks! That is way off bad business!
It has not helped that I have called multiple times and have been on hold for long periods of time, of which never had happened in the past years. I was always proud of their superior product, and I hope it stays that way, but this is unacceptable. They have not offered any free plants or compensation for all of this frustration that I have been dealing with them. Not sure what has happened!

"On Mar 10, 2017 9:01 AM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Thank you for leaving your honest review and updating your rating to Neutral.

Please accept our sincere apologies regarding all the troubles with this years order being delayed. We completely understand your frustration and disappointment as we are just as disappointed that we have product(s) that are not ready to be shipped.

We take ALL reviews to heart as this is our opportunity to improve our service and your experience going forward.

Your planting success is important to us!

Sincerely,
Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180
"

Posted on April 6, 2016, updated April 13, 2016
In March I ordered a Pink Lemonade Blueberry and a Peach Sorbet Blueberry along with a Raspberry Shortcake plant. All 3 arrived in a timely fashion and looked good except they were a bit small. Now, a month later they look like they did upon arrival so I sent email requesting tips on getting them to put out new growth. They responded promptly but they misread my description as "blackberries" and advised me to test the soil ph as my potting mix was too acidic and was the reason that the leaves were red. After writing back to them they realized that they thought I asked about blackberries. A few email exchanges later I still had no answer so I called and explained what I needed yet it seemed that the representative had no clue about what to do and sounded as if she was reading off of a prepared script. Finally I simply thanked her and hung up. Again I emailed Stark Brothers (repeatedly) and they simply ignored my messages. I'll never order from them again. They do not offer quality support after the sale and their telephone customer service isn't knowledgeable enough to answer anything except order related questions.

"On Apr 13, 2016 3:16 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We are deeply sorry that there was a misunderstanding when trying to help you diagnose the issue with your plants. Our goal at Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. is to provide healthy, viable trees and plants and provide an exemplary level of customer service​. Based on the events you described in your feedback here on Dave’s Garden, we did not meet this goal.​ We did not intentionally ignore your email. This time of year is our busiest time of year and we are doing our best to respond to everyone in a timely manner with accurate information.

The BrazelBerries® are new to Stark Bro’s this year and we have also added a lot of new members to Customer Support. Our new team members are experts in training and are willing to help you.

Your issue has been forwarded to our customer support manager and we will reach out to you directly. We hope that you allow us the opportunity to rectify this situation because we take all reviews to heart as this is our opportunity to improve our service and your experience going forward.

Your planting success is important to us!

Sincerely,

Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180"

Posted on March 23, 2016, updated March 31, 2016
I received my plants,only one plant had lost its soil and the roots were very dry,leaves were all shriveled up and dry,I repotted hoping to save the plant,after couple days in the greenhouse,plant doesn't look like it is responding,so I took pictures and sent to them in a e-mail,after 3 days no response from them,yet when your buying from them,they answer back almost immediately . Will not be doing business with them again,not because of the quality of there plants,but because of customer service,buyer beware.

"On Mar 24, 2016 2:50 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Please accept our sincere apology. Our goal at Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. is to provide healthy, viable trees and plants and provide an exemplary level of customer service​. Based on the events you described in your feedback on Dave’s Garden, we did not meet this goal.​ This time of year is our busiest time of year and we are very sorry that we did not respond to your email in a timelier manner. We take all reviews on Dave’s Garden to heart, as this is our opportunity to improve our service and your experience going forward.

Customer Support has found your email ticket and will be responding to you soon. They may have already taken care of it.

Your planting success is important to us!

Sincerely,

Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180"

I ordered a red haven dwarf peach and a standard methley plum tree on March 17th. I received them 2 weeks later. Both were bigger than expected with 3-4 branches. Peach tree even had flower buds. My only worry is packing paper fell off root system of the plum and roots were a little dry both so far happy I will update my rating when they both come out of dormacy and I know they are alive

"On Mar 31, 2016 7:12 AM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Please accept our sincere apology for the packing paper not sticking to the roots. This sometimes happens during transit and thats why its very important to hydrate the roots before you plant. We recommend that you submerge the roots in cool tap water for 4-6 hours (24 hours max).

We trust that our nursery products will meet or exceed your expectations.

Your planting success is important to us!

Sincerely,

Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180"

Have ordered from this company two years now, bare-root, as well as potted. When ordering from them, I have learned that a couple of plants won't make it, so I tend to order a couple more of each. When I have contacted customer service, they are pleasant to work with and will reimburse up to one time for any plants that don't make it.

After a physical condition limited my gardening ability and budget, I was able to justify one more order from Stark. I ordered 6 dwarf supreme fruit trees, with the website stating professional pruning was included as a free service. After several years of buying from Stark with great satisfaction, what I received were 6 odd "clubs". Dwarf Supreme is described as 4-5ft stock, professionally trimmed, what I received were best described as clubs, 2-3 ft bare root, trunk only, with all branches cut to the trunk. Disappointed after years of satisfaction, I called to complain, and to their credit, Stark Bros immediately reshipped the entire order, but out of 6 trees again only 1 had any branches, and out of 4 branches 2 were broken off. With a scratch test, most seem to have promise of survival, but it will be at least 4 to 5 years for them to have any sort of branching structure, let alone blooming or any fruit production. The trees were literally pruned to death, seemed that 6 trees had all possible branches cut off only to fit into 1 box, rather than ship in two or three boxes. I spoke to Carla, a polite, most helpful customer service employee that reshipped the order and I received it in only 3 days, but again, pruned to death, with 6 trees received and only 1 with any sort of branch structure. It was easily seen that several large branches had been cut off each tree, apparently with a SawsAll, to fit the entire order in one box, leaving a 2 1/2 ft bare root tree with an also trimmed 3-4inch trimmed root structure just buzzed off. I hate so much to leave a negative review of Stark Brothers after years of doing business, but feel the need to urge others to not put on their boots and be ready to plant their order when it's received. I have 5 trees in the ground that seemed to be ready to plant, and the rest are in flower pots on my patio to be pampered and encouraged to grow, not what I expected for "Dwarf Supreme" prices from Stark Brothers. A few are trying to break dormancy, with small buds, but the rest show no promise after a week in ground. I hope for the best, and can't complain about customer service, but I strongly urge Stark Brothers to STOP the drastic pruning, and ship in 2 or 3 boxes if necessary, just to send products worthy of their name.

Posted on April 24, 2014, updated April 25, 2014
Let me start by saying I am not a negative person who likes to complain. I had extremely high hopes for Stark Bros when I read all of the reviews, and I wanted to do most, if not all, of my future business with them.

My main problem is that they have changed my order not once, but twice. I ordered last summer, and even prepaid for one of my shipments. I just got a letter this weekend saying that they were out of order on certain items I bought. How does that even happen when I already paid for my order last summer?? Mind you this is the second time that they have sent me a letter saying that they are canceling things I have ordered. Around half of the things I ordered are now canceled, and I went ahead and dug holes and mapped out everything I ordered, so I am pretty angry. Each time they have given me some excuse, and I understood the first time, but the second time is a bit much. To top it off, I ordered from three different companies, and Starks is the only company to do this to me.

When I was young, I worked in the food service, and when we made a customer angry we asked them, "what can we do to make this right." Well, let me tell you, Starks has not asked me this. Their attitude has been "oops, sorry, excuse excuse excuse" Well that doesn't make me feel any better. If I were running a business and I upset a customer I would provide them a discount or a free item or something. I have sent several emails to the company and the responses have been pretty sparse which also upsets me.

I haven't even gotten my plants yet, and I hope they are great. However, even if they are great, I will not be giving this company any more of my money. Like I said earlier, there are three other companies I ordered from that seem to know how to treat their customers. These are Hartman's Plant Company, Arbor Day Foundation, Cold Water farms. I will be doing my business through these companies from now on, and I would advise everyone else to do the same. I am hoping for a good resolution to these problems, and I would like Starks to reach out to me to make this right.

"On Apr 25, 2014 11:08 AM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Thank you for leaving your recent feedback here and we apologize that your experience with Stark Bro's was not a satisfactory one. We are dedicated to providing quality product and service to our customers, so we take all feedback as a learning experience in order to improve our efforts going forward.

Since we are working with living product, availability of certain items is not guaranteed. We are truly sorry that we did not properly communicate with you regarding items on your order becoming unavailable. Growing our own product is a two-year process and, if plants or trees do not meet our expectations, we will not ship them. Some items may not be available to ship to you due to your state's restrictions as well. This is why we typically don't charge you for your order until it is ready to ship.

We would like you to know you do have a credit on your account for the trees that we were unable to ship to you this spring. We are happy to rebook these trees on an order for you to ship when they are available again -- as early as November this fall if you'd like. Our customer support manager will reach out to you regarding your order issues, but if you have any questions or concerns, please contact our customer support team at 800.325.4180.

Sincerely,

Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.

http://www.starkbros.com
800.325.4180"

I would just like to put out there that if you have recently ordered the All-Season Blueberry Collection to check to see what varieties you are going to get as the website listed two different combinations on the same order page and when I contacted the company at the end of last week here is their response

"I see 2 Chandler, 2 Sweetheart and 2 Herbert when I go to this item. You would receive these three varieties, but not the Elliott. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you."

This is different from the catalog which list the Elliott and not the Sweetheart. I sent them another email after the response to further explain their mistake and have yet to receive a response however notice that their website is now changed to reflect the Elliott and not the Sweetheart. I have a screen shot if anyone needs it.

Posted on June 11, 2012, updated June 11, 2012
Posted on June 6, 2012, updated June 11, 2012
I have made a couple orders with Stark Bros. The first sweet cherry tree came snapped in half. A pawpaw tree was also broken in half in another order. The pawpaw trees that I have received have not fared well and all but one have died. The select or supposed larger superior trees are only modestly larger than the whips and they have no branches.. well they are dead. The one that did not die was the one that broke in half that I planted any ways.

I have pawpaws from One Green World that are doing super but they were not shipped bare root and poorly packaged. The replacement cherry tree is fine though the top half seems to be dead. I ordered 12 knockout roses and only a couple survived. When I contacted the Stark Bros. I got a lecture on how these were in greenhouses in Ohio and they may not yet be adapted to cold weather. Hmmm, I live in North Carolina. Better to get them from Lowes.

Stark Bros are very good in honoring their guarantee and I now have credit for the roses.. not sure what I want to order next though.

"On Jun 6, 2012 2:46 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Stark Bro's is dedicated to providing quality trees and service to our customers and we take pride in that. Your feedback here is always welcome because you are sharing honest experiences with our company!

Other growers and nursery stock suppliers might carry bare root pawpaws, but the pawpaw trees we ship come in our Stark® EZ Start® System 4"x4"x10" pots complete with soil and dense root systems. Bonus fact: pawpaws are also an understory tree by nature and tend not to do so well planted in full sun.

The *potted* plants and trees we carry are grown in greenhouses here in Louisiana, Missouri and, when they arrive to you, it is recommended that you acclimatize these plants and trees so that they are less likely to be shocked by their new environment.

We thank you again for your feedback and hope you enjoy the selection of products we will have available to you in future seasons. :)

Sincerely,



~Stark Bro's



info@starkbros.com

800.325.4180

http://www.starkbros.com

http://www.facebook.com/starkbros.co

http://www.twitter.com/Stark_Bros"

Posted on June 18, 2011, updated August 24, 2011
Posted on April 9, 2011, updated June 18, 2011
In the midwest (Marion, IA), I have ordered and received the following bare-root trees from Stark Brothers' nursery:
Dwarf Goldcot Apricot (qnty = 2)
Hardy Giant Asian Pear (qnty = 2)
Dwarf Chojuro Asian Pear
Dwarf New Century Asian Pear
Sweetheart Apricot
Dwarf Shiro Plum
Dwarf Starking Delicious Plum
All were received the week of April 2 (Wed, April 6) and immediately soaked in water. Four trees were soaked for 6 hours, the remaining five were soaked for 20 hours.
All nine bare-root trees had been pruned (both above ground vegetatively and roots). All nine were planted into self-watering 16 inch containers with Miracle Grow Plus Potting Soil with micronutrients. This was amended with Oscomote (slow-release fertilizer with micronutrients). Finally, worm bedding, Plant-Tone organic fertilizer and Bio-Tone natural Starter. The amounts were appopriate (per the stated guidelines) for the volume of potting soil in each container.
I expended great expense and effort in this "experiment" to reduce variables. The soil is NOT contaminated (assumption: commercial products mentioned above do not contain disease-producing elements or micro-organisms).
All nine self-watering containers have a one to two layer of mulch on the top surface.
All nine bare-root trees are what is commonly referred to as "whips" (few, if any, lateral branches).
This common practice improves space utilization for shipping purposes.
In addition, I have several purchased potted trees from last fall that I have potted in a similar manner, but with commercial-grade pots (large drainage holes) rather than the self-watering pots.
One variable I will NOT be able to control: the proliferation of Japanese beetles during the growing season and the possibility of disease infection resulting from their feeding on leaf tissues.

As the growing season progresses, I will provide updates on this review (leaf bud growth, flowers, size, diseases, etc).

"On May 23, 2011 11:01 AM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We look forward to hearing about the progress of your fruit orchard! : )

~ Stark Bro's"

Posted on June 9, 2011, updated June 10, 2011
I had hoped to be able to write a positive or even a neutral review regarding Stark Bro’s. This will not be a rant about how I believe they run their business or how things are done there. It is merely how I felt from start to finish with my first order from them.
When I was looking at placing my order for what I wanted online; I was very pleased with the level of user friendliness the site had to offer. I was even pleased when I called into customer service to ask them some questions regarding a few of the fruit trees I was thinking about purchasing. They seemed very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions, and I was satisfied with this portion of my experience. This experience made me comfortable enough to order the products from them online.

During my order, I wanted a product added to my order but was not sure if it could be done due to the fact that I had already completed the order. I called customer service and asked them if it was possible and they handled the changing of the order right over the phone without any problems. Again, I was very pleased with the service. The following day, after doing some research on a couple of the trees I added to my order, I decided to again change them. I called customer service and once again they helped me without a problem. All was completed, the order indicated that all items were in stock and would be shipped out in the next few days. All I had to do now was wait for the shipment. I was a happy man, after all everything seemed to be going as smooth as possible.

Here is where things changed; the day my box arrived. The box arrived on time, just as their estimate said it would. Upon opening the box, I was completely thrown back by the conditions of the trees. For starters, I ordered (2) 2-n-1 Cherry Semi-Dwarf, (1) 2-n-1 Classic Pie Apple Tree Semi-Dwarf, (1) 2-n-1 Plum Semi-Dwarf, and (2) Hybrid Popular (Shade Tree). The condition of the hybrid poplars was this: both of the tree’s root were completely crammed into the box, so much so that I counted at least 3-4 (main roots) snapped off and hanging by a mere thread. Yes that’s right, the main roots, not the little stringy roots, but the roots that were at least ¼ in diameter. I was also told that the bare root trees were to be wrapped in a wet/moist material to help keep the roots from drying out. Both of the Hybrid Poplars trees came as bare root, and had absolutely NO wrapping around them. The roots felt very dry and very prone to snapping, I had to get them soaking in a water bucket right away. Another thing I noticed with the Poplars was that one had 10 nice branches and the other one had ZERO branches, it was a 4ft stick (I guess referred to as a whip). The next problem and this is the one that has caused me the most grief, was that the 2-n-1 Classic Pie Apple was completely missing from the box. I had to dig around for the packing list and there I saw that that particular tree was crossed out on the invoice and below marked in hand writing was a line that read “Sorry Item # 13896 is no longer available”. I was immediately frustrated by this because the whole time in placing the order, and being on the phone with customer service, never once was I told the item was out of stock. I was also charged for the tree even though it was never shipped out.

The following day, I got on the phone with customer service to explain to them all my concerns and to see what could be done. There was no explanation in regards to the broken roots other than if it dies then the tree will be replaced up to one year from now. When asked why the tree didn’t come with any wet/moist material protecting the roots, it was explained that, it is usually is normal for them to be wrapped but in case, the whole box is plastic lined so that should help keep the moisture to the roots. This was not an explanation that satisfied me. When asked about why one of the Poplar trees was nothing more than a stick, it was explained that it probably was due to them not having any other available. Finally my biggest concern was what was to be done about the apple tree that never came. After a little investigation, they said that well we just don’t have any more to sell. The only thing offered was a refund. I said the refund was the last thing I wanted; I wanted everything that could be done to be done to find that tree and have it sent to me. Six hours later, I got a call back stating there was nothing else besides a refund that could be done. I couldn’t even wait until next fall because they are no longer going to be selling that one anymore nor did they have any other varieties that were a 2-n-1. They mentioned that they tried to call me a couple of times to tell me that the tree was no longer in stock, even though they charged me for it. I went back through my phone call records (I have an IP phone and can track them in real time) and not once since placing the order has any out of state calls came to the house. My wife is also there all the time and would know if any calls came in.

I just wanted to state that this was MY PERSONAL experience. I wish it was a more positive one and I also had high hopes for future orders from them. I also had several people who were waiting to see how my order went with them before making future orders with Starks, which they are now re-thinking that choice. While I have nothing but good things to say about the customer service, I can’t say the same for division of the company that is in charge of putting the plants in boxes, pruning, and shipping. In all I have come away very unsatisfied with my order. I will most likely not be doing business with Stark Bros again.

Posted on June 8, 2011, updated June 9, 2011
Posted on June 7, 2011, updated June 8, 2011
Posted on May 23, 2011, updated June 7, 2011
I ordered Supreme Dwarf trees of the Harglow and Wilson Delicious apricots. I also ordered a supreme standard Santa Rosa Plum. I am disappointed with the apricot trees. BOTH trees are just a stick. That's it. They are about 42" tall and not one single branch anywhere on it. I don't understand the professional pruning of these trees as there is not one single pruned branch on the trees. The root balls are very unimpressive and extremely small. The Harglow is not even straight, it has a very definitive curvature to it .The largest root on the Delicious was no thicker than a pencil. I used the word was in past tense because the small root structure was cracked right at the base of the tree. I do not believe this to be a fault of Stark bros, as there was a crease in the shipping box. To sum these trees up, there is hardly any roots and no branches. I feel like i was mistakenly sent young trees that were not ready to be sold as supreme versions.

The customer service on the other hand was great. I called and told them about the problem with the cracked roots and was assured a new one would sent out. The women i spoke to was delightful and very courteous. They asked me to keep the box for a little bit, just in case it was needed. I have no problem helping out.

The Santa Rosa plum tree was SUPERB. The trunk is very thick and it has a wonderful branching pattern that was obviously well pruned. The root structure was fantastic. I felt proud to plant this tree in my yard. It really looked great.

I am left bewildered as to why i received one truly nice plum tree and two really sub par, and quite frankly, undesirable apricot trees. The tags on them read, supreme, but they look far from it. I will post an update when the replacement comes. Hopefully, it will be more in line with how nice the plum tree is.

"On Jun 8, 2011 8:21 AM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We do state that our "supreme" trees will be well-branched, so we take full responsibility for giving you that expectation. Your disappointment is completely understandable! : ( Our Customer Service Manager has looked into your situation personally. Humans err, and we do have people filling and packing each and every order sent to us. Since we sent you unbranched trees when you paid for well-branched ones, we take full responsibility! And we sincerely apologizing for not meeting the very expectations we gave you.

Our offer for a full refund stands, and we hope you will consider allowing us to correct our mistake in your personal situation. Your complaint has been logged, per your request, so that we may work hard to avoid this same issue in the future -- but if you would still like the full refund for your order, please let us know; we feel that is the only other option we have to rectify this situation.

Our true goal is to exceed your expectations... not fail to meet them. : (
Thank you for your review -- such honesty keeps us working hard to correct our mistakes and satisfy our customers.

Sincerely,

Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co.
800.325.4180
info@starkbros.com
http://www.facebook.com/starkbros.co
"

Ordered a rose bush shown in stock. Didn't know it was not available until 2 weeks later when I called to inquire about the estimated shipping date.

Placed small order for just three Prime ARK 45 Blackberry plants...Received them in 5 days by UPS.

Plants looked good considering the time spend traveling around in a UPS truck.

Complaint:
The plants were severly root-bound. I did my best to separate the mess of roots prior to planting them.

I have emailed them about it to see how their customer service responds.

"On Mar 15, 2011 8:12 AM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Thank you for your feedback! Just checking in to make sure you were able to contact our Customer Service Team successfully. Please know you are always welcomed to contact us via phone, email, Facebook or Twitter. :)

800.325.4180
info@starkbros.com
http://www.facebook.com/starkbros.co
http://www.twitter.com/stark_bros
"

Posted on July 27, 2010, updated July 27, 2010
Not a comment on the company. I can say that in the past (many purchases, but all over 10 years ago) Stark Brothers has been a good source and has treated me well. They even replaced one tree three times.

However, this comment relates to a previous comment concerning mixing cultivars of grapes causing them to be corrupted. This is silly nonsense. When growing grapes, one can even mix cultivars to increase pollination (just as in apples). One cultivar of grape cannot change the fruit another produces. It will only change the genetics of the seeds inside the fruit. If the seed is grown, it will not be the same as the parent, but that is irrelevant. If one orders a green seedless table grape and it grows into a purple seeded wine grape, one has received the wrong cultivar - no two ways about it.

On the other hand, viruses can be spread from plant to plant and indeed can affect the quality of the fruit, perhaps even the color and fertility somewhat. They are not going to change one kind of grape into another though. Also, wine grapes such as 'Concord' are often not even the same species of plant as many seedless table grapes, and a virus certainly is not going to change one species into another.

There are crops which cross-pollination can alter. Most any crop that is a seed will be such. Corn, Sorghum, and any other grass grains are good examples, as are some nuts from trees, and any Legume (such as peanuts, beans, peas, etc.). The seed inside the fruit is derived from genetic material from both the mother plant and the father (pollen source) plant, and thus the seed will probably show characteristics from both parents. The husk or shell that is the fruit surrounding the seed will not be affected though (except perhaps the size and shape due to the seeds inside), but in these cases that is not the part we are using. Nearly all fruit are derived from the mother plant, and the pollen plant has no affect on the makeup of the fruit. The fruit formed before the enclosed ovules were even pollinated. There are rare cases where a fruit-like structure is derived from the developing seed, but this doesn't apply to grapes.

"On Aug 9, 2010 1:19 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

Thanks for taking the time to share your input on the subject of mixed cultivators! Our Greenhouse Manager made the following comments, in addition to your own:

"Not all legumes outcross (require an outside pollinator), and our two favorites (soybeans and peanuts) are good examples. With soybeans, they are receptive to outside pollen during the day, and if no pollination event occurs, then they self-pollinate as the flowers close. Peanuts are only self-pollinated.

... In flowering plants, fruit initiation depends on seed set, suggesting some fertilization-dependent seed and pollen-derived signals that are required for both fruit initiation and later development. For example, we know that fruit shape, form, and growth are modified by differences in the genetic composition of seeds and even the number of seeds (increased # of pollination events, so greater signal to female plant). It should also be noted that various phytohormones (ones the plants make themselves) are required for proper development of both fruit and seeds, and since both developing seeds and pollen contain these hormones, there's some interaction going on there between the two.

It is true that if you plant a Flame Seedless Grape next to another seeded variety, one will not become the other through outcrossing events. If the seedless happens to suddenly start bearing seeded fruit, then what you're seeing is most likely a mutant (and aggressive) part of the plant that out-competed the seedless parts.

Generally speaking though, it works like this with outcrossing plants: pollen parent is crossed with ovule (egg) parent to produce lots and lots of seeds within the fruits. Lots of variability here with the seeds, but there's essentially no variability in the fruit either parent produces. The variability produced from sexual reproduction won't be seen until you assess that variation in the seed population (called F1 generation) and so on..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Regarding Stark Bro's one-year Promise of Satisfaction: we absolutely take responsibility for and will replace anything that, based on our shipping error, does not grow true to variety. If we shipped the wrong plant and it takes 2-3 years to determine the fruit, we will replace that plant when it begins to bear (the wrong) fruit. We do stand behind our products, but more importantly, we promise to get you the product you paid for - or you won't pay. : )

Please let us know if you have any other specific questions regarding any of our policies (or products)! Our Customer Service Team can be reached via email (info@starkbros.com) or phone (800.325.4180) during normal business hours."

Posted on April 12, 2010, updated May 3, 2010
I placed my first order with Stark Bro's over 15 years ago. Sadly, the following described experience has been the most frustrating I can remember ever having with any company.

Placed order on March 13.

Order confirmation showed the scheduled ship date as on or around March 23rd.

Order confirmation was missing two lines of address information that I had entered when I placed the order (business name, and address line 2).

I notified Stark Bro’s of the address omission problem on March 18th and was told that it had been updated and that “The order should reach your address safely”.

Six days after the delivery date I saw that my order had not yet shipped.

On the morning of March 29 I contacted Stark Bro’s to ask why the order still showed a ship date of March 23 but had not yet shipped. I also asked for a revised shipping date.

No reply, but on the morning of March 30 I saw online that the order status had changed to “processing” and showed as shipped by the US Postal Service with no tracking number or actual ship date available.

On the evening of March 30 I received a reply to my email of the previous morning stating that the order had been sent to packing. No reason for the delay was given, nor was any reason given for why the order was shown as having shipped via USPS without any tracking when I had paid for UPS with tracking.

After having kept my eye out for the package in the mail all week, on April 2nd I received an email from Stark Bro’s stating that the order had shipped on April 1st via UPS and a tracking number was provided.

Upon looking up the UPS tracking number I saw that an attempt had been made to deliver the order that day, however the delivery address was incomplete.

The delivery address on the package was missing the information I had notified Stark Bro’s about and that I had been assured had been resolved two weeks prior.

After several hours on the phone with Stark Bro’s and UPS I managed to get the delivery driver to make another attempt to deliver the order at my location despite the absence of the two address fields that I had typed in when placing the order. The package finally arrived Friday night in a crushed box.

The trees were broken in half.

On Monday April 5, I emailed Stark Bro’s regarding the extensive problems with the loss of address information, unexplained delay and inaccurate shipping information, and the condition of the trees when they arrived.

I received no response until the afternoon of Friday April 9th. The response thanked me for identifying the multiple problems noted above and wished me success with my planting.

"On Apr 20, 2010 12:02 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We are very sorry about your shipping experience. Because we are always looking for ways to better serve you, we really appreciate all feedback and suggestions sent to us. All issues and suggestions are passed along to upper management for consideration and review.

Every single order that we ship is covered by our Promise of Satisfaction: if for any reason you are not 100% satisfied with your experience with Stark Bro's, within a year of shipment we will issue you free replacements or a full refund for the merchandise amount. We care very much about your growing success! Please contact our Customer Support Team by email at info@starkbros.com, or by phone at 800.325.4180, and we will stand by our guarantee."

We have bought nursery stock from Stark Bros. for at least 30 years. We've grown all the fruit that is hardy here in Zone 5a and tried some that are not. They of course did not flourish. We can't help experimenting though, because that is part of the fun of gardening. But be advised to take the hardiness zones listed in Starks Catalogue with a large grain of salt. Look around at what your neighbors grow and check with your local Master Gardeners, go to local orchards and see what your local Farmer's Marketers are growing. That is how to find out what will grow in your garden.

Our only problem with Starks is that they list plants for hardiness zones where they are will never bear fruit. Also many plants labeled as hardy in Zone 5 will not thrive here in the northern part of Zone 5. So a few things listed as Zone 5 hardy die back. Examples are the Chester Thornless Blackberry which dies back to the ground every winter and has never had a berry on it. The vines unfortunately are incredibly vigorous and are spreading wildly. They grow six feet tall every summer and die back completely to the ground every winter. If you live in our climate, get Prime Jim and Prime Jan Blackberries that bear on first year canes. But Only half of them get ripe before they freeze in the fall.

Well we figured we'd be safe only ordering trees for Zone 4, but not so. Their Reliance Peach and Intrepid Peach died the same winter they got old enough to bear fruit. Apricots? Forget it. They never fruit. The trees are hardier than peaches, and never die, but the flowers always freeze this far north as they bloom at least two weeks before our last killing frost. We got some apricots once in the last 35 years. By then we'd given up wasting spray on them, so they were wormy.

We bought a Pawpaw that they list as zone 4 hardy. It's not! It dies to the ground every single winter, even in mild winters, and gets six feet high again the next summer. It's at least 15 years old now and still trying.

American Persimmon fared even worse, and didn't even make it through the first winter. Hardy Kiwi? Nope; not hardy. The Carpathian Walnuts we bought are now great big shade trees. During the 25 years they've been growing we got 2 walnuts. The problem again is not the hardiness of the trees, but that the flowers always freeze.

I have no complaint about the products that really are hardy. We have wonderful apples and pears that have proven their quality. Everything we buy grows the first year, but you have to wait until the next spring to find out if they are really hardy.

This year is the first time I ordered from Starks on-line. It was a nightmare! I don't know if the problem was at their end or mine, though we have a slow dialup on a rural telephone line, but I have never had this problem ordering on-line from other businesses. It took me about an hour to check out. First it took about 20 minutes just to bring up the checkout page, Then they informed me I had to set up an account to order on-line because I don't have a clue what our customer number is or where to find it, and they don't tell you which number of the many numbers on your catalogue it is, or maybe it isn't there. I don't know where to find it. Apparently I made a typo on my repeat password entry, because nothing happened when I tried to continue. But they don't tell you what the problem is. Finally I simply re-entered everything and tried again. Their program changed the last four number of our zip-code and there was no way to correct it, unless I would start the entire checkout process again and waste another half hour. Since they ship UPS, hopefully they can find our place with only the first five zip-code numbers.

My warning to customers is that if you are on a slow dialup system, you are better off to get a catalogue and send in a paper order by snail mail. It will save you a lot of time. If the slow response is at their end however, something needs to be fixed.

Last summer I ordered 3 fruit trees and some raspberries, with a stated delivery time of early November. This is a bit late for our area, but I hoped that the weather would cooperate once the trees got here. The trees arrived late in November, and were planted promptly. The berries did not arrive, and a December shipping date was given. That is just not realistic at all, so I asked them to change the shipping date to spring. Although I had checked the packing slip when the trees arrived, this spring I checked the tags on the trees themselves. Instead of 2 pears, I had a pear and a cherry. When I notified the company, they did not want to replace the cherry, stating that it could just have the wrong tag. I insisted that I didn't want to lose a growing season and that any error was theirs, so they somewhat grudgingly agreed to send another tree. All trees are doing well, and it does appear that the "cherry" is actually a cherry. The raspberries arrived at an appropriate time this spring and are growing.

All plants arrived healthy. Packing had little material around roots, and it shook loose during shipping. Shipping times need to be more in tune to the growing area. Previous experiences with Stark's have been very good, but this was more trouble than it needed to be.

"On Apr 7, 2010 3:17 PM, Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company responded with:

We apologize for the unmet expectations you experienced! Shipping green goods - items that are specifically dependent upon weather conditions all across the United States - can be a very difficult thing to do. We currently ship orders based on your USDA-approved Hardiness Zone. This zone is determined by the zip code found on your shipping address. The Hardiness Zone Map itself is based off of years of observing the typical weather patterns across the United States - but as we all know, Mother Nature does not limit herself to our 'maps.' This past winter was long and harsh for many southern states, some areas seeing snow for the first time! Because this was such a large weather pattern across the United States, we delayed our shipping by 2 weeks to those areas. In more obscure cases, we depend on you, our customers, to notify us of any unusual or out-of-season weather that is affecting your area. We offer special shipment options if necessary to ensure that your green goods arrive when you can plant them!

You are right in expecting us to correct any errors that we make regarding your order, and you shouldn't have to lose any growing time for our mistakes! We are striving to meet those expectations as best (and quickly) as we can. Should you have any other issues or comments that you would like to share with us, please let us know at info@starkbros.com or by phone at 800.325.4180. "

Just recieved my order of fruit trees in a timely manner, and on the exact date specified. I ordered two sweet cherries, (Royalton & Starkrimson) and a pie cherry (Balaton,) all grafted onto semi-dwarfing rootstock. To be perfectly fair, their website does not specify the tree size offered; that should have clued me in right away that I would be recieving WHIPS. The Balaton is aproximately 3 feet tall, planted. The sweet cherries are less than 4 feet tall.

By comparison, both my local Home Depot and Lowes have semi-dwarf sweet (Bing and Black Tartanian) and pie cherries, ( North Star, I believe,) that are 6 feet tall and very heavilly branched- for the same price.

I have no reason to expect that the trees I recieved will not thrive, however, for a company that specilizes in fruit trees, I would have expected much better from Stark Bros. I will not be ordering from them again.

On 11/12/2006, I planted a Balaton Semi-Dwarf Pie Cherry and North Star Dwarf Pie Cherry from Staks. They were both received in good condition and were good looking trees. They are now both growing very well even though it went down to 23 after they started leafing out.

Stark did a good job. If you live where you can plant trees in the fall then I encourage you to do so. I am in zone 6 and have bought numerous trees from Stark and those received and planted in the fall do the best with the least hassle.

Recently received 2 apple, 1 cherry, and 1 pear tree from Stark's. Had originally ordered 2 pear trees, 1 of which was out of stock. This was a little annoying because I needed a pollinator and this was the only other tree that would grow in my zone so I had to order more pear trees from a different company. And also, in all, about 1/2 of my order was out of stock. Out of what I did recieve, the apple and cherry trees are doing very well. Have only been in the ground for about 2 weeks but completely leafed out. The pear tree has me a little nervous though. Had barely no roots and just looks like a stick out of the ground. We'll see... All in all, I would probably give them another try.

I received an order yesterday from Stark. The order was incomplete. Of the items I ordered: Blackberries, Jupiter Seedless Grape, Neptune EZ Start Seedless Grape, Concord Seedless Grape and Heritage Red Raspberry, I only received the blackberries and one of the Neptune Grapes. I didn't order a Sensation Lilac and a Pink Butterfly Bush but I received both of those. I called Stark. The customer service person was very nice and re-ordered all of my items. However, the Concord Seedless Grapes are now out of stock so I won't be getting those even though I ordered them in March. She offered me a credit or an order next year. I took the credit. The stock I did get is outstanding in quality but the hassle of re-ordering, waiting and not getting one thing I really wanted is irritating.

I have had both a posititve and a negative experience with this company. Last year I ordered a cherry tree and paid $25.00 for it. I got a little whip not much bigger than what the Arbor Day Society sends you. I called and they sent me another whip. LOL

This year, I ordered two trees and was very satisfied with their sizes and their packing. They were sold out of one of the ones I wanted but then again, so was everyone else. Must have been a big year for Cinnamon Apple Heratige Trees...

Overall, I have to say I'll probably take my chances with them again.

D.W.

In recent years I have ordered 4 Blueberry plants - (on half price) - & a miniature Orange Tree both are doing well. But the Rhubarb I ordered was dead and when I called I recieved more dead as a replacement - so I called again and was given a refund for the cost of the plants but not the shipping

Placed my order in Dec for Spring Shipping. I ordered a Lavender Twist Redbud and a Pink Cascade Weeping Peach Tree. The Redbud was supposed to have been 3-5 feet while the Peach was supposed to have been 3-4 feet.
The Redbud arrived with a good root system, however it was less than 2 feet in total. The peach was atleast 3 feet but had some rotten branches and some were also broken. I called and immediate was told that they could not replace the redbud since they were sold out. Makes one wonder if they ever had the 3-5 footers since I ordered so early. However, the customer service person was extremely nice and offered an immediate refund for the tree. Although the Peach had rotten and broken branches it did have a good root system but was immediately replaced when I mentioned it to the customer service person. (although I have not rec'd it as yet). There trees are shipped bare root to save on shipping cost but packed well and were still moist when I received them. If the customer service person had not been so nice this experience would have been neutral. I have hopes that the replacement Peach will be alright.

Stark is known far and wide and I've been impressed with what I've ordered. I am dismayed, however, that they have very little for the southeastern area. None of their apples, for instance, are those that grow well in our horrible conditions, but other companies offer varieties that would do well here. Same with most of their fruits. Don't forget us in the south, Stark, because there are a lot of people down here.

I ordered six trees from Stark's in 1991. I got seven. They sent an extra peach tree (take two, they're small?) They were small. One I eventually decided to cut down, because it never grew very well (runt of the litter?) but the other one continues to grow and bear. It's a Burbank July Elberta and it's wonderful. Also wonderful is the Starking Delicious plum. My Starkspur Dwarf Montmorency was wonderful, but it died due to underground rodent (woodchuck or vole) damage and a split trunk.
Stark's holds a number of great varieties exclusively, which is why I order from them. However their customer service is horrible. I wrote to them about the split trunk of my Montmorency, just seeking information, since the tree was already dead--as I explained in my letter. I described how the split trunk developed over several years, from the tree crotch down, toward the ground. I also mentioned that I grow my trees organically. I got a letter back that said the problem was due to borers, that attack the tree from the ground level and cause splits in the bark that work their way up the tree, and that I could save the tree by frequent applications of (not organic) borer-killer insecticide. They also sent another leaflet advising spraying every ten days all season with a combination insecticide-fungicide ( a spraying schedule much heavier than even commercial non-organic orchards use--guaranteed to put unnecessary and dangerous poisons into the environment and my system--kill all beneficials, cause cancer and nervous-system damage, etc.).
My one previous experience with Stark customer service was also negative. In 1991 one of my trees had bark damage. The customer service advised covering the damage with an asphalt-tree-coat product. It did not work, and I have since learned that professional pruners advise against use of that stuff. Stark's did refund the price of that tree. I replaced it with one from Miller's (I wanted Santa Rosa, which Stark's did not have).
My impression is that Stark's customer service are poorly trained and ignorant about fruit growing. They are not ones to ask any questions you may have. My experience writing to them about the Montmorency tree suggests that maybe they can't read. I said the tree was dead. They did not pay attention to the details or really, anything I said--and sent me a form letter. Also they have no sympathy for organic, or IPM, or even common sense (don't spray for fungus when you have insect damage, and vice-versa; don't spray for pests you don't have). Is it cheap insurance for them? Advise people to spray continuously and there's less chance they will request replacement trees? Or a chance to sell more of their products? (The sprays in their catalog). Either way it is bad horticulture.
Stark's is a great nursery because of what it was a hundred years ago--because they have a number of Luther Burbank'c varieties, and others developed since then (not including the "improved" Red and Yellow Delicious). I' ve gotten some wonderful tree varieties from them that I could not have gotten anywhere else.
But don't call their customer service looking for any tree-growing info or advice. You'd be better off reading a book.
It's probably an improvement that they are only offering a one year guarantee. Trees aren't "products, guaranteed or your money back." They're living things, and after delivery of a healthy tree, the rest depends on the care given them by the customer. And sometimes uncontrollable acts of Nature. The old Stark's may have gone bankrupt partly because of too
many replacements and refunds. I hope they are better managed in the future.
I just got a new Starkspur Dwark Montmorency--looks all right so far--smaller than I expected, no packing material, just wet roots wrapped in plastic--but very much alive, in fact already sprouting leaves. I hope this tree grows better than the one I planted in 1991 (prune to central leader this time and I think I can avoid the split problem, and protect from woodchucks and voles with buried fencing. Hope this works.)

I ordered 8 fruit trees for delivery in Spring. They arrived last month (and were billed last month!) I was totally unprepared/ pre-Christmas cash crunch. However, the trees themselves are very nice, the nectarine being outstanding. My co-worker ordered 33 + trees for fall; they are dribbling in to her. Company has good customer service, confused shipping department. The customer service dept. is friendly. Go ahead and order but SPEAK VERY SLOWLY.