Friendly warning about big box store trees
- Thread starter j-bird
- Start date
Rit
5 year old buck +
$31.98 on fruit trees up near me.
g squared 23
5 year old buck +
cavey
5 year old buck +
Fleet farm has some smaller fruit trees in, grafted dolgo, continental ( maybe it was centennial) crab, chestnut crab, liberty, freedom, fireside, red baron, honey crisp their marked 19.99 ish but rang up for 16 and change.... I bought 2 varieties I didnt have then lopped off a few scion sticks from them. Their not impressive trees but for a quick impulse grab I can live with the price considering the added scion I got.
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White Birch Farm
5 year old buck +
It is like anything else you buy. The seller is rarely the problem as long as they are a legitimate business. It is usually the buyer that is the problems. Big box store trees can be a gold mine even for habitat trees. However, choosing the right product for your needs is the buyers obligation. Also, big box trees are almost always pruned for landscape use. So, the buyer also needs to be knowledgable about corrective pruning.
In summary, a knowledgable buyer with a little pruning skills can find some super buys at big box stores. In fact, I have planted about 40 new habitat trees this spring coming from a wide variety of sources and by far the nicest trees I got for the money were several trees from TSC, including several like Centurion and Prairie Fire Crabs that you wont find carried by most habitat nurseries.
In summary, a knowledgable buyer with a little pruning skills can find some super buys at big box stores. In fact, I have planted about 40 new habitat trees this spring coming from a wide variety of sources and by far the nicest trees I got for the money were several trees from TSC, including several like Centurion and Prairie Fire Crabs that you wont find carried by most habitat nurseries.
chummer
5 year old buck +
I have bought numerous trees for under $5 from box stores. Wait until they are on clearance then make them an offer. Now must of them have died because they were border line zone wise but enough have made it that I am way ahead on those trees. I have a bunch of flowering crabs that have turned into excellent pollinating trees, 2 wolf river, and one gem of a zone 5 Ayers pear that may have blossoms this year. That one is the marvel of all my plantings. I have a bunch of other pears that die back to the graft every winter that are just saving the spot until I replace them with something else.
Rit
5 year old buck +
Those big box store Kieffers that I bought put on little growth this first year but enough to cut a few scions from. They made it through the first winter and were the first ones to bud out. All things considered the fruit trees I did plant from nurseries also put on no growth and still are 3’ tall. I have a feeling by year 3 these box store trees will be well ahead of the 3’ whips I planted. Time will tell. The box store trees are not my first choice but every now and again I find one in the back of my truck headed home with me. I found a moonglow the other day that had a 2” trunk the thing was unreal. I didn’t buy it but may have to go back and grab it.
I'm like aerospace farms; I have purchased Kieffer pear trees from Lowes and every one of them has cranked out pears by the second year after I planted them. The two Ayers pear trees I bought from the same store have failed to shuck out a fruit after 6 years. My Kieffers will bloom soon: I'll try to get some good photos.
Almost as much fun as raising children I believe.
aerospacefarmer
5 year old buck +
My Keifers are loaded with fruit buds now and should have a load this year
Troubles Trees
5 year old buck +
Although I agree with knowing what you are planting, what zone it's good for etc. I do try and buy anything I really want to grow from local nurseries and our DEC seedling sale but I have no beef with Big Box Store stuff to be honest.
I have bought from many different sources and some of the best trees I have bought came from Lowes of all places. On the other end of the stick, I spent a small fortune at Stark Bros in my rookie habitat years that showed up with the best looking root systems but don't mean a darn thing when they arrive and the shredded newspaper that is suppose to keep the roots moist is littered evenly throughout the package and seedlings are dried out roots. Most of that order didn't show any signs of growth the first year, disappointed but eager to challenge the "1 year guarantee" they supposedly give when they sell is all malarkey. I argued with them for a few months before I gave up, they kept just kept blaming me for having inadequate soil (standard answer). This was about 15 years ago, I have 1 pear tree total from that order that made it but never forms fruit still today.
I have bought from many different sources and some of the best trees I have bought came from Lowes of all places. On the other end of the stick, I spent a small fortune at Stark Bros in my rookie habitat years that showed up with the best looking root systems but don't mean a darn thing when they arrive and the shredded newspaper that is suppose to keep the roots moist is littered evenly throughout the package and seedlings are dried out roots. Most of that order didn't show any signs of growth the first year, disappointed but eager to challenge the "1 year guarantee" they supposedly give when they sell is all malarkey. I argued with them for a few months before I gave up, they kept just kept blaming me for having inadequate soil (standard answer). This was about 15 years ago, I have 1 pear tree total from that order that made it but never forms fruit still today.
S.T.Fanatic
5 year old buck +
I was at Fleet farm picking up a few things tonight and they had an assortment of apple trees. I rolled the dice and bought 4. 2 Whitney and 2 Dolgo. I’ll give you my impression when I plant them but with my lac of tree experience it won’t be worth much.
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Apple Junkie
5 year old buck +
I don’t get angry at folks for buying trees from anywhere. I've done big box, and I've paid over $29 for a tree I want. These approaches are not mutually exclusive.
Everyone is different, and every situation is different. What works for one person, may not work for the next person. Kudos to those folks that find good deals at the big box stores, and kudos to those folks that sweat the details of getting just the right variety on just the right rootstock. We can all be winners.
Everyone is different, and every situation is different. What works for one person, may not work for the next person. Kudos to those folks that find good deals at the big box stores, and kudos to those folks that sweat the details of getting just the right variety on just the right rootstock. We can all be winners.
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
So we are all snobs? Wow ... I am an absolute idiot on fruit trees and everyone here has been incredibly patient with my newbie, stupid, repetitive questions. They have bent over backwards to explain and help me with my ignorance.
The so called "$29/$45" online nursery people you rail against ... I can't thank them enough for being patient with my questions ... beautiful people who care.
Good luck in biting the hand that feeds you ...
