# Tree supplier ?'s



## Kenny78 (Jul 12, 2011)

I just bought moved to my BIL/retreat!! It is 40 acres of predominately hardwoods like oaks and hickory. I have been reading up on apple trees, blackberries, et al, but am not satisfied with my understanding of everything. I have been studying all of the edible uses of the existing trees.

I was about ready to pull the trigger on fastgrowingtrees.com until I was warned off as a ripoff/scam. Are there any stores online mail chain that I can order as mature a tree as practical to get a jump on the tree being productive? I have tried most of the local nurseries and none seem interested in guiding the uninitiated(me) 

Also are there any good general overview books on establishing a permaculture(is that the right word)

Thanks Kenny


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## drhwest (Aug 7, 2009)

This place looks good. The trees may not be as mature as you want, but they are a good price.

www.arborday.org


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

This page will give you a list of nurseries in OK. I searched for wholesale nurseries but many do retail as well.


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## JustCliff (May 21, 2011)

Lowes usually carries varieties that will grow in your zone easily. The trees can be a bit steep but you will have fruit in a couple of years. Yes the selection is limited. but it will get you a start.
Stark Brothers http://www.starkbros.com/ has been around for a long time and have a good selection.
Guerneys also has a decent selection. http://gurneys.com/fruit-trees-and-nut-trees/c/9/
Most trees have a description about what the fruit is good for pie,cider,canning ....whatever Figure out what you want to do with them. 
Just a note of caution from my personal and very expencive lesson.
Older trees take a lot of work and water when planting! Drought and heat is your enemy. I lost 65 peach and cherry trees in one year. It was so dry and hot that I could not water them enough. The new planting just couldn't take it. I have one tree left that made it. It is now in the way of other things and can not bring myself to move it.

I would recommend buying younger trees, planting them in 2 gal pots and keeping them in a semi shaded place over the summer. You can establish good root growth and transplant them in the fall.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Kenny78 said:


> I just bought moved to my BIL/retreat!! It is 40 acres of predominately hardwoods like oaks and hickory. I have been reading up on apple trees, blackberries, et al, but am not satisfied with my understanding of everything. I have been studying all of the edible uses of the existing trees.
> 
> I was about ready to pull the trigger on fastgrowingtrees.com until I was warned off as a ripoff/scam. Are there any stores online mail chain that I can order as mature a tree as practical to get a jump on the tree being productive? I have tried most of the local nurseries and none seem interested in guiding the uninitiated(me)
> 
> ...


check these guys out http://www.permies.com/


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Our trees have come from Lowe's, Big Lots, and a local nursery. 

The trees from the local nursery (5) are all dead - some to drought, some to deer. 
The trees from Lowe's (12) have done pretty well - lost a couple to waterlogging.
The trees from Big Lots (5) are all fine.

For us, we've learned that some young trees just aren't going to make it (due to a variety of reasons, especially since we're rookie fruit tree growers), no matter where they come from, so we aren't going to put money into higher end nurseries.

I'm afraid I have no experience buying older trees, but I wish you luck there.


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## ZoomZoom (Dec 18, 2009)

I've used a gentleman in Ohio named Duane Gingrich.

Although only referenced here for his garlic, he carries all kinds of fruits and veggies as well as other trees.
http://www.localharvest.org/gingerichs-garlic-farm-M47024

Real nice guy and very helpful.


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## SlobberToofTigger (Dec 27, 2011)

I buy over a $1000 worth of trees every year to plant and have used a large number of the nurseries. Essentially if you want the best quality available then use StarkBrothers http://www.starkbros.com/ Though expensive my survival rates and the quality of their product is significantly better than anywhere else I can find.

On the other hand if you can do wholesale purchases of over $1000 not including shipping try Forrest Keeling http://www.fknursery.com/ as their RPM method of tree production seems to be the best there is.

And if you are looking for local flora then your state department of conservation may have a tree farm. If they do their prices will be unbelievably low. The Missouri MDC sells bunches of seedlings for $8 for a pack of 25.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Stark is expensive but every tree I've ever bought from them is still here... 
on growing trees.. You have to baby them the first year for sure.. even to the point that I put gallons (milk jugs) with tiny holes in the bottom and keep them filled around the bottom to keep them well watered during hot/dry times.
I have even gone as far as watering them the second year also if they needed it. 
But I have also bought from the big box stores and had good luck.. my worst luck was my favorite peach tree keep "splitting" off limbs til it snapped off in a storm this last summer. I kinda know what kind it is. I only had two types.. Redhaven and Elberta.. but silly me I never kept them tagged so will have to do a bit of detective work on getting my favorite replaced.
Raspberry/blackberry will spread aggressively if given the chance and in certain spots it is encouraged by me.. (namely where the snowmobiles trespass onto my property and tear up my yard) once they got big they stopped going thru them. But like the trees.. berries do make berries but in times of drought they will not make the prime berries. but you should be able to get some..


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## AlabamaGal (Dec 27, 2011)

Kenny, I would start with the easy stuff that returns dividends quickly, like blackberries and strawberries. Check with your local agricultural extension office and find out who their fruit tree guy is. In most counties, they will come out, assess your site and make recommendations.

I have alwys heard good things about Stark, but what I got from them was pathetic. I got 5" tall whips stuck in a pot with no roots (none!), or for the bare root trees, a 5" whip on top of a few scraggly roots with an unhealed graft. A huge waste of money; Stark is *not* cheap.

The big box trees can be good if you get them when they are fresh off the truck and if you avoid the temptation to get the biggest one -- typically the survival rate on bigger trees is much worse than the smaller ones. The big bix stores also carry varieties which are are poor choices for this region, so choose wisely. Nor are they always the cheapest.

Big Lots... I haven't tried them. With the except of flower bulbs or crowns, everything I've seen for sale has pretty much been dead. It sounds like there are regional variations in supply.

Local generic nurseries... it's a mixed bag. Their suppliers and selection are often the same as the big box stores and the only improvement is that they tend to take better care of them while they are waiting to be sold.

I went to a big plant sale at the local botanical gardens and they had tons of fruit trees -- but they couldn't tell me what any of the root stocks were. 

I am fortunate enough to have a nursery within a few hours' drive that specializes in fruit trees, shrubs and vines, and much of what they sell comes from cuttings from their own orchard. They can tell you what to look for in terms of shape, size and scaffold limbs, and give classes in pruning and care and variety selection, and you can try the fruit in season. If you can find a local place like that, Kenny, it will be worth the extra price. The link is below, but they are strongly focused on the southeast region, so I don't know if what they have is appropriate for OK. Mail order is a whole different animal than shopping on site, but I did order something through the mail from them once (strawberries) and what I got was very high quality.
http://www.petalsfromthepast.com


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## Kenny78 (Jul 12, 2011)

Thank you everybody for your replies! Tirediron, thanks for the link, but now I am hopelessly addicted to reading everything just like here. On the blackberries and strawberries I plan on planting a large amount on the back firebreaks/access roads where no one will find them as soon as I figure out whether a controlled burn could or would be feasible in near future. That permies site has a whole sub forum on woodland care and I will direct questions there unless someone here has forest management experience and doesnt mind answering stupid questions.

I dont like worrying about impending doom, but with all of the things coming down the pipe I want to get the long term fruit trees going ASAP! Thanks everyone


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