Choosing Your Plants
This section generally only applies to fruit trees, shrubs, and vines.
Annual plants are easier to select because they come in standard sizes and are either happy and healthy or dead. Likewise, seed potatoes, garlic, and onions come in pre-bagged quantities and are more or less the same from bag to bag. If you're not looking to purchase fruit trees, shrubs, or vines, you can skip this section!
1. What is your budget? How soon do you want fruit?
Most fruit shrubs and vines come in a standard 2- or 3-gallon container size, but fruit trees come in a range of sizes and price points. A smaller tree and budget-friendly price usually translates to a younger plant that is further way from producing fruit. So long as you are patient, there advantages to choosing a smaller tree such as easier to transport and plant and generally sell at a cheaper price. However, our smaller trees are often 3 or more years away from producing fruit so you may want to choose a larger tree if you're hoping for fruit this year or next. Smaller trees can also be more susceptible to rodent damage and require specialized pruning to promote proper branching habits that produce fruit.
2. How can I tell a tree's maturity? What is good form?
We are often asked how tall a tree is because there is a common misconception that a taller tree is closer to producing fruit. But, height is not usually the best indicator of maturity when it comes to fruit trees because some get tall before they branch out and others branch out before they get tall. Instead, our catalogue includes categories to sort out young plants from those closer to maturity. Many of our fruit trees come in sizes that should produce fruit this season or next.
3. Bareroot versus Transplants and Container Stock?
A bareroot tree is exactly what it sounds like! Many other online retailers only sell bareroot trees, which means that you'll receive a tree wrapped in plastic without a pot. These trees have a lower survival rate outside of professional nurseries and orchards because they are more fragile and must be planted right away otherwise they will die.
We only sell bareroot transplants, which are potted in an appropriate substrate material for the variety and rooted container stock to ensure your new plants have the best chance of survival. It also means that as long as you keep it watered, you don't have to plant it right away (although we generally recommend planting as soon as possible).
We offer fruit trees and vines in both container grown and bareroot transplant formats. Fruit shrubs are generally only sold as container stock.