linda
New Member
Posts: 1
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Post by linda on Jul 20, 2017 16:55:06 GMT -6
First, please forgive any silly questions or lapses in etiquette. I am new to serious gardening and to this forum.
Who, where, what is the best supplier of fruit trees well suited to this area? We have planted 2 apple trees, 2 pear trees, and a peach tree within the last year or two. One apple became deader than a door nail and was pulled up without any effort. The other apple is barely holding on. One pear tree has 3 pears on it and seems to be doing reasonably well. The other pear tree is holding on but growing very slowly. The peach is growing like gangbusters but has no fruit. Our goal is to have 2 each of apple, pear, peach, and cherry. How far apart should they be from their cultivars and from each other?
It's my understanding that fruit trees should be planted in the fall, no later than about 6 weeks before 1st frost. Is that about the end of September? Where can we find these at that time of year? Big box stores only have the dregs from the previous spring by then.
Thanks for any help!
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Post by macmex on Jul 21, 2017 6:35:43 GMT -6
Linda, welcome to Green Country Seed Savers' website! I will give you an answer, though someone may happen along with a better one. I have often ordered trees from Stark Brothers Nursery. Their quality is generally very good. www.starkbros.com/I do want to give two caveats, however: Stark Bro's is not in Oklahoma. I think they may be in New York State, which is VERY different from Oklahoma. So, just because they sell something, doesn't mean that it's a good choice for here. I purchased a Honey Crisp apple tree from them before I learned that Honey Crisp doesn't develop its classic flavor and texture in our climate. (We'll see. It has fruit on it now.) In Northeastern Oklahoma there are a number of local nurseries. I've never tried, but I suspect they may actually produce fruit trees for companies such as Stark Bro's Nursery and Orchards. If so, and if these local nurseries will sell retail, you may get a much better deal locally. Do you live in or near Tahlequah? If so, you might drop in on Sunshine Nursery, which is practically next door to the Keetoowah Cherokee headquarters. The folks there are knowledgeable and give excellent customer service. So, for instance, I wouldn't think of purchasing blueberry bushes at a box store, when I can get them there. Sunshine Nursery not only knows their varieties and selects for that which is locally appropriate, but they also take care of what they have. George
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Post by heavyhitterokra on Jul 24, 2017 13:19:35 GMT -6
Linda,
In the past, I've purchased my fruit trees from Park Hill Nursery near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. You may need some sort of license to purchase there now though? I purchased mine in bulk about 12 years ago through my farm produce business.
They had excellent quality trees there at the time, but that was several years ago. I haven't been out there lately. At the time, their minimum purchase amount was $400.00 I understand that has changed since then though. It may be somewhere around $2,000.00 or so by now?
To meet the minimum, I arranged for other farmers to purchase trees from me before hand at the same price I was being charged, with no markup. That meant I had to take orders from my buyers, before purchasing trees at wholesale. There's a lot of trust involved there. I was lucky to have great customers who came through when the time came for the order to be picked up.
That's basically the same thing the box stores are doing, except they double or triple the price to their customers; where as I passed the savings along to my customers. Everyone was happy that way.
I suppose you could say I formed a "Co-op" among farmers needing trees to expand their own orchards. A thing like that takes a little time and a lot of phone calls to arrange, but you've got until late September.
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