howdy everyone!

we are thinking about trying to re-do our front yard. right now, it's kinda
on the hideous side. having trouble getting the grasses to grow. yard's
too sandy or something. no problem with weeds and trees, but anyway - my
question this time is this:

I get flyers in the mail quite often from different nurseries advertising
for "dis-count" prices on their flowering trees and fruit trees. i just
don't know much about whether or not those companies are safe to order from.
can any one tell me some companies like this (with true discount prices)
that have good reputations? i can't afford the local nursery prices. way
too high.

thanks,
rae

"Rachael Simpson" wrote in message
...

I get flyers in the mail quite often from different nurseries advertising
for "dis-count" prices on their flowering trees and fruit trees. i just
don't know much about whether or not those companies are safe to order
from. can any one tell me some companies like this (with true discount
prices) that have good reputations? i can't afford the local nursery
prices. way too high.


You do realize that "discount" trees will probably be all of 6 inches tall?
How long are you willing to wait for a "real" tree?
A robust, well grown tree of viable size is the true bargain here, IMO.

And neither one is much good unless you prepare the soil properly- different
trees have different requirements.
Where on the planet are you located and what types of trees are you
considering?



--
Toni
South Florida USA
USDA Zone 10
http://www.cearbhaill.com

Here are some common problems of trees. Hopefully this information will
help you avoid them.
BTW a good nursery is
http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/

Many tree problems are associated with the following:

Troubles in the Rhizosphere
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

Unhealthy Trees from the Nursery / Improper Planting
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub1.html and
Look up "Tree Planting"
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

Improper Mulching - http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html and
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/index.html Look up "Mulch"

Improper Pruning
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/tree_pruning/

Improper Fertilization (See A Touch of Chemistry)
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/CHEM.html

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"Rachael Simpson" wrote in message
...
howdy everyone!

we are thinking about trying to re-do our front yard. right now, it's
kinda on the hideous side. having trouble getting the grasses to grow.
yard's too sandy or something. no problem with weeds and trees, but
anyway - my question this time is this:

I get flyers in the mail quite often from different nurseries advertising
for "dis-count" prices on their flowering trees and fruit trees. i just
don't know much about whether or not those companies are safe to order
from. can any one tell me some companies like this (with true discount
prices) that have good reputations? i can't afford the local nursery
prices. way too high.

thanks,
rae

Here is a case where you can be led astray by certain suppliers. These St.
Lawrence people do not believe in dwarf trees for the Northern climates. I
consider myself in a Northern climate in a suburb north of Chicago. I have been
growing
dwarf and semi-dwarf trees for over 20 years and do not see the problems that
St. Lawrence refers to. I know people in the northern reaches of Canada growing

fruit on dwarfing rootstock, so I don't understand their position. I find that
dwarf
trees do fruit earlier than standard size trees and they are much easier to
maintain.
No climbing up with huge ladders to get your fruit. I have had dwarf trees
produce
fruit in their second and third years in the ground. You cannot say that for a
standard
size tree that usually takes about 7 years (I am refering to apples here). I
think getting the correct rootstock to give you the size of tree you want is the
biggest concern a potential fruit tree buyer should consider. A good warning
sign is when
the catalogs do not specify the exact rootstock used for the tree you select.
They
will just specify it is a dwarf or a semi-dwarf. Better nurseries give the
actual type
of rootstock used. A little research will then tell you what size tree to
expect. The
other problem is that nurseries occasionally specify something as being on
dwarfing
rootstock, but it turns out to be a full size tree. Unfortunately, you cannot
pin this
down until you receive the tree and see if there is a tell tale graft, which
usually appears as a bulge in the lower part of the trunk. Although it is
becoming less common in these days where big corporations are buying out ma and
pa nurseries and making trees on an assembly line, there are still a few
reliable nurseries out there
which can be trusted. Send me an email if you want some of my recommendations.

Sherwin D.

symplastless wrote:

Here are some common problems of trees. Hopefully this information will
help you avoid them.
BTW a good nursery is
http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/

Many tree problems are associated with the following:

Troubles in the Rhizosphere
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

Unhealthy Trees from the Nursery / Improper Planting
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub1.html and
Look up "Tree Planting"
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

Improper Mulching - http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html and
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/index.html Look up "Mulch"

Improper Pruning
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/tree_pruning/

Improper Fertilization (See A Touch of Chemistry)
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/CHEM.html

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"Rachael Simpson" wrote in message
...
howdy everyone!

we are thinking about trying to re-do our front yard. right now, it's
kinda on the hideous side. having trouble getting the grasses to grow.
yard's too sandy or something. no problem with weeds and trees, but
anyway - my question this time is this:

I get flyers in the mail quite often from different nurseries advertising
for "dis-count" prices on their flowering trees and fruit trees. i just
don't know much about whether or not those companies are safe to order
from. can any one tell me some companies like this (with true discount
prices) that have good reputations? i can't afford the local nursery
prices. way too high.

thanks,
rae

too sandy or something. no problem with weeds and trees, but anyway - my
question this time is this:

Soil analysis and then check with your state extension service to see
what suggestions they have for plants that grow well.

You'll get much better results (particularly on a budget) choosing plants
to fit your soil rather than attempting to amend your soil to fit the plants.

Another possibility is to go with native plants, and grow them yourself
from local seed or scion sources.


I get flyers in the mail quite often from different nurseries advertising
for "dis-count" prices on their flowering trees and fruit trees. i just
don't know much about whether or not those companies are safe to order from.
can any one tell me some companies like this (with true discount prices)
that have good reputations? i can't afford the local nursery prices. way
too high.

Good trees are fairly expensive to produce, particularly if you're after
fruit trees on virus indexed stocks (they do so much better). Bargain
trees are either well produced but an oversupply (real bargains!),
poorly grown, held or shipped
(not a bargain) or very small (ok, but not a bargain) --
at least in my experience. There are some growers who cut their
profit margins more thinly than others, but on the whole, good trees
aren't cheap.

There are some lists around compiled from folks' comments on catalog
companies... might be worthwhile to check on the reputations of the
companies. e.g.: http://davesgarden.com/gwd/
http://www.gardenlist.com/

and resources like: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dailey/byfg.html
http://www.nafex.org/

Kay

I am in Milwaukee, and I agree with everything said. Dwarf trees on
the CORRECT rootstock are essential. Places like Starks wont tell you
what the rootstock is. I went thru this all about 20 years ago.
BayLaurel http://www.baylaurelnursery.com/index.html have their
rootstock up front. better yet, when you call them they know what
they are talking about. http://www.raintreenursery.com/ also says
what the rootstock is. nothing weird either. but do find out which
rootstock is best for your area and CONDITIONS.

On Fri, 08 Jun 2007 01:57:01 -0500, sherwindu
wrote:
Here is a case where you can be led astray by certain suppliers. These St.
Lawrence people do not believe in dwarf trees for the Northern climates. I
consider myself in a Northern climate in a suburb north of Chicago. I have been
growing
dwarf and semi-dwarf trees for over 20 years and do not see the problems that
St. Lawrence refers to. I know people in the northern reaches of Canada growing

fruit on dwarfing rootstock, so I don't understand their position. I find that
dwarf
trees do fruit earlier than standard size trees and they are much easier to
maintain.
No climbing up with huge ladders to get your fruit. I have had dwarf trees
produce
fruit in their second and third years in the ground. You cannot say that for a
standard
size tree that usually takes about 7 years (I am refering to apples here). I
think getting the correct rootstock to give you the size of tree you want is the
biggest concern a potential fruit tree buyer should consider. A good warning
sign is when
the catalogs do not specify the exact rootstock used for the tree you select.
They
will just specify it is a dwarf or a semi-dwarf. Better nurseries give the
actual type
of rootstock used. A little research will then tell you what size tree to
expect. The
other problem is that nurseries occasionally specify something as being on
dwarfing
rootstock, but it turns out to be a full size tree. Unfortunately, you cannot
pin this
down until you receive the tree and see if there is a tell tale graft, which
usually appears as a bulge in the lower part of the trunk. Although it is
becoming less common in these days where big corporations are buying out ma and
pa nurseries and making trees on an assembly line, there are still a few
reliable nurseries out there
which can be trusted. Send me an email if you want some of my recommendations.

Sherwin D.

symplastless wrote:

Here are some common problems of trees. Hopefully this information will
help you avoid them.
BTW a good nursery is
http://www.sln.potsdam.ny.us/

Many tree problems are associated with the following:

Troubles in the Rhizosphere
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

Unhealthy Trees from the Nursery / Improper Planting
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub1.html and
Look up "Tree Planting"
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/RHIZO.html

Improper Mulching - http://home.ccil.org/~treeman/sub3.html and
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/index.html Look up "Mulch"

Improper Pruning
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/tree_pruning/

Improper Fertilization (See A Touch of Chemistry)
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/shigo/CHEM.html

Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Arborist
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
and www.treedictionary.com
Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us
that we are not the boss.

"Rachael Simpson" wrote in message
...
howdy everyone!

we are thinking about trying to re-do our front yard. right now, it's
kinda on the hideous side. having trouble getting the grasses to grow.
yard's too sandy or something. no problem with weeds and trees, but
anyway - my question this time is this:

I get flyers in the mail quite often from different nurseries advertising
for "dis-count" prices on their flowering trees and fruit trees. i just
don't know much about whether or not those companies are safe to order
from. can any one tell me some companies like this (with true discount
prices) that have good reputations? i can't afford the local nursery
prices. way too high.

thanks,
rae

"Kay Lancaster" wrote in message
...
too sandy or something. no problem with weeds and trees, but anyway - my
question this time is this:

Soil analysis and then check with your state extension service to see
what suggestions they have for plants that grow well.

You'll get much better results (particularly on a budget) choosing plants
to fit your soil rather than attempting to amend your soil to fit the
plants.

Another possibility is to go with native plants, and grow them yourself
from local seed or scion sources.

Good trees are fairly expensive to produce, particularly if you're after
fruit trees on virus indexed stocks (they do so much better). Bargain
trees are either well produced but an oversupply (real bargains!),
poorly grown, held or shipped
(not a bargain) or very small (ok, but not a bargain) --
at least in my experience. There are some growers who cut their
profit margins more thinly than others, but on the whole, good trees
aren't cheap.

There are some lists around compiled from folks' comments on catalog
companies... might be worthwhile to check on the reputations of the
companies. e.g.: http://davesgarden.com/gwd/
http://www.gardenlist.com/

and resources like: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dailey/byfg.html
http://www.nafex.org/

Kay


Hi Kay,

thanks for the weblinks. the types of dis-counts I was talking about were
the over-stock ones. they claim that the trees will be 3-4 foot on
delivery. i am mainly leaning towards crepe myrtle and dogwoods. we
already have a few that were here when we moved here and they have proven to
fair well. I would just like some other colors/variations to plant around
the yard. i don't really care about what height they will grow to.
thanks,
rae

thanks for the weblinks. the types of dis-counts I was talking about were
the over-stock ones. they claim that the trees will be 3-4 foot on
delivery. i am mainly leaning towards crepe myrtle and dogwoods. we
already have a few that were here when we moved here and they have proven to
fair well. I would just like some other colors/variations to plant around
the yard. i don't really care about what height they will grow to.
thanks,

Actually, you *do* care how tall they grow (and their probable spread).
And the type of root system.

My folks planted a nice little linden under the power line to their house.
It had to be removed just about the time it got big enough to shade the
living room... $$$$ to remove it and the cost of planting another tree.
Had they figured height and spread and moved it 25 ft to the SW, that tree
would still be growing. They also planted a silver maple too close to the
house... mom broke her collarbone trying to prune it where it had a big
branch on the house. More $$$$ for doctors and more $$$$ for a proper
pruning. Then there was the neighbor's willow tree roots that ate the
septic system ($$$$$).
Or the siberian elm (notoriously brittle) that came into
my room for a little chat during a windstorm and pinned me in bed, when
I was 4. That was relatively cheap... new window and roof and some
minor cuts and bruises.

I suspect the most common cause of tree death of established trees on
residential property is probably the wrong species in the wrong place.

You also want to be sure to plant healthy stock... especially if you've
already got the same or related species on your property. Diseases
spread quickly when you've got a lot of the same species (or even genus).
Might want to check with your local extension service to see if they
have any predictions of what diseases seem to be building in an area,
too. For instance, out here in Oregon, we're watching SOD, sudden oak
death, very closely. It affects quite a few species, and it's closed
some specialty nurseries.

Pick the right species for the right spots and you'll add value to your
home. Pick the wrong ones, and you've added to your workload and
cost. Some crape myrtle cultivars, for instance, are not cold hardy
and freeze to the ground.

Dogwoods are notorious for anthracnose, cankers and root and crown rot.

Trees are one area where doing your homework quite intensively can pay
off handsomely.

Kay