Forget Big Box Stores! This Is The BEST WAY To Buy Fruit Trees!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you found this video helpful, please "Like" and share it to help extend its reach! Thanks for watching 😃TIMESTAMPS for convenience: 0:00 3 Ways To Buy Fruit Trees 0:32 Option #1 - Garden Centers 3:02 Option #2 - A Better Selection 6:05 Option #3 - My Favorite Option! 8:36 The Downside To This Plant Shopping Method 12:45 Adventures With Dale

[@shirleytruett7319]

Hey do you know what the little pink bush beans are sometimes called peanut beans. Do you know where I can get some

[@TheMillennialGardener]

@@shirleytruett7319 I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the species you're referring to. Do you have a link?

[@shirleytruett7319]

@@TheMillennialGardener No I don't, we use to buy them every year until a couple years ago now we can't find any no where's. I'm from Haywood county NC but live in South Carolina for the past 20 years, those beans only grow to around 14 to 16 inches tall and they produce tons of beans and they are really good

[@sherrystacyrn589]

@@shirleytruett7319 I'm from Asheville, try looking for pink half runners. I did a search for "bush beans that are called peanut beans". Places showed up in search that you can buy from. Hope that helps. My advice is to by the heirloom. Last year I bought the old timey Greasy Cut Shorts green beans from someone in Canton, NC. They did wonderful. I now live in Tennessee. Hope this helps.

[@shirleytruett7319]

@@sherrystacyrn589 Thank you Sherry . I have a daughter named Sherry 😁

[@richardweinberger2756]

I live in Los Angeles, last year in January I was at Lowe's poking around and I saw some triple grafted (3 varieties) dwarf apple trees for $35. I didn't think any apples would grow around here. I immediately googled the varieties listed on the tags and they all were warm climate fruits, so I bought it. Right now it's about 4 feet tall and has 20 apples growing on it. They are small but the first ones tasted good and I was glad I bought it. Every fruit tree I see at Lowe's is good for this climate,,, I check a lot even though I have no more room, I also recently bought a dwarf hass avocado tree at Home Depot. I was waiting for that to come around,,, and it did. A lot of great trees are not legal for shipment to California,, that's a bummer too.

[@zeruty]

Home Depot here near Seattle sells ungrafted Meyer lemon, Washington navel, and key lime. When in my opinion it would be better if they sold grafted versions on cold tolerant rootstock.

[@yomama3926]

Check the chill hours, they keep putting cherry trees in my area when the chill hour requirementa for them are super high! I dont get that many chill hours!

[@kqdwills]

I also live in SoCal, and I don't think buying online fruit trees is a good option. Most the time they are selling small sticks like the 3ft stick Asian pear tree at the end of this video clip for $60- $80/ stick ( depends on the varieties) which I think is ridiculous prices. And planting bareroot trees in the high desert CA is much harder than on the humidity south east coast, so chance for the trees to die is really high. Not talking about a lot of times , the trees' roots had been excessively pruned, so the trees became much weaker and they die very easy when something goes wrong. saw some online sellers refused to ship to CA, but many others do ship to CA, and over the years I have received small plants, small trees, bareroot trees from other states with no problem. Some nurseries in CA selling expensive fruit and flower trees, especially with some rarer varieties, but if you go around and look, you can find some very good deal from time to time. So the best way for this channel 's ad doesn't work for me.

[@kahvac]

I've bought Peach, Apple, Plum and Pear trees the last three years from Fedco Trees in Maine with excellent results !

[@j109joell]

Blooming time is a very important factor. I live in middle Georgia & my plum trees would rarely produce fruit; late frost would kill the blooms nearly every season. Raintree Nursery has a good selection & its possible to search by bloom time. I planted three mid to late bloomers; and they bloom about three weeks after the last late frost. The only negative is they are rather expensive right now.

[@INeedABeatDJ]

South Georgia here. The frost struggle is real.

[@pegstock9764]

I get my fruit trees from the flea market. Peach trees for $24, a plum tree for $24 and pear tree for $28 all are bearing fruit.

[@marylouzavala8281]

Yes flea markets are great for buying plants and fruit trees for far less. I always get great and cheaper plants. I live in South Texas and has saved me so much money.

[@barbiedesoto7054]

I happened to try a nursery just 30 minutes from my house last fall and they had a huge sale on everything I needed - shrubs, perennials, trees. I went back 3 times and they have a guarantee for a year. They had all the info about pollination and root stocks too. They know their stuff. I’m really happy with them so far. Some are still needing to be planted but they’re getting a little snow on them. I’m excited to see how the new apple and plum and cherry trees do! Definitely try those local places and ask if they have guarantees etc!

[@Tinyteacher1111]

I found the exact same thing two years ago!

[@Steadylife2]

I come for the Adventures With Dale, :) just kidding, I appreciate all the work you, Brittany and Dale put into your videos. Thank you kindly.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

I enjoy the doggie segments, too! Our furry pals Sabbath and Slayer are a big part of enjoying our garden.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you! I appreciate that. Dale says hi! It's his favorite part of every video (except for the taste test videos; the taste tests are his favorite favorite part).

[@mirabellegoldapfel6256]

One of my favourite way is plant markets. I went to a organic plant market last sunday and got a juneberry for 10€ and loads of vegetables and herbs as well. They had mostly local nurseries there, so they are used to the cold and amount of rain. The even cheaper way are plant swaps that are organized by local garden clubs, and what grows in your neigbours garden will work in yours, too.

[@catherinegrace2366]

Bingo!

[@makeyourlifeeasier5794]

As usual, nice video. Up here in Jersey, Lowes is selling their non grafted fruit trees for about $34-$35. Most of the trees are marked with the Pollinators they would need, if they need one. I did hear that each state and even each Lowes can be different. I did notice higher prices on trees at Home Depot though. Keep up the good work.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I always err on the side of caution on those plant tags. I find they are really inaccurate. The zones, cold tolerances, etc. are often generic and way off. They tag the same info for an Owari satsuma as they do with a Eureka lemon, and they’ll tag a Mexican avocado the same as a Guatemalan avocado. I recommend doing your research externally first. If the big box stores happen to get in a variety you want, great, but I wouldn’t buy based off of info on the plant tags.

[@makeyourlifeeasier5794]

Thanks for that info. I'll definitely do my research first cause I have heard that before.

[@docsridingadventures2880]

Like wise... I bought a "satsuma" from home depot... what kind of Satsuma I guess I'll figure out when it fruits

[@lordofoats]

what do you mean by non-grafted trees?

[@o311LouDogUSMC]

@@lordofoats non grafted vs trees that are spliced with another type of trees root stock to increase a specific trait.

[@Lbff1225]

I just found your channel a couple of weeks ago and it has become my favorite! I love how informative, straight to the point, well organized, and over helpful they always are. Thank you!

[@finnmcgrady]

A fellow Wilmington guy right here! Much love man. Getting my garden going now and you’ve been a great help. Keep up the good work!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thanks for watching, neighbor! Outside of a few cold shots, it's been a pretty nice spring so far. Enjoy this great weather before the storms start!

[@Wofford1985]

He thinks he knows everything. BECAUSE HE DOES! I love this channel.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I appreciate that, but I'm learning as I go. I experiment quite a bit, so every year is a learning experience. There are plenty of failures along the way. Example: 5 years ago, I was one of those people that was anti-determinate tomatoes. Then, I learned how to grow them. What a revelation. The way to be a good gardener is to admit your failures, figure out why you failed and learn from them. Gardening is humbling.

[@Tinyteacher1111]

This was the most important information I’ve learned about buying trees! Thank you!!

[@Butterflydown1]

Spent $78 on Bare root fruit trees twice both times they died Despite me following all directions so it’s not for me but it’s so cool when people have success with it

[@andreaholamon5238]

ILM, that’s my hood! I grew up in the area, we moved when I was a teen to Texas but my brother and sister graduated from Hoggard HS. My yankee dad retired back to Southport, so I showed him your channel. He has a great little garden with a few fig trees and veggies primarily, their problem is the deer! They can’t fence in their yard in their neighborhood. He’s been bemoaning the late freezes this year. Hopefully he enjoys your info as much as I do!! Also, I commented a while back on a video about strawberry plants and not realizing how hardy they are… you were so right. My two roots grew back this year in my planter and I didn’t protect them at all during our snowmageddon here in Texas 😅😅

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I *love* Southport. It's such an awesome little town - except for June 1 thru Labor Day! One road in, one road out, single lane...I don't know how you can live there during tourist season 😅 The late freezes have been horrible this year, but last year was even WORSE! Now, we have a low of 41 Saturday night and 39 Sunday night, and every day they deduct another degree. COME ON! It'll be the middle of April. I've never seen anything like this. A low of 39 means low, cold spots WILL frost. It's just ridiculous. In the 6 years I've lived here, I've literally seen my growing season contract 30 days: 2-3 weeks later in the spring and 1-2 weeks earlier in the fall. It's just nuts. I don't think there is a single spot in all of Texas that can threaten the life of a strawberry in terms of cold hardiness. The only thing in Texas that'll kill strawberries is if you plant them in low, heavy clay and they drown, or you plant them in soil that is too dry or salty. As long as they don't dry out/roast to death or face a salt/pH issue, they're pretty invincible. There are some Zone 9/10 places that'll be too hot for them to survive, but nowhere in Texas is too cold.

[@andreaholamon5238]

@@TheMillennialGardener yes! All of this! Southport is beautiful to visit but if I moved back to the east coast I would definitely be moving to Wilmington. Southport is just a liiiittle too small town for me lol! I can’t believe how bad the freezes have been this year!! We’ve been hit repeatedly by hail storms lately but that’s par for the course. We just had a bad one blow through and some of the hail was the size of a football!!! It was INSANE!! Thank you for all you do. Your channel is so helpful especially for us novices.

[@squidikka]

I love your channel. I recently got interested in figs and ordered a bunch of the figs off figbid as per your 10 varieties to get video, and have started trying to root them. I live in TX, zone 8a, so I think I can put most if not all of them in the ground. I used to work at Lowes in the nursery and pretty much every single fruit tree you see is a standard size rootstock, so you're right on the money. I think getting your trees online is the best deal overall, unless you have agricultural restrictions like we do here in TX. Unfortunately, we have one of the most annoying ones in that we are forced to look to stores for anything citrus as it is against agricultural law to ship citrus to TX. As a citrus enthusiast, this is soul crushing. I've been looking for a Kishu Mandarin in every nursery near me for the last 5 or 6 years. My wishlist is big, and it really sucks I have no way of getting them. It's like being a fig enthusiast and not being able to order cuttings and instead rely on your nearest nursery for any varieties outside your standard celeste, brown turkey, or mission. In otherwords, you won't ever get anything interesting, lol.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I am familiar with the import restrictions, and it is frustrating. I would suggest you get yourself a few trifoliate rootstocks, which should be very easy to find. Then, buy budwood from Texas' budwood program: www.tamuk.edu/agriculture/institutes-and-other-units/citr/budwood.html Seedless Kishu is on the list.

[@pd8559]

If you are 8a in TX then check Womack nursery if you have not already, they are master gardener recommended for that zone/area for since forever almost. Unless you are down in Houston an even then you will have difficulty with citrus in TX unless growing them in pots and bringing them in during the winter. You can get trees outside to produce but its always a gamble as to when you get a freak arctic bomb winter that severely stunts or kills a ground planted citrus while other years you may just scrape by and think you are successful at it with covering trees and keeping heaters running to get them through freezes.

[@lindseyg3468]

Hi there. Try Fanick's nursery in San Antonio. They have dozens of varieties of fog trees! I was just there last week.

[@christopherbeard1046]

Awesome to hear that you are in Wilmington, Rocky Point resident here. Small world. Thanks for the info and can't wait to get my trees planted

[@vickiesorenson2383]

They have zones posted on the tree card and also state if they need a pollinator.

[@PeteCorp]

Great writing format. Clear and weighs pro and cons.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching!

[@chriswhinery925]

Another good option is to buy locally but skip the big box stores and find a local small business nursery to buy from. The selection will still not be as big as if you buy online but the varieties they do have will virtually all be varieties that are selected specifically for your region and climate since the stores will want to sell plants that work for their customers. No shipping costs (if you can provide your own transportation), plants that will work for your location, usually knowledgeable staff that can help you select what's right for you, and you're supporting local business. All good things.

[@kqdwills]

I found what you said is true. There are many local nurseries that selling fruit trees with ridiculous prices like in the hundreds, yet if we are really searching around, we can get some quality fruit trees with good prices. I live in CA where there are many local nurseries of all kinds. FL, TX, GA... have many too, not sure about the varieties in the colder states up north. I'm not doubting that there are some good choices for getting fruit trees via online orders, but most the times, the cost is really high for some reasons. Just read the reviews, some customers ordered online and they had horrible experiences. The online nurseries sent dried small sticks with excessive root pruning that never showed any sign of life no matter how much you baby them. I had some bad online orders for trees that was just a waste of my time and money.

[@larrywong4966]

Great video! I have gotten fruit trees in all the ways mentioned. However, we are very very lucky to have a retail/ wholesale nursery Dixon Ca. that sells bare root fruit trees that are only $39 their trees look to be a good year older than other nurseries. Also, having the choice to pick the tree, you can get a good start on future the branch structure of the tree. I got several Aprium and Pluot trees that are not easily available. Fruit trees are a good investment and pleasure!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Having a nursery that does its own grafting onsite and grows/uproots its own bare root trees is a treasure. Unfortunately, I have none local to me that I'm aware of (and I've looked pretty hard), so I must order online. It's always better to be able to see and touch the tree, since there is always a risk of damage in shipment. My trees in this video had a couple snapped branches from shipping, which is not the nursery's fault at all.

[@javier0304]

I’ve picked some from Lemuria Nursery. They have great Dave Wilson trees

[@kamehaz]

Can you share the name of the nursery?

[@excemptfrombs2124]

I managed to get 2 bare root. For £10 this year in the uk ,and there was a great selection in a national store ,they have been planted for only a few months and have all flowered,I got 2 cherry ,1 apple and 1 apple to add to my collection.

[@javier0304]

I just picked up some fruit trees from Costco for half the price. They were originally 39 and picked them up for 19 a tree. I guess It’s the end of the season

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's a good deal! I will say I prefer to plant my fruit trees in the spring, though, since they establish more quickly. If you are able to plant in the fall and have them survive the winter, you can get good clearance deals.

[@nonishearer4126]

You guys always talk about everything but what really matters. I am a senior citizen and have aquired tastes that I prefer so when I search out a tree, I know what taste I want.

[@fishydubsfishing6516]

Are used to go to the big box store right before winter all trees were reduced to 25% of the price i used to fill the truck up every year

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The only problem with that is that it can often be too late to plant, or you'll miss the entire growing season by waiting. I like to get my trees in in early March. That way, they can grow for the entire season and establish before the winter.

[@TnT_F0X]

I Just got my seedless grapes and Viking choke Berries. Spring is busy this year. Already Planted my Hoosier Bananas. (PawPaws.)

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Excellent! Be sure to plant the pawpaw's close. They grow in tight stands, and pollination is fairly poor. I have mine at 6ft spacing, but if I could do it all over again, I may have gone 4-5 feet!

[@TnT_F0X]

@@TheMillennialGardener I have them around 8ft apart, Morning and evening sun, shade during the hottest part, under my massive 50ft Mulberries lol My tomatoes are just growing too big for their solo cups and the last night under 40 passed so everything is lining up for a good 2022 Produce year. Last year I got under a dozen tomatoes cause it was too humid in the summer (my fault with Greenhouse) and I planted seeds too late. This year I'm staying ahead of the weather cause I converted half my bedroom into an indoor greenhouse. Yours and other videos have helped my new strategy, 90% of stuff is going to be in cloth planters and raised cloth beds so I an move things and adjust if they are having trouble. Extra bonus of tailored soil for each plant type. I'mma keep watching for more tips! I'm not stopping till I have the garden of Eden.

[@BiancoLand_]

My favorite way to buy fruit trees is to support my local nursery. Better selection than the big box stores with info on the rootstock. Prices have been similar to the big box stores however even when prices have been high, I don't mind as I'm supporting the local guy. I also enjoy the experience of chatting about different varieties with him.

[@vincenty747]

Great video. Bare root fruit trees are the way to go. I do recommend buying bare roots from your local nursery. You save on the shipping costs and you can also inspect the tree before you buy.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If you are fortunate enough to have a local nursery that stocks them from a good source - or grafts their own, even better - that's great. Unfortunately, where I live, there isn't really a good local option. Many folks in urban and suburban locations don't have access to a true nursery. Our "nurseries" here just sell ornamental landscaping for all the giant builders that are clear-cutting the swamps and sticking housing developments everywhere. We have no sources for fruit trees. It's so frustrating, because we have a good climate for growing fruit.

[@acidnut]

I bought some dwarf cherry trees from groworganic that big box stores do not carry and they came with a very mature trunk and a good root system, Awesome place to buy.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's excellent to hear! There are a lot of good online nurseries out there.

[@moniquegebeline4350]

I think I got my Florida rose blueberries from them, they were itty little tissue cultures but had a great root system and they are a decent size already and 2 have even put out a few flowers already they are one year old. Florida rose is a good low chill pink variety where pink lemonade is harder to grow (I am too warm for them they didn’t do well here)

[@artport7]

I love your videos.... They're so informative and to the point... There are other great youtubers out here that do a good job but some of them get off point and ramble for too long and I don't have that kind of time to listen to someone pontificate for hours... I like to turn on a video and get the information advertised in the title... Thank you for delivering great content very concisely.... Oh, and I love Dale too...

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm really happy to hear that. I try to edit myself to prevent this. Usually, my final videos are only around 60-65% of the length of the raw footage. Thanks for your support, and Dale says hi!

[@121hearc]

i ordered 23 fruit trees this year from willis orchard and have been pleased by the trees

[@TheMillennialGardener]

WOW 😮 strong work 💪 That is fantastic to hear! I wish you bountiful harvests!

[@CampingforCool41]

I was surprised to see your big box fruit trees only $40. Around here these days I can’t find hardly any big box fruit trees under $100, even for the most basic apple trees.

[@mlisaj1111]

We have some cheaper fruit trees in big box store near me. But…they are often little more than twigs, and expect to wait a number of years before they will fruit.

[@83Nachojr]

Buying from a nursery isn't as cheap as big box stores but the quality is sometimes better.

[@buckd2958]

Yes we have a nursery in Texas and get told this all the time

[@aubreyowen5146]

I do the exact thing and I buy mine from ISONS nursery online. No issues

[@CurtisBrandt]

I love planting bare root trees. One advantage you didn’t mention is the ability to generally prune the tree the way you want, so the scaffold branches take the desired configuration. That’s a major benefit to buying dormant bare root whips or similar. I’m more persuaded by the selection and rootstock information available from an online nursery, than I am worried about the cost, as I’m usually only buying a few. Over the life of the tree, the cost differences would diminish in comparison to the time the grower spent watering; pruning, treating, and generally maintaining the tree. That said, might as well save a buck when you can! Nice video and I agree, I’ve had great success with bare root trees.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I mostly agree with this. The difference between a $40 and $60 doesn't matter a year later, but I'll be kicking myself for decades if I get the wrong rootstock or wrong variety. The only way I differ is I'm not afraid to prune an actively growing tree. I will be espaliering my apples, peach, Asian pear, and already espalier my figs, so I train and prune as I go throughout the year. The trifecta is when you get the rootstock you want, variety you want AND a low price. I scored that with the trees in this video, and I'm very pleased with the quality. The peach is a BEAST.

[@CurtisBrandt]

@@TheMillennialGardener Precisely. Agreed.

[@MrEunderwood]

I purchased two apple trees from Lowe's last year. They were very tall and of good caliper, and both were chopped down to 20" due to poor scaffolding. Now, they're thriving! Ngl.. I thought I killed them for a little while there.

[@CurtisBrandt]

@@MrEunderwood It's remarkable how they respond! I almost always bring my new bare-root trees down to 18-24 inches and they do fine! There can be a little trouble, I hear, if you start with a really large caliper tree, as the buds down that low reportedly sometimes aren't able to respond, but as you've seen, it often goes great!

[@paulmoss7940]

I have a mini farm in central NC. The best deal on apple trees here is ,believe it or not,....Food Lion in April. I got two Pink Lady 6 ft 3gal. for $18 each. this year. My Fuyu persimmons came from a nursery. Asian Chestnut trees came transplant from Va., Muscadines from Ga.

[@get6149]

In my state you can use food stamps to buy fruit trees from places like Walmart so that's were I buy mine

[@tashasmith1234]

Wow! That's awesome!

[@get6149]

@@tashasmith1234 yeah alot of people don't know that you can also by seeds of small plants that produce food

[@lindag9975]

Thanks! Around here, we also buy from good local nurseries as they tend to carry many varieties that will grow in our climate.

[@hazel555]

It always amazes me to look through the big box trees in my zone 4b stores that are mostly only at least for zone 5...many people don't even look, wasting their money, not knowing why they die. I alway buy bareroot at a tree nursery in my area, they are shipped at the correct planting time in spring, I plant as soon as I receive them and keep them well-watered, find they do better planted while dormant because they have no leaves to support, plus, if I order in late fall for the next spring and pay in full before Jan, they always offer an early-bird discount.

[@stuttgurth]

Zone 5 plants should do fine in zone 4. Its more of a cold hardiness (limiting) factor. 5 being colder than 4.

[@HKLee-dn1fh]

What an adorable companion you have there… 🐕

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Dale is the best! We are lucky to have him!

[@Grown-N-Nosey]

Bare root is the absolute best way to buy trees. Thanks for the video!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@tagladyify]

Nice advice. Also, without the soil spread of disease and pests are less likely.

[@t.daniel5003]

If you live in the lower Peninsula of Michigan, Maple Grove Orchard in Linwood MI. Is an excellent resource.

[@KarlB791]

I sometimes order from Gurnees and it's generally free shipping if you spend over 60 bucks.

[@Agustin-jo8mv]

Awesome. I will remember this when I am ready to buy trees. Thank you for this videos. 👌

[@vickiesorenson2383]

We have zone maps and most varieties tell you when you need a pollinator or they are self pollinated. Most people research their trees and again you can go pick them up at nurseries out of town as well.

[@ericlivingston8027]

There is another downside to bare root fruit trees and that is that you have a limited time to buy them. They go for sale in mid summer or fall and depending on the varieties can sale out quickly. Multi grafted fruit trees sale out like hot pancakes. With all the new gardeners regular trees sale out fast sometimes though. In the January 2020-2021 season most online bare root trees were sold out or not shipping by January so I had to wait until the 2021-2022 season and am only just now getting my trees a year later. Plus since bare root fruit trees are dormant they may not always come out of dormancy. I had a nursery send me 5 cherries and 3 out of 5 did not break dormancy. Now the ones that did are better looking than any of my other trees though. I do agree it is the best option assuming you have the timing though. I was looking at trees at my local Home Depot. They had multi grafted apples with two varieties for 99 dollars. In other words it may still not be cheap in big box stores.

[@billdelaney4222]

Another great video my favorite gardening channel ty

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for your support!

[@Soilfoodwebwarrior]

My experience is that the dormant trees bare root trees adapt faster to their new environment than potted trees. In fact I have lost a potted tree while never losing a bare root tree

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I agree, provided you purchase a variety that's appropriate for your climate on a rootstock appropriate for your soil. After the initial "lag," they can really take off on you. I have noticed some species are faster than others, but generally, bare root trees will catch up.

[@coryloggins3948]

Potted trees go through dormancy as well so I don't get the problem as long as you pick a good time

[@kathrynmauro8673]

I bought bare root fruit trees, berry and grape vines with the exception of my three fig trees every tree was semi- dwarf. I selected early, mid and late so that I wouldn't get a glut of fruit at one time. My citrus trees were all potted since I have never seen bare root citrus. I had sixty-two semi-dwarf organic fruit trees and I ended up with so much fruit. I had no idea what they were grafted on but all my trees thrived. I feed them compost that I made and set up a system of drip irrigation three feet down so the roots were trained to get water from under the soil. I guess what I am trying to say is that I have had success with barefoot trees from Home Depot and would definitely purchase more fro from them.

[@edwardberk2281]

Love this video. Lowes and home depot both sell pears apples and peaches in my area that need 300-400 chill hours which we rarely get in my part of florida and i think thats quite shady. However i love buying blueberries and grapes from big box stores as you said and i think they’re so cheap there its not even worth the hassle of buying online as i notice the cane fruits tend to be shipped smaller than a typical tree.

[@tedpendlebury7978]

Note that blueberries have chill hour needs as well as your apples and peaches.

[@charlinehenderson4996]

Hello from Raleigh also I watched your video on growing citrus 🍊 in NC will be planting one next year.

[@robertreznik9330]

Big box trees are bare root that have been in a container with wood chips for several months. Yes. Bare root and store in a container works the best. or plant outside when soil is not frozen. This will cause less stress to plant when dormant.

[@Sam-lj9vj]

I feel very lucky now. I live in The Netherlands, Europe and I bought some beautiful cherry trees. total height is about 6ft, for about 18EUR each, and shipping is barely 9EUR. But then again, drive 200 miles and you basically crossed the entire country...

[@TheMillennialGardener]

For me, the up-front cost is not that big of a deal. If I pay $25 for a fruit tree or $55 for a fruit tree, it won't matter to me in 3-4 years when I'm getting lots of fruit. They all pay for themselves overtime. That being said, it's crazy to see how expensive they've gotten. I could swear those $43 trees were $26 two years ago. It's crazy.

[@donnavorce8856]

Fedco trees is a good online source. They love apple trees but have many types of trees, seeds, supplies, root crops, organic supplies, tools. Their paper catalogue is LOADED with information. Well worth requesting. They're in Maine I believe. Have bought trees a few times from them and I'm satisfied with the trees.

[@joedoe-sedoe7977]

I recommend getting trees from your local nursery that has been in business for awhile, the reason is because thats all they do they know the local climate and know what doesnt work, where as walmart or home depot many irons in the fire and may have mislabeled ,(tag switching) or not compatable stock and you wont know for years that what you got was wrong .. i have had mixed results from dry root..some never sprouted and then its to late to reorder or replant also they will pitch great photos of the fruit with new variety names and features but arent the tried and true that you really should stick with..once again, your local nursey doesnt want to face a local customer that returns to explain why it was below what he expected. So worst is big box ,second is mail order dry root, best is local IMO

[@lionmelendez765]

Awesome video and great tips. Will you be so kind to share or list the nursery's where you get your bare root fruit plants. Thanks

[@northeasthardytropicals541]

Very solid info my man. I agree the big box stores have their value and limitations. It’s knowing the difference that’s important.

[@MrEunderwood]

I used Ison's Nursery for all of my muscadine vines, several pecan trees and a couple specific cultivars of plum tree that I needed as pollinators. It took them a few extra weeks to wake up, but they've all exploded with new growth! I wouldn't be surprised if they surpass the older and actively growing trees I purchased from big box stores over the years.

[@moniquegebeline4350]

I missed the muscadine this year I want that red self fruiting variety they have that says coming soon! Lol

[@MrEunderwood]

@@moniquegebeline4350 I just went and checked it out. They look fantastic! Had to add my name to the wait list! Lol

[@louisehondel2761]

The info I wanted to know the most is which online retailers are the most reliable?

[@donnavorce8856]

Hopefully you're perused the comments for some good online sources used by some of us. I'd suggest Fedco trees in Maine. Request a catalogue and peruse it for a week or two then make your order. The catalogue is packed with information. More than I could even read over an entire winter season!

[@ManangMeme]

I bought fruit trees online from the Rain Tree Nursery and Earl May Nursery and they all died after 2 to 3 years. I don’t know maybe Frost got them all. I bought apple trees in Orschlen and Home Depot they're doing fine and growing well.

[@Nature-Is-My-Home]

Great info as usual. Just bought 3 bareroot apple trees from century farms orchards here in NC with the exact varieties and rootstock I was looking for.

[@tenecaidom3511]

Hiii! Thank you for your helpful information

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@valoriegriego5212]

I have purchased bare root plants and trees through the years and had great success. They tend to wake up quickly when it's time to grow.🙂 Another informative post...thanks! Hey to food inspector Dale!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm glad to hear that! Bare root trees require patience. People tend to kill them with kindness trying to coax them along. They need to sit and slowly do their thing, but once they wake up, they often can overtake other trees. Dale and his nosey nose says hi! 👃

[@francescaurban8985]

Thank you for this excellent info. I just discovered your channel and have been scouring your videos amd taking notes! I live inland from you, in Central Arkansas 7B/8 (I am a recent transplant from Southern California, zone 9b/10) but still southern, humid and similar to your weather. Just wanted to say hi and thank you! And Dale totally rocks, what a sweetheart!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! I'm glad you're enjoying the videos.

[@shredmetalshred7395]

Good presentation! Hello from Food Forest Virginia!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Hello, northern neighbor! Thanks for watching from my food forest to yours!

[@bbtruth2161]

Hunt around. There are tons of options and lots of good online nurseries. I have a whole favorites page just for them. It does take a little time and studying to find suitable rootstock and varieties to fit your needs. I prefer bareroot trees and shrubs. Good advice on this video. Here in MN there are lots of nurseries that raise plants specifically adapted to the zone and environment. Most will ship bareroot or allow for pickup onsite.

[@muhimmanmuhtadi6134]

In tropical area trees are never get dormant. shipping is done when tree is actively growing. Soil is reduced to optimize the shipping cost, and in my experience that way is very vulnerable to any kind of rot. Hope you all be grateful tree in your area get a dormancy period

[@TheMillennialGardener]

In tropical areas, you generally cannot plant deciduous trees like apples, peaches and pears. Usually, their limit is Zone 9. They need chill hours, a low-light dormancy period, and benefit from frosts. If you are buying tropical trees, I fine smaller trees ship better. I would rather have 1 gallon trees and trees shipped in tree pots.

[@michealinak]

Thank you for that information.

[@urabundant]

Nice to meet you! This was so helpful! I have subscribed! Looking forward to more new information!!! I'm in Illinois! 🙏🙏🙏

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you for subscribing! I appreciate it!

[@stuttgurth]

If you are mid west or near a tractor supply, they have bare root trees (3 foot) for 12-15 and large potted trees (6 foot) for 30.

[@budbruni4696]

I was disappointed in our tractor supply in central connecticut, sold out by mid April on all their fruit trees

[@stuttgurth]

@@budbruni4696 Really May is getting to late to plant tbh. Yeah, you've gotta be quick. Most of the 12 dollar ones sold quick or are now dead, since they werent potted.

[@SmokyMountainBlessed]

thanks for the tips

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

Also remember that long-lived perennials like fruit trees are good for your soil in general, and you can companion-plant all sorts of cool things under/around them to make the most of your space. :)

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's true. They're also great at combating erosion problems. The roots secure the soil from washing out in heavy rain, and also help prevent drainage problems. The roots aerate the soil well.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@TheMillennialGardener absolutely right : )

[@josephcutler8870]

I planted 286 trees laat year when i bought my property i went with a online wholesalers. Willis orchards.

[@moniquegebeline4350]

I’ve gotten several of my fruiting shrubs (goumi, guava) and fruit trees bare root from some good online nurseries. A local nursery to me also had some decent deals on low chill varieties like Anna and ein shemer apples.

[@nightcoder5k]

It's good to know option 3 where you can have a good selection of trees online. There are many nurseries where I live so I can just go buy fruit trees from them. I recently bought a grafted fruit tree that has 3 different types of fruits.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

I like all your alternatives. Your thoughts about big box store trees are spot-on in my experience, and I try to avoid those places anyway. Another option, at least in my area, is plant/tree sales sponsored by the state university and/or local conservation groups. There's a big push on now to get people to plant more trees, especially native varieties that are known to do well in your specific area - and that's fantastic. We found this year that the prices at a couple such local sales were much lower than online stores - and we still have a lot of confidence in them performing well here. They're all bare-root trees, and that's fine with me. What are your thoughts on growing fruit trees from cuttings? There's a farmer near us that grows an heirloom apple variety we really like, and I was thinking of asking him to sell me some cuttings. I don't mind that cuttings will take longer to grow to a productive size; we have enough room to put them out of the way and let them grow, and we're also putting in bare-root trees and a couple container-grown trees that will become mature sooner.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

(I understand that apples are very often grafted onto a different rootstock for various reasons including disease-resistance, but in this specific case the variety in question is known to do well on its own in our area and the farmer said the ones he's had for a decade or more are all non-grafted.)

[@TheMillennialGardener]

The problem I have with growing native species is they are overwhelmingly ornamentals. I try to grow only things that feed me (except for the weakness I have for palms). To me, *most* ornamentals don't serve the purpose that I need, so I need to branch out and get creative. While a lot of universities and local nurseries promote local species, they rarely promote edibles, and that's a shame. Good fruit trees are so hard to find! I generally don't like growing from cuttings, because I overwhelmingly prefer growing on a hardy, disease resistant, dwarfing rootstock. There are exceptions: figs, blueberries, pineapple guava, my Meyer lemon - these items I do not want grafted for a whole host of reasons. However, for disease-prone or giant-growing trees like apples, peaches, pears, Asian persimmon, most citrus, etc., I believe grafting onto an appropriate rootstock is generally superior. If you grow from cutting, you should do it for a specific reason. For the apple that does well for you, ask yourself this: do you want a 30-40 ft tall apple tree? If you do, grow from a rooted cutting. If not, you may want to get yourself a G.210, M.9 or some other rootstock that is appropriate for your climate. Cummins has good descriptions here: www.cumminsnursery.com/buy-trees/index.php?type=rootstock&year=2022&category=Apple&subcategory=

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@TheMillennialGardener bro... are you kidding me? Blueberries are native. Apples are native. Peaches are native. Wild plums are native. Paw-paws are native. Blackberries are native, etc etc etc. Muscadines are native (OK that's not a tree, it's a vine, but still.) Those are ALL available at the local sales here in the southeast. It ain't just dogwoods and redbuds. Yes I get it, a lot of native trees are "ornamental" and you don't get an edible harvest from them, but to say "native trees are overwhelmingly ornamental" or that "local universities rarely promote edible plants" is simply NOT true. PLEASE do get more creative and open your mind a little, friend.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@TheMillennialGardener and yes, as I said earlier, I fully understand why so many apples are grafted. The specific variety I have in mind is sort of an exception to that, as I said. I know it does well on its own rootstock in MY area; I've seen the mature trees and eaten the fruit :)

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@TheMillennialGardener please also bear in mind that IF a gardener has room for them - I understand, many people just don't have enough yard - but IF they do have room, "ornamental" native trees from oaks to maples to dogwoods and redbuds also play a VERY important role in providing food and habitat for all sorts of pollinators and beneficial wildlife. It's not JUST about what we get to eat in the short term. IF we have the space to do so, we should also consider the larger environmental issues and plant accordingly. That might be an oak tree or just a small flower bed. It depends on the person and how much area they have to work with. IF a person only has room for a tiny herb garden or a few flowers or one tomato plant, I encourage them! Every little bit helps. :)

[@backyardfarmingwithashley]

Great video useful information 👍🏾 in February I bought 5 bare root trees shipping and taxes all came in under $125.00.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That is a really good deal! If they’re fruit trees, they’ll pay for themselves quickly.

[@backyardfarmingwithashley]

@@TheMillennialGardener sure thing!

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@backyardfarmingwithashley You've made a wise investment that will likely continue to pay dividends after you're gone. That's one of my favorite things about trees in general... people a long time from now will still enjoy them.

[@backyardfarmingwithashley]

@@dogslobbergardens6606 that's very true!

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

@@backyardfarmingwithashley I find that thinking of that makes my back hurt less after a long day of digging planting holes ha ha :p

[@Sam-tg4ii]

0:02 You have one of those faces you look at and tell yourself "he has a good heart" :)

[@jamescrow8822]

my go to are the local seed store and also the local plant nursery. By far they offer the best variety tailored to the environment, they come with expert advice, and at least in my experience they take off much faster than the big box store fruit trees.

[@mybootscamewithoutstraps]

I bought 11 fruit trees from StarkBros....They all came in the same box. Shit was super well packed and nothing was damaged. The only downer of bare root trees is that you also basically have only the main trunk. Most branches are nixed.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That’s a positive, if you ask me. Getting a large tree isn’t what you want. Training the tree while it is small to maintain small stature is key for backyard gardeners. I don’t want large trees, because I will have to cut them down to get the low branching I need. For this reason, I buy smaller trees these days.

[@mybootscamewithoutstraps]

@@TheMillennialGardener Honestly you and another person have changed my mind. I went out with clippers last night and trimmed some of my larger trees down (stone fruits) to open their canopies up and get rid of the central leaders. You're a big inspiration, bro. Fellow millenial gardener :)

[@sylvia10101]

Such great information! 👍 Thank you! 😊

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You are welcome! Thanks so much for watching as always!

[@sshvulnerability]

IDK my guy - home depot was cheaper than the large nurseries nearby. 6ft strawberry vanilla hydrangea was $120 at the big (200 acre...) nursery and $79 at home depot - identical size. Plus home depot will warranty it but the nursery will only warranty it if they install it.

[@olafemio]

Some great practical info!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Glad you found it useful! Thanks for watching!

[@truthseeker1364]

I haven't seen any fruit trees the past 2 years at big box stores except maybe tractor supply had like two plums. And the home Depot like an apple and a pair. I'm here in Maryland

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They get them in very early. Here, Home Depot gets apples, pears and plums in stock in January. By the time April rolls around, they're pretty picked over. For cold hardy deciduous trees, they're brought in very early in winter, and then the evergreen stuff like citrus and avocados come in April when the frosts stop. At least that's how it works here.

[@truthseeker1364]

@@TheMillennialGardener ok I will have to check

[@doggiefamily908]

Yes! Exactly. About 8 years ago I bought two apple trees in a big box store. They grew, but never flowered, and then started to die. They are both gone now, I wasted money and time. From now on, I'm sticking with online nurseries, after researching well before.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Oh, no! I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe it was for the best. Even worse than the trees dying would be the trees establishing well and never fruiting or providing poor fruit. It's so important to buy a tree where the fruit ripens at the "ideal" time. Apples need to mature in that cooler fall weather, so a variety that ripens too early during the heat of the summer, or too late once the frosts start, won't work. It's like threading a needle.

[@roccoconte2960]

Mail order can be very hit or miss box stores quality is not good , I think your local nursery is the best way to go . Good video very informative.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

My local nurseries get the same stuff as Lowes and Home Depot. If you have a nursery local to you that actually does its own grafting, that is awesome! But they are few and far between, because it is incredible work to grow all those mother trees and rootstocks, then graft. Mail order is my only option without driving a huge distance.

[@Kluelesskanoe]

1.50 a piece for avocados! In hawaii we got lots of avocado trees but it’s 3.99-4.99 for avocados per pound some bag of 4-5 avocados can cost $10. I’m a year into growing my avocados from seed I have two currently but my dwarf thornless Mexican lime tree has yet to grow dispite me having it for quite some time. I decided to fertilize the soil more to see if anything happens I’m quite sad about it I put it in a 7gal pot

[@441rider]

I have had luck with shipping wetted root balls for 4 foot trees no dirt to ship or very little. Works with expidited couriers.

[@michaelriddick7116]

Great advice! If you don't need a 3-4yo tree, check with you're state's Forestry department! Virginia's Department of Forestry runs a program selling 1y/o bare root seedlings of native trees to try an encourage people to plant native trees!! I had 25 bare root seedlings sent to my home for a little over $100!! The American plums are leafing already, but the pawpaws and persimmons are making me wonder 😂🤣😂🤣

[@donnavorce8856]

In Nebraska they've got the NRD (Natural Resources Districts) who sell tiny tree seedlings for under 2 bucks. The native shrubs are my favorite. Small fruits will be harvestable in 3 years or so. Service berry, elder berry, native plum, choke cherry, choke berry, golden currant, nankang cherry are some of what they offer in shrubs. The tiny trees are mainly ornamentals.

[@terra448]

I have bought many bareroot and potted trees. I have found bareroot trees can take a long time to wake up and sometimes they don't wake up at all. I really don't think they ship well that way even when dormant. If you look at most tree roots they have a mesh like structure. When they ship bareroot most of that is gone and sometimes damaged. This sets the plant back greatly. Also, just because the top of the tree is dormant doesn't mean the roots are. Many trees actively grow roots while "dormant" depending on the soil temps. Bareroot is a gamble just for savings. It's better to buy a smaller potted tree that will have full roots and time to adjust. I've been burned way too many times by bareroot.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

This is why it is important to buy from a reputable seller. Some are better than others. The apples and peach I received from Cummins had an excellent root system, and they were already beginning to bud. Same as my Asian pear from Burnt Ridge. It had no buds when received, but since planting a week ago, buds are beginning to appear already. I recommend cross-referencing sellers on the website DavesGarden. Some nurseries are just resellers, while some are actually grafting and digging them up. The latter is usually superior.

[@timcheng8165]

What are some bare root tree vendors you’d recommend?

[@katrinagarland5219]

Not sure what online nurseries you have been checking out but I just bought two apple trees (dwarfs) from Stark Bros for $39.00 each - NO SHIPPING!

[@RRaucina]

As for tree final size, the label you held told it exactly! Big box has labels that usually have the information you need.

[@michaelmosley254]

Great video as always I'm looking for lufa seeds any suggestion

[@TheMillennialGardener]

That's not something I've ever purchased. I would use a good old fashioned Google search for that and cross-reference the seller's reputation on the website DavesGarden.

[@roryf.1349]

I thought that that trash bag was a rifle stock at first, that genuinely intrigued me. 🤣

[@veronicaalta9462]

Great video!!

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Thank you!

[@Mhorianna]

I just moved from TN to WI, and while there are some overlap of varieties, those are indoor or tropical plants. I don't see crepe myrtles sold here, for example. But I see a lot of hardy lilac. And I frequent the same stores, HD, or Lowes.

[@johac7637]

The commercial orchards plant and buy them by the thousands, tens of thousands. The growers that are closest to your location grow usually for your region. Shop locally.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Unfortunately, most regions do not have local nurseries of quality. The nurseries around here just import the same trees that the big box stores do, or they don't have any fruit trees, period. Shopping local means Home Depot for most. Most of the population live in cities and suburbs, so the nearest nursery that actually performs their own grafting can be hours away. If you have one, that's a goldmine, but it's rare and hard to find in today's world. Generally speaking, the nurseries around here strictly sell ornamentals for landscaping. Fruit trees...I can't find them anywhere.

[@johac7637]

@@TheMillennialGardener we are lucky, C&O, Vanwell, Willow Creek, etc, in Washington, Bylands in BC, Whitfill in Arizona, Dave Wilson in Calif. If one calls the m they tell you who sells at retail levels. Or ask at the local upicks, they are a good source of their supplier.

[@migall2717]

Fantastic advise. As always. Thank you.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I'm glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching!

[@cv542]

Very helpful, in Wilmington also 💪

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome! Hopefully, you stayed warm this morning. My weather station recorded a low of 37 here in Brunswick County. No ground frost, thankfully.