Arbor day tree quality?

Has anyone ordered trees from the Arbor day foundation?:

https://www.arborday.org/index.cfm

Looking to add some shade trees and their prices are quite reasonable. Curious how the quality is?

1 season I bought 30 Korean Boxwoods and 15 Paper Birch. For the boxwoods 10 died within a few days. The remainder didnā€™t make it through the winter. For the Paper Birch 2 survived the summer. The next summer they leafed out but never grew. When they finally lost their leaves around June I dug them up. Roots never grew. I asked for replacements. I was sent 15 more. Out of those 4 lived through 1 season. This last summer not 1 had a single leaf.

Save your money.

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Yikesā€¦ Iā€™ve bought trees (confiers/etc) through Musser Forest and have had good success.

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Hi Mickster,
I bought 3 nanking cherry trees from the Arbor Foundation last year early spring and so far, so good. They were skinny twigs when I received them and the roots were kind of lacking, I mean I could actually count the little things. They really looked like they were on their last legs and so I prepared my soil to accommodate their deficiencies as best as I could. By summer they were nicely leafed out and looking like they enjoyed their fertilizer meals! This year, late spring, I will take pictures and post them. So to answer your question honestly, I have seen and received much better plants from other sources, and I would not have ordered those nanking cherries if I could have ordered them from another source during the late season when I placed the order. The Arbor Foundation was my last resort.

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yes, I ordered 3 chestnut trees, I wanted them for root stock and to pollinate an older tree. They came bear root and I followed the directions soaking the roots etc. They all lived and I was able to graft .with good success.

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I did, a few years ago so I canā€™t remember what tree was it. All I remember that itā€™s so small. I did get 10 tiny spruce as free gifts which I gave them away.

if youā€™d like to support the foundation, order from them. If you want a bigger, better quality trees, you should order from reputable nurseries.

Before I knew anything about gardening, I joined their foundation and got 5 ā€œfreeā€ Crape Myrtle trees. They sent bareroot saplings with puny roots and just 2 of the 5 survived. They have thrived now but Iā€™m still not sure what variety they are since they havenā€™t flowered in 2 years. Iā€™ll suggest you stay away.

Iā€™ll also suggest to check out the shade tree before buying it. They are supposed to live longer than us and itā€™s critical that they are of good quality. Unlike our fruit trees, you cannot even correct some deficiencies.

Thanks for all for the awesome feedback. Iā€™m actually looking for a couple of southern magnolias to act as shade trees / privacy barriers between me and the neighbors. Anyone seen these at a reasonable price somewhere else? We have a bunch on our property and they do well with no care.

The biggest problem with arbor day is the trees are small not poor health of trees. I wanted to clarify because some nurseries send dead or close to it plants and that they donā€™t do in my experience.

If I had known you wanted Nanking cherries I could have sent you some. I have a small bed of seedlings in a very shady spot( it keeps them from growing) when I want to add to my hedge or I accidentally kill one by girdling it with flagging tapešŸ˜, I just transplant one out into the sun and they start growing.

Hi Derby42,
I still want nanking cherries if I can get them. Please let me know how much it will cost me to get a few from you! I guess it is too late now. Huh? Could or would you send me a personal message. I still have not figured out how to send a message to anyone yet. Forgive meā€¦:relieved:

ahgrower, to read the message I just sent you - click on the little green circle at the top right of your screen. Then click on the highlighted line where it shows my name in the box that pops up.

I sent you a pm

The cheap magnolias are rooted cuttings and need TLC . All of the small trees need this . They are not ready to survive in the yard . I now grow in a pot the first summer and plant them out in the fall . This improves the survival rate .

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