Do you need more work to do this Spring
3 Likes
Your Orchard adventure awaits. What clever marketing. Has anyone ordered it before? I’d love to hear about it.
I would personally be hesitant because:
- Unkown rootstock/cultivar - Maybe it doesn’t work for your location/soil.
- Below grade - May have puny roots and you may lose a year.
- Duplicates - Does Cummins guarantee all trees are different? What if they just send you 10 golden delicious.
2 Likes
I first heard about grab bags with precious metals a few years ago. In those grab bags they would say 1 lucky winner gets a oz of gold, a few people like 2-5 get .5 oz of gold and hundreds of people get the smallest denomination. They never explained how you could know that they did not just send everyone the smallest denomination. Call them what they are and that is gambling. I assume it is the same here where most just get a few leftover scion and a person or two get a tree. If you get a bunch of scion that is cheap you cannot complain because you took the gamble opposed to buying a tree. To edit I see they claim they are trees only. They claim they are damaged trees. It brings up the question of how damaged is too damaged to send to the customer? I have received some pretty damaged trees before from places like Grow Organic Peaceful Valley so I know some nurseries push what is damaged. Also you can buy 2 trees on their website for the cost of a grab bag.
I was going to order, but the S&H costs were the highest I’ve ever seen from any plant nursery. Discount code doesn’t apply to the “Grab bag” either. Cost of trees is good, though.
How much was the shpping?
I think about $55. And to answer your previous question, these are basically trees that weren’t up to retail standards - too small, damaged, ect. Or, lost tags, so unknown varieties. $7.50 per tree is good, but the trees are a crap shoot. I was going to plant for wildlife, so quality/variety wasn’t that big of a concern. Shipping costs just didn’t make it worth it for me.
55 dollar shipping is not horrible for 10 trees. I read that too where it was trees they deemed not eligible for retail which my thought was how bad are they. Also they said maybe you will get lucky and it will be an apricot or cherry which to me suggests it is going to be mostly 1 fruit tree type like apples. If I could plant 10 trees of any type I would like a few of different varieties of fruit. Also if it is apples there are apples some will like and some they will not. Imagine getting all cider apple when you want to eat apples fresh
1 Like
So with shipping it’s close to $13 per tree. You don’t get to choose the tree and the tree could be damaged.
Some local places might have $15 dollar or less trees that you get to pick out.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/brand/DeGroot?&srch=degroot
1 Like
I don’t know how much Cumberland Valley charges for shipping 10 trees, but maybe for a little bit more, you can buy selected trees from them rather than a grab bag from Cummins.
Shipping costs are really much higher every year it seems. Paid $20 to ship 2 boxes of parafilm.
1 Like
Shipping prices keep on rising is why. At least with USPS since I started 3 years ago I have seen a price increase around every 6 months. When I first started a forever stamp was high 40s low 50s in terms of cents. Now a forever stamp is 63 cents and is due to go up to 66 cents in July I believe. When I started you could ship a first class package at 3 something or 4 something dollars 3 years ago. Now you are lucky to get 5 dollar first class shipping. Most of these commercial sellers are using places like FEDEX and UPS which are even more expensive. Once you realize they are shipping 5 foot trees more often than not you also realize the price is justified. I have bought raspberries that ended up being shipped in a padded envelop that would ship flat rate with a padded flat rate at USPS for 10 dollars or first class for 5 but the nursery charged me over 20 and felt ripped off. I have then seem nursery send a package that is 5 foot by 1-2 feet and think to myself what I deal I got and 20 something to 30 something dollars.
2 Likes
I just got my Cummins grab bag(box). From North N.Y. to Des Moines, $39.90 for ten trees. Not Cummins fault that shipping is so high.
The tree variety, Chieftain, Baldwin, Pink Lady, Porters perfection, Hudson’s golden gem, Maxine(pear), Blenheim, and two I don’t recall. The rootstocks are very large and healthy, the scions are small, all are healthy.
I got two apples that are in my top ten list, two I wanted to try but am too cheap to order, and the other stuff will grow and make nice frankentrees in a few years. Overall, very pleased.
6 Likes
Was thinking about pulling the trigger, maybe next year. Thanks!
My overall price for ten trees was $135. You’re right, I didn’t get to pick rootstock or variety but I know I didn’t get seedling rootstock and these trees didn’t ship from an unheated or overly heated pallet warehouse and haven’t sat on a parking lot for 3 weeks like they do at Tractor supply, Lowes, or Menards. And I also know that Baldwin and Chieftain would not be varietal selections but red or yellow delicious will be.
I’ve had my differences with Cummins over the years, but this deal was a winner for me!
Atta boy Cummins!
4 Likes
Congrats.
Edit: you posted the cultivars already, looks like a good assortment. Did the rootstock get tags too?
Looks like a great deal. I just looked at the site and they are sold out for this year. Glad you could get the deal.
They did, mostly G11.
1 Like
Small trees, per Cummins 25% of standard.
In other words save on buying the trees but get to water a lot more and stake the tree.
1 Like
Funny enough my best peace tree was one of these degroot $15 trees from tractor supply. When i unbagged it had almost no root, but we planted it anyways and it took off more than any tree ive ever seen. You never can tell.
1 Like