Yeah whatever floats your boat. I love these figs, and have many, but never paid for them, just traded.
I killed this one last year, I need to replace it, set up a trade. I should have another this fall. I like the figs on this one, and a pretty variegated fig too.
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You are a born collector. How is your Frank Zappa collection doing, did you end up selling it?
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Sounds like that nursery is *using other people’s money to make money!" And that’s the best way to make money, right?! No risk of propagating trees nobody wants because they aren’t having to graft until they know what varieties the customers want. And even if the order is “confirmed,” and the customer believes they will receive that order next spring, the seller can always say that tree variety is unavailable, sold out, did not survive & etc., and then the seller could offer another variety to the buyer to take or leave.
I might buy an $85 tree from a local nursery, if it was on the rootstock I want and not too long in the pot, but only because I might be in a hurry to get some apples. I would NOT buy a “common” tree online a year in advance–and that is only 1 1/2’ to 3’ tall–under ANY circumstance.
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That price in KS?
That’s the apple which produces the gluten-free apples, right?
/sarc
Scott
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Yes, Waters in Salina.
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Sounds like it’s time for me to switch from selling fruit to selling fruit trees.
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Looks like it may be time for me to raise my prices.
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I guess that one takes the top prize then! It is insane. I thought us Kansans were a little smarter than that. Not that they have actually sold any at that price.
It has been interesting reading everybody’s comments. I have a policy against bad mouthing any other business, unless I know they are committing out right fraud or somebody specifically ASKS me about my thoughts on a particular company. I guess in this instance I am not really bad mouthing the company, they are free to do as they see fit. I got the email that started this thread from Stark Bros. yesterday. It was link to order as I said small, bare root, common trees for spring delivery 2022. I followed through the link, chose a random common tree and then continued to the point where I would actually have to enter credit card info… With shipping, tax and the purchase price… $85.93.
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Near Salina, KS
Don’t forget that’s for a one foot tree.
I watched Stark Bros raise their price three times in the last two years. Soon you will need a loan to shop there. Prices have went up everywhere, just not to their insane levels.
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Not for the common tree. But if it would be something specific I need in the condition I need and something I can’t get less expensive somewhere else in the same time frame - may be.
I know some of the behind the scenes information regarding Stark Bros. and I will say its sad to see one of the “legends” of American nurseries taking a far different approach to the industry than the one that built them.
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I heard they were bought out a few years ago. Looks like they are focused on first time buyers. Aside from price, I think a good amount of the classic nurseries have also allowed their product quality to decline lately. My nursery fav list is pretty small now.
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I have looked into Stark Bros for purchasing. I have never purchased there because of price. They charge between 15 and 33 for a 3 pack of raspberries for example. I bought my raspberries that are coming soon for 3 something a raspberry to 4 something a raspberry last July at double a vineyards. Indiana berry sells them for even less and shipping is like 10 dollars.
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For a lot of people, the more expensive it is, the better it is.
Most people I know believe that a potted tree is superior to a bare root tree. They will pay more for a potted tree, and pay more to buy from a big name nursery.
I would not pay that price for a tree, and certainly not a 3’ common variety. But many people go to local nurseries and pay $40 to $80 for potted trees and don’t blink an eye at the cost. The trees available at nurseries around here weren’t grown or grafted at the nursery. They were bought from wholesalers and shipped in. Yet people have the impression that these local nurseries have grown the trees from a seed or something, nurturing them for years until offering them for sale.
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Excellent points.
My neighbors look for (and often find) 15 to 30 dollar feathered, potted, apple trees.
I did most of my multi-graft trees by buying a nicely branched apple or pear
for $16 or less and going to snipping and grafting.
And 4 or 5 years back I bought 100 Antonovka seedlings for under $1 apiece
and this year I bought 100 Budagovsky-9 roots for $1.18 each.
More time than actual money. I am raising seedlings, also.
Geneva roots I’ve averaged $3 and up per root. Same for OH x F pears. (But callery seedlings are often free.)
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I have had good luck purchasing fruit trees from Home Depot for 33-34 dollars a piece. I have purchased pears, apples, and crabapples. I think I have purchased over 20 trees. They only have a small selection of common varieties, but they are getting better every year. I noticed they added some stone fruit this year. I have bought trees for 2 years now and have not lost one. They seem to grow very well.
My only advice is get there early and get first pickings. They get a spring and fall shipment in every year. I also go to a local nursery which has nice fruit trees. I wait until the middle of October and get trees for 50 percent off. I got 2 nice apple, and 2 nice Asian pears for 100 dollars. They came from Hollybrook orchards.
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