Greenmantle Nursery

Seeing as lots of you guys are on the west coast. I’m wondering if anyone would know if their stock is likely awake at this point. Reason being is I was going to put an inquiry into them but I don’t want to waste their time if their orchards are likely awake already.

They’re taking orders through February 28th. Here’s a link to the ordering page. I ordered from them last year and didn’t feel great about what I got – six trees, three survived. I might have had better luck if I’d kept them in pots for a year.

1 Like

I was 0 for 2 several years ago when I ordered from them. I don’t like their business model, bench graft on sub-standard rootstock and blame the customer if it dies.

3 Likes

Heads up! Thanks Scott!

1 Like

That was my experience with them 8-9 years ago as well

1 Like

When I order benchgrafts from Greenmantle, or from anyone I expect loss. Benchgrafts are far cheaper than ordering bareroot trees. I have ordered from Greenmantle a few times as they have some varieties than no one else has. I am probably 8 for 10 overall. Ram is a slight curmudgeon but he is full of information and happy to give it out. I would order again from them with full confidence. They just are not in the business of growing out trees.
If it is a variety that I really want I order 2-3 of them. I always grow in a pot for the first year.

3 Likes

$18-$21 for a benchgraft? I can get trees for that price or less. To each their own

1 Like

I was lookin for scion wood from him for a particular variety. I called their today, he said no he does bench grafts only.

Many online nurseries that stock heirloom and other interesting varieties with good reputations charge 35-40 per true. Greenmantle’s pricing is not out of line especially considering that he has at least 15 varieties that are not available anywhere else in the world.
I wanted some of those varieties and was very happy to pay that price. I know for sure there is no way I would do all the work involved for 18 dollars.

1 Like

I’ve ordered from them three different times. I think I was paying $12 for their bench grafts, but that was several years ago. Their bench grafts were very small, but I had good luck with them

Most of what I ordered was apple and pear, so that may have helped, since those are the easiest to graft. Plus, we are half the distance here, compared to the East Coast, which may have also contributed to survival of the grafts.

1 Like

You wouldn’t benchgraft a tree for $18? I must be missing something

I would also pay $18 for a quality benchgraft if it was the absolute only way I could get a certain variety that I really, really, really wanted. Since I can get literally thousands of varieties without doing that…I choose not to.

1 Like

I would benchgraft a few trees for myself, as I have, but I would not endeaver in a business that paid 18 per benchgraft. I doubt Mr Fishman is getting rich selling benchgrafts, and I am sure benchgrafting pays less than what I normally do to make a living, so no I would not raise many hundreds of trees, keep a website, order rootstocks or grow them, take orders, and graft thousands of trees per year for $18 each.
I will leave that to Mr Fishman and order from him when I want a rare tree that only he has. I would probably order from somewhere else if I can find the variety as I prefer scion wood, or 1-2 year old trees.

2 Likes

I have gotten several bench grafts from Greenmantle and have been pleased. I like ribs1 bought two of the ones I wanted. I talked to Ram and he said some were shaky in my location. He went out of his way to graft them on b118 so they would have better hardiness.

1 Like

I ordered 14 pairs of apple benchgrafts from Greenmantle over a couple of years. These were almost all varieties that I couldn’t have obtained elsewhere in any size for any price. I bought them in pairs as a kind of insurance. Ram counsels buyers not to plant benchgrafts out into an orchard directly, but I was impatient, so I planted one of each pair in the orchard and the other in a 5-gallon pot as a backup.

As it turned out, every graft was good and every tree was healthy. My few eventual casualties were among the potted trees, and I know that I carelessly overwatered them - which Ram specifically cautions against.

I’d rather start with larger trees, but if I wanted another obscure variety that only Greenmantle offers, I’d order it without hesitation.

1 Like

Thanks for posting this. Greenmantle is not for everyone. Greenmantle is not Stark Bros. and doesn’t try to be.
Ram Fishman is full of information and happy to share it. I am happy to support him and deal with their shortcomings as Ram is single handedly responsible for saving many varieties that would just be gone by now.

3 Likes

I’d think a person who was altruistically interested in preserving many varieties of apples would enlist others in the effort…rather than requiring others to sign a non-propagation agreement. But that’s just me

5 Likes

I second than notion.
I have not ordered from them, only spoke on the phone years ago, but the claim of trying to preserve varieties seems disingenuous, when they require anti propagation agreements from every customer.
Were I trying to preserve something, I would certainly sell scionwood, and encourage distribution by offering as many options as I could.
If they did sell scionwood, I would happily (and honestly) pay them royalties on every plant I made, but as it is, there is just too much there I don’t understand.

5 Likes

Preserving varieties doesn’t mean that making a profit is wrong. Altruism is fine for feeding the hungry or clothing the naked. It doesn’t make a good business decision.
If Fishman decides to run his business his way, fine, you don’t have to like it or do business with him.
Ram did the research, the footwork, runs the business off his work, $18-$21 is not unreasonable given the cost of labor, land, time, taxes, and all the other misc. expenses of doing business. Give the man his due, let him make his few pennies.

4 Likes

I don’t recall saying that I want the guy out of business? Just that I won’t do business with him. I’m thinking that’s okay on my part?

4 Likes

I have no problem with people making money, but wish Greenmantle made more options available.
Like how about a choice of propagation agreement, where I agree to pay them royalties on every tree I make. That could make them hundreds, and they wouldn’t have to do a thing for it.
Even the agreements people sign now, are only as good as their word.

2 Likes