@AndySmith
Andy, did you ever find your 250 t-posts?
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Not yet, but I found out two Tractor Supply locations in NY have 8’ posts in stock, so I’ll travel to those locations and buy what they have. I’ll call first before I travel too far to find out they have 3 posts in stock. Our Cooperative Extension referred me to an Amish Fence builder to see if they can supply some and also stated some Orchard Supply companies in western NY probably have them if I don’t find them closer to home. They were supposed to follow up with me and haven’t, I’m also waiting for some information on an herbicide I need to control Horsenettle. I was also supposed to hear from someone in the Pome Fruit Extension and haven’t (we don’t have any Pome program for our county).
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I purchased about 200 T-posts over the last 20 years. The first few cost me about $4 each. The last I purchased 4 years ago were $8 each. This is for 8.5 ft T-posts which is the height I need for my tomato and bean trellises. They were readily available from the local co-op.
There was an old fence on the place I now live that was built in part with T-posts. I’ve been pulling them up and re-purposing for my garden. They are 5.5 feet tall and very rusty, but typical of the posts made 30+ years ago are of heavier steel than modern posts.
Just wanted to follow up and show you guys what my Vaughn order looked like. As always, I am just blown away by the quality and size of both the trees and the roots. Keep in mind that these were all bought to be 30-36 inch trees, and a few were 3-4 foot trees. But honestly all their trees are significantly larger than advertised. Every tree shown in the photo cost between $8.75 and $10.10 each!!! Did you read that? $10 or less for nice sized trees with more roots than almost any other vendor I’ve bought from. That is why, I think, their trees always grow so much in the first year.
I mentioned this above, but I’ll say it again. Vaughns is so eager to please that they will often sell less than the 10 tree minimum they ask you to buy. (remember, these are wholesale prices). But I encourage you not to take advantage by asking them to do that. Its a small business and to ask them to, grow seedlings or rootstocks,collect scionwood, graft the trees, then dig them up the following year, store them bare root, then package and then ship them to you at your requested delivery date all for $20-$30 for 2 or 3 trees just seems unfair to me- but its up to you to decide what’s right… You honestly would pay $100 for 2-4 trees with less roots from most nurseries, so why not go ahead and get 10 from Vaughns. Find a place or give them away…
ONE OTHER THING: It would be helpful to ALL OF US if you mention during your order that you are from “Growing Fruit . Org”. The owner knows about this site and has told me he is aware that he gets customers from here so he tries hard to take care of members of this site. That can translate into getting large trees at small tree prices, getting fast processing, and so on. I’ve seen it and its true. As a group we have good buying power and should remind them of it so they will continue to take care of us.
Anyway, here are some of the trees I got in last week from them.
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Smaller trees often catch the bigger more expensive trees…bare root or balled & burlapped.
The exception is generally containerized trees that have been properly taken care of at the nursery…but large container trees often have circling roots that will be a problem in a few years.
Excellent plants in the photo. Imagine getting them from Raintree and compare pricing and the roots!
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I am dreaming of a spring where we have no hard frost after March 10…
If that happens I should have a hard time eating and preserving and giving away all the stuff I have growing now.
I have 50+ fruit trees, berry bushes, canes, vines, plants growing here.
Good luck to all this Spring.
TNHunter
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This might be your year! Looks like tornado season may replace winter early this year.
(Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean a quick dip into the mid 20’s or lower even in late April. But, after what may be the second worst spring I’ve seen 2020…this one may be pretty good.)
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I almost didn’t want to give you a like for this statement, but I know it’s not your doing! lol 
I too am hoping for a good weather growing season.
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Got my currants and stuff from Indiana Berry. Nice, fresh, alive. And good size for the price.
Happy. (Well, there is an “onslow” rabbiteye blueberry that is dead above about 4 inches. Not so good.)
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Good to know that they have started shipping to zone 6. I was about to just enjoy my evening doing nothing in particular, but after I read this, I rushed out to plant a few more trees. I have 10 more to plant and I’d kind of like to get them planted before any more shipments come.
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You got your IB order already?? I hope they don’t ship my blackberries too soon. But, if they do, I guess the weather’s warm enough. For now. But still too wet.
I had requsted March 10 …and that’s when I got them. I made the request in January when I place the order.
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Well, if it gets much below 32 next weekend…I might end up wishing I had waited.
But they shipped early, as I had requested that.
I have a cornelian cherry dogwood in full bloom today.
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Ok, I think they have usually shipped my orders in mid April.
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Beautiful day here.
Should I go to a local nursery and just buy a bunch of plants?
I feel like I should.
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Sometimes, what with winter, virus restrictions, etc…for your mental
well being you just have to go do something that feels good to you!
I volunteered to help someone move stones and enlarge their flower bed Thursday…took me all of 10 minutes and it made us all feel better.
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Yay! I picked up 250 8’ Studded T-Posts today so I can finally begin working on fencing around the orchard. We also had 20 12’ treated 6x6’s delivered today for corner posts. Lots of work to do. Ouch @ the cost.
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I bought a scion of Windham Russet from Fedco last year. Two grafts took, of which neither looks like the other. One is healthy, with bright light green full leaves. The other has dark, small, dry looking leaves. If you succeeded grafting Windham, how do the leaves look?
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I have it grafted in 2 spots. The first was a bench graft on g.11:
The second was one of several grafts I made on a wild apple on the edge of my property(definitely a clear difference in vigor):
Hope this helps
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The leaves of the weaker of mine look like a poor relation to yours - which look good! Thank you!