Nursery FAQ
- What makes our trees different?
- Want to pick up your trees?
- Want your trees delivered?
- Want your trees professionally planted by us?
- Want to reserve your trees and pick up later?
- Not sure what kind of trees you want?
- Wholesale pricing?
- What forms of payment do we accept?
- What do we grow and what don’t we grow?
- What are the pot sizes and weights?
- When is the best time to plant trees?
- How to plant trees from Tree Authority?
- How to water these trees?
- How do I protect from deer?
- Which trees can stay in pots for life?
- Where else can I buy your trees?
Nursery FAQ
What makes our trees different?
Using Air Pruning pots eliminates roots circling just inside the edge as they would in a normal black plastic pot. With less need to cut these roots, there is little to no transplant shock. Grown by ISA Certified Arborists, the root flares are visible at the top and the trees are pruned to be structurally sound for the long run. This system produces trees that are superior without the guesswork to eliminate girdling roots and manually locate root flares. Our #5 and #7 bags zip off with velcro and can be returned to the nursery for a $0.50 credit on your next purchase.
Want to pickup your trees?
Easy! Pick out your trees on our inventory page. You can place an order if you want or just book a nursery visit to pick up and we will enter your order at that time. We can generally fit 4-6 #5 or #7 trees in an SUV or station wagon.
- If you have an open bed truck, bring a shade (mesh) tarp big enough that we can lay your trees down and wrap the tops to prevent wind damage.
- If you have a car/suv/van, bring something to cover the floor/seats to avoid getting them dirty. We put trees in with the pot towards the back of the car and branches pointing towards the windshield.
Want your trees delivered?
You can either order using our inventory and order form or book an appointment to come tag your order. Deliveries can be scheduled in advance for an event. Though we can sometimes accomodate quick turn around times, deliveries take 1-2 weeks to from the time of order. Delivery cost is $5/mile from our location to yours, one way with a $25 minimum charge. For example a delivery to Doylestown PA (10 miles) would cost $50.
Want your trees professionally planted by us?
We can do that! And that gives you a 1 year warranty on everything we plant. Cost is calculated roughly by doubling the cost of the trees with a $150 minimum planting fee within 1 hour of the nursery. For example (3) $100 trees could be planted for a $300 planting fee, making the total $600 plus tax. Delivery is included with planting.
Want to reserve your trees and pickup later?
Sure, you can either put in an order via our order form or book a nursery visit to come tag what you would like. Best times to reserve are August-Sept (our largest available selection, Fall sales) or January-Feb (For Spring sales). All orders that are not picked up are cancelled by 5/15 (spring orders) or 12/1(fall orders) each year.
Not sure what kind of trees you want?
Book a nursery visit and one of our experts will help you. It is best to come with pictures of the area and decide how tall and wide a tree can get. General soil information is helpful as well (ex. holds moisture or well draining)
Wholesale pricing?
Wholesale pricing is available for orders over 25 trees at one time. Tree orders are discounted about 15%. Please use the order form for a quote, we do not list wholesale prices.
What forms of payment do we accept?
We accept cash or check or venmo. We do not take debit or credit cards.
What do we grow and what don’t we grow?
We specialize in fruit trees and native trees. We also have non-native ornamentals and some shrubs. We have a very limited selection of evergreens. For those we recommend our friends at Highland Hill Farm. We do not have tropical trees (olives, citrus), annuals, vegetable starts or strawberries. And remember, we don’t grow sweet cherries!
What are the pot sizes and weights?
#5 (volumetric 5 gallon size). 12″ Diameter, 10″ Weight, 25lbs
#7 (volumetric 7 gallon size). 13″ Diameter, 12″ Weight 33lbs
#10 (volumetric 10 gallon size). 15″ Diameter, 13″ Weight 50lbs
#15 (volumetric 15 gallon size). 17″ Diameter, 14.5″ Weight 70lbs
#25 (volumetric 25 gallon size). 21″ Diameter, 16.5″ Weight 90lbs
When is the best time to plant trees?
Fall is the best time to plant most trees (late September through early December) after it starts to cool down but before the ground freezes. Spring is good too (late March after ground has thawed through early June), but requires diligent watering all summer. Avoid planting in the heat of summer. We’ll plant all winter if the ground isn’t frozen solid. Planting when the tree is dormant minimizes watering needs while planting when the tree is leafed out will require consistent watering.
How to plant trees from Tree Authority?
How to water these trees?
Though many products exist that can help you do this we like the simple “bucket system.” Take a 5 gallon bucket, drill 4-5 small holes in the bottom of the bucket, and fill it with water right beside the base of the tree. This helps mimic the slow deep watering a steady rain would provide. Fill the bucket 1-3 times a week, weather depending. Most trees want to be moist, not soaking wet or very dry. Be careful not to over or under water. The natural cycle allows for rain that saturates the soil and then a period of drying out. Mimicking this will allow for good, deep root development on most species. Water for 1-2 years after planting.
How do I protect from deer?
Deer are the most significant pest most people will encounter with their new plantings. Deer will eat tree leaves, buds, twigs and sometimes entire branches. They will buck rub tree trunks in late summer though early winter (even “deer resistant” trees). At a minimum, trees must be protected from buck rub with a bark protector until they grow to have a 4″ caliper or larger. If the tree has lower limbs that do not allow for a bark protector to be installed a fence can be used. We use ‘T’ posts and 5′ tall cages around the trees for protection. Chemicals can be used also, like “Plant Skydd,” which works well as long as it is reapplied every 1-2 months.
Which trees can stay in pots for life?
We grow them all in pots at the nursery but don’t really recommend any of them stay in pots for life. If you insist – we have seen some be successful in pots (When potted up in a 15 gallon or larger size pot) like japanese maples, figs, pomegrantes.
Where else can I buy your trees?
See our list of retailers here: List of Retail Garden Centers
Fruit Tree FAQ
What rootstock are your fruit trees on?
Most of our fruit trees are on semi dwarf rootstock. We don’t grow on dwarf as those rootstocks require a trellising system most of our customers would not be able to provide. Un-pruned, semi dwarf trees can grow 12-18′ tall. We suggest keeping them pruned to 10-12′ for easy picking.
Why do you grow so many types of the same kind of fruit?
A few reasons:
- Pollination: Some species require a different variety for pollination and the ones that don’t (considered self-pollinating) will still be benefited by planting another variety somewhere within 15-100′ feet away. Note that the same variety does not pollinate itself (example: Honeycrisp Apple does not pollinate Honeycrisp, but Gala or Fuji will).
- Ripening time: Each variety is ripe at a certain time in the year. One can get different varieties to lengthen their harvest season. For example, an Elberta Peach is ripe mid July while a Cresthaven Peach would be ripe in mid August. See this chart for ripening times of some of the varieties we sell.
What to spray my fruit trees with?
Its complicated. Fruit trees can be difficult to grow. Here are some resources:
Orchard layout, spacing?
We sell semi dwarf fruit trees (see what rootstock are your fruit trees on?) which should be planted 15′(minimum) feet apart. Further is fine as well.
Why don’t you grow sweet cherries?
We tried and failed and have decided they do not do well in this area. The humidity levels are too high and cause disease problems that are incurable. Grandpa had them in his yard? We know but it just seems wetter now! Apricots and European plums are also susceptible to these diseases but we still grow them for now.
Services FAQ
Can you visit to see my property or consult about my existing tree?
Maybe. Send a message on our contact us page or email us pictures and a certified arborist might be able to come visit you and see how we can help. There may be a small fee for this (we’ll let you know what that fee would be ahead of time), which could be applied to future work that might be needed.
What is lichen and does it hurt trees?