Fruit stuff- cherry trees, blueberries and grapes!

[booker81]

I finally ordered some nursery stock from my favorite seed place, and I'm curious about what my expectations for bearing fruit and care should be.

I purchased 2 sweet cherry trees, and the description states they will be sent as "1/2"-3/4 caliper, 4-5 feet tall, slightly branched or unbranched whips". The blueberries state they are large 3 y/o plants. The grapes are "large well rooted plants".

In previously ordering actual plants (started veggies), I've been amazed at the quality they send (the starts are packaged safely, and are about 18"+ tall with excellent root systems). I have a good feeling about ordering from them, and the prices were fantastic.

I'm just not sure when I will expect actual fruit to bear - and I'm ok with time, because I know it takes time. Can I start to expect something in two years? Longer?

I'm in mid-MI, and plan to put them full sun, and will be doing appropriate soil prep with testing before they arrive in May.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

We just planted ours last spring so I could not say when to expect fruit. But good luck with your project!

 

[babymakes6]

I am waiting to hear any replies! I am in Ohio and am hoping to order 2 apple, 1 or 2 sour cherry, and 2 peach trees this Spring! Who did you order them from?

 

[Laughing Duck]

OOO - I'm in Michigan too - really want to get some blueberry bushes going. It sounds like you found a good place to order from. Can you post the place? I'd also like to hear about the plants when you get them! Good luck!

 

[booker81]

I ordered from E&R Seed - it an Amish group in Indiana that sells a LOT of varieties of stuff, very cheap, and the quality of everything I've gotten has been amazing. Their downside is that they do not have a website and I've heard they can kinda suck on returning calls (as most of my dealings with phone calls to the Amish/Mennonites have been). They have an answering service phone and email, and they send out three catalogs a year, that are FULL of all sorts of neat stuff, very low priced. Here's a site with their info and reviews. http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/5271/ . Looks like they have a fax line too now finally.

I've never called them, and I just send an overage on my check (my bad math gave me about $275 total for my plants, nursery stock, and seeds, so I sent $300. Now I see it should have been about $250 total! Oops!) I always send an overage, and then they calculate the exact amount, and send cash back in an envelope with the seeds. They carry most of the standard varieties of everything, tons of heirloom seeds, and absolutely no GMO products. Many seeds can be ordered organic as well. They offer started plants for many of their veggies, and those run very cheap - about $0.50 per start, with inexpensive shipping.

They have 7 varieties of blueberries, and you can choose each one out, or you can be lazy like me and check off the season you want, and they pick a selection for you. I chose an all season selection of 6 bushes, that should ripen from July through September. The cost was $52.50 plus shipping.

The cherry trees were $17.50 each plus shipping.

The Grapes were $58.00 for 10 plants, their choice of 6 varieties, 2 seedless, 6 seeded. NO shipping cost

So for a total it was $28 shipping, $8 handling, for a grand total of $176.00 (and I now realize I sent way too much because I added shipping for the grapes LOL)


I was suddenly worried about price, until I pulled out the Guerneys' catalog I just got.
For them it would have run
6 blueberries : $13 ea = $78
2 Cherry Trees: $25 ea = $50
10 grapes at $10 to $13 each, so say 11.50 ea = $115.00

$243 minus the $25 off, plus $16 shipping = $234.00

I love E & R Seed and will talk forever about them. It's not like dealing with a traditional store and website, but I've dealt with the Amish/Mennonites before in "business" transactions, and while it's "different", I find them to be honest and trustworthy. Their communication sometimes lacks with us "English", but I've not been failed in their quality and price, ever.

 

[babymakes6]

I live about 40 minutes from Berne, IN, so it would save me a lot and I could go over and pick my trees, etc., up myself. I usually order from Berlin seeds-they are over near/in Holmes County, OH. They are also Amish so no website either. They have a product called "Monty's Joy Juice" that works wonders! Their prices are about the same, and products are great! The thing with the Amish-they are not allowed to have phones in their houses or shop. They have a small building (it looks like an outhouse) near the road which houses their phone. They often only check it once a day (or less often) for messages, that is why you don't hear from them sooner.
Thanks for the info!

 

[booker81]

Heh, the Amish tackmaker I used to use had a phone on a pole in the middle of his yard. The best time to catch him was after they were done milking cows, so I usually called at 7am. Any other time, you had to hope one of the kids were outside near, and they would just pick it up and set the phone aside to get the dad. It was interesting to say the least. He also was a man of very few words. Made some spectacular tack though - for incredibly low prices (like handmade leather draft horse halters - $10).

I like dealing directly with the Amish/Mennonites with their quirks and specifications (the catalogs E&R sends out lists their "holidays" and includes closings for weddings and funerals), even if it's challenging as compared to "normal" methods