Apple Resources

Oct 31

Nurseries

If you are going to invest in growing your own fruit and caring for those trees, it is essential to get off to a good start. You want to source your trees from fruit tree specific nurseries to ensure you are getting high quality bare root trees. This means they were grown out in the field for one to two years, dug and shipped to you ready to plant. You do not want to plant a pot grown fruit tree, it will be root bound, and while it will likely be bigger than your bare root trees, it will be less healthy and slower to get going. Think of it as an investment for the future to plant fruit trees, you want to the best of what is available. Here is a list of fruit tree sources I recommend. I do a small amount of custom grafting, including selective top working, adding a new variety to an established tree, otherwise see the nurseries below to begin and grow your orchard.

Cummins Nursery

My cousin’s mail order nursery in Ithaca NY. I worked here and have since been ordering trees from them over the years and can vouch for great quality trees. They have a great selection of cider specific varieties as well as heirlooms and modern varieties on a wide range of rootstocks.

Burnt Ridge Nursery

Another nursery I have worked at. They are located in Onalaska, WA and ship nation wide. Besides having apple trees they have a wide selection of other fruit bearing plants for sale that are worth looking into.

Fedco

A Maine based mail order nursery with a wonderful selection of rare heirloom apples. John Bunker is an amazing figure in the apple world, helping to find little know, or thought to be lost varieties and bringing them back into cultivation.

Trees of Antiquity

A mail order nursery with a huge selection of heirloom fruit trees, including apples, all certified organic.