no kidding.... instant fig sales, just add water.

i gotta say, it could be worse. look at TyTy nursery with their youtube videos, "blue figs" is one, and the other shows their 2' tall tree that is "bearing fruit".

the blue figs are clearly painted. the small tree bearing fruit is a limb with fruit that they cut off another tree and stuck into a pot. the absurdity of it is phenomenal.

but, if memory serves, Willis was started by some guys that once worked at TyTy.

I guess I'll be tossing my Willis Orchard figs I purchased last year in the garbage!
Better yet, I'l give them to someone I don't like.

Rafed

Don't be in such a rush to condemn Willis Orchards. Their spokesman came on this site and told us they started Willis because they could not abide TyTy's practices.

I would not be surprised that the people who put together the nursery ad use "generic" fig pictures. Not one person in ten thousand would know the difference between one fig leaf and another, so generics are practical.

It is performance that counts; we know what TyTy does. Let Willis prove themselves.

I just recently bought two persimmon trees from them. I'll report on THAT when the trees fruit.
Ox

Ox,

I must agree with you. I myself rushed on my comment, Sorry.
But there has been a big ??? about this nursery.
I will wait and see for myself and will pass my results/findings this summer, Hopefully.

Rafed

I have only had good experiences with Willis. Others have had both good and bad experiences with them. They are not perfect but they are also not TyTy.

Early on The Garden Watchdog deleted some negative feedback for Willis because they were all coming from the same computer but under different user names. It was thought that it was TyTy trying to give them a bad reputation.
I would not be surprised if the same person was still giving them some negative reviews unjustly.
Certainly the negatives they receive from people who say they have never purchased from them should be removed.

Here on the fig forum some members have said their figs were true to label and others have said they were not but that the trees were still keepers.
Personally I think your best shot at getting what you pay for when it comes to figs is buying from the hand full of prominent forum members. They are really anal about labeling and the health of their trees.

I bought a Hardy Chicago from them last year. It was healthy, the size was within the range they said it would be(the trunk diameter was actually a little bigger, but I'm not complaining), and it was way cheaper than the competition. I have no complaints about them. I just wish they carried the Marseilles VS.
Oddly enough, I have a friend who orders exclusively from the often maligned TyTy, and he has never had problems with them that I'm aware of. All of his plants look healthy, except for one tree that he planted in a spot with poor drainage. That said, I've heard enough bad things about them here that I don't plan to buy from them any time soon. Also, their models and obviously photoshopped pictures are a little bizarre.

I am not trying to slam Willis. I am not trying to tie them to TyTy, even though a couple of employees from TyTy left to make Willis.

There is a long thread at GW about Willis, and some of the guys from Willis actually chimed in and spoke about their nursery, the history, etc. Everyone should read it before buying from them, just to understand their philosophy. I left the link below.

I haven't read that thread in a long time, but I do remember when it first started over 2 years ago, and I remember reading something about how TyTy went so far as to sue them and (supposedly) post false negatives at GardenWatchdog. All in all, sounds pretty stupid. But that's not Willis Orchard's fault.

I remember talking to someone at the huge GW/GA Gardener forum who was from south GA or Alabama and swore that TyTy was the greatest thing since sliced bread, ordering dozens of plants from them and never getting screwed. It was contrary to everything I've ever heard from every respected gardener in the Atlanta area that has first-hand bad experiences, but I suppose some people are just THAT lucky.

I would order from Willis if Johnson Nursery didn't take such great care of me, and had as large of a selection of things I like.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread about Willis Orchard

Everyone here talks about how bad they are, but what is it that they do to make people so mad?

enigmamachine42,

I don't think anyone is mad at any of these nurseries, At least I'm not.
The question was and I think it is a good question as to why two different nurseries advertise different figs with the same picture?

As for Willis Orchard was founded by former TYTY employees only questions credibility.

To Willis's defense, When I placed an order last year I was shorted one fig tree. I called them and Emailed them and they made good. I received two boxes a few days later and I called them a gentleman answered and told him I was sent an extra fig tree and he said it would not be worth returning it and to keep it.

As to did I really get the fig trees I ordered will remain to be seen.
This is why I said, I guess I'll be tossing those figs away.

And I did later did sat sorry for that comment.
Maybe their hearts couldn't take the way TYTY was practicing and decided to go on their own. Only time will tell.

Rafed

TYTY video Bass posted on other forum. A strange marketing plan I guess
Sal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DvJ77eLbl0

That commercial for TyTy is crazy. What kind of a sick twisted mind does it take to make a commercial like that and think its a good one?

I just don't understand what is the point they're trying to make with this video!!

Bass

"the hand full of prominent forum members. They are really anal about labeling and the health of their trees."

LOL: This is the first time that I have ever heard the word "anal" used in a complimentary sense, I have to agree, though; I prefer to get my trees here from people who are interested in knowing what it is that they are growing and sending out.

When I saw Ray Givens talking about his "Sal's fig" I wondered which of those he had. I'm sure HE knew.
Ox

tyty is creative with persimmons too

http://www.viddler.com/explore/tytynursery2/videos/734/

The video tyty post on the figs looked like as if they were performing a Satanic ritual!

These people are sick and twisted.

Rafed

i think its cool!

Enigma, you can look in the vendor reviews to get info about who people consider bad actors.

IIRC Park changed management or some such which put them to don't do business with these guys rating. I go burned by them myself when I ordered a fig tree and they kept putting me off for months. First excuse was they would ship in the fall when tree was dormant, then in Feb, then April. I finally canceled my order. That entire time the tree was listed as in stock and my order shipping pending.

Park reported another management change shortly after I canceled my order and promised to clean up their act but I will never do business with them again.

Rick

Awesome! I've found Tyty's pictures entertaining and now I'm excited to learn they make movies too. I can't wait to check them out when I'm at home.

I wrote Willis off very quickly after I asked whether their feijoa were seedlings and the owner made it clear that he didn't know that there was a difference between feijoa(pineapple guava) and real guava even though they sell them from their web site.

All these discussions of "good" and "bad" nursery can be confusing because it isn't necessarily that straightforward.

For instance, if a hypothetical nursery is friendly, punctual, packs the plants well and they arrive healthy but are frequently turn out to be not varieties ordered is that a good nursery or a bad nursery?

I say that nursery is terrible. Others will sing their praises.

Rafed, if you are serious about getting rid of those trees, please consider me.

One of the biggest issues many have with WO and TyTy is that you do not get the variety you order. They have been flubbing off Celeste's it seems for every variety of fig tree. Most of the complaints is they get what they thought was their order and a year down the road the Tree they got is absolutely NOT the tree they paid good money for! this seems to stick out more than any issue.

Same results with Willis. They sent me wrong trees as well as poor ones...and charged a fortune for em! Would not buy from them again.

I am interested in trading fig tree cuttings. If anyone has any please let me know.
Luigi

Italiangirl, I think I dodged the Celeste bullet. I don't remember the eyes being green, but I will have to pay closer attention this year.

enigmamachine,

I am giving Willis Orchard the benefit of the doubt.

I'm giving the trees at least till the end of next summer to decide what I want to do with them.Only then I will know for sure if they've sent me what I ordered.

Though, Of the five or six trees I ordered from them last summer ( can't remember, But they're labeled )and even before I registered with both forums. An amateur like myself noticed all but one tree had the same leaves! That's when I had my vibes about them.

But like I said, Until the end of next summer I won't know for sure.

Till then, I will reserve my comments on Willis Orchard.
That should be a fair thing to do.

As for giving you anything,I don't have a problem with that but I wish you would have asked a little sooner. Just gave away some cuttings and now I'm at the point to where I can't cut anymore. But I will keep you in mind. These things seem to pop up from time to time.

Rafed