There are many good nurseries, both brick and mortar and on line. I always look for a nursery that does its own propagation. Sadly many are wholesale only, but if you look some will sell retail even when they say they won't, if you know what you want and are not just browsing. Some wholesale nurseries are in business to sell to landscapers while others sell mostly to retail nurseries. Those with the landscape trade are most likely to sell to you. Both Annies and Emerisa started out as wholesale only, but added retail when it was profitable. Al

Well, couple of things. They don't ship rooted in pots with 1yr+ fruit trees that I've ever seen; it only comes bare-root, same as many nurseries out there. Likewise, most nurseries, including Johnson, are hesitant to ship or have already stopped shipping bare-rooted this late in the year. Bare-root can be a good thing ... you can look for root-borne infections/parasites such as RKN (Root Knot Nematode) which will infect your soil and cause you endless woes, stunted growth, wilting, disease, poor fruiting, fruit drop, etc. Many people don't look at the roots of potted fruit trees and plants they buy, it's actually a crying shame if you ask me. Bare-root can can also be daunting for some (figuring proper way to get it in the ground). Once you do it a few times, it's easy to learn. Just don't soak the root system for too long, and follow the instructions. Johnsons sends very clear instructions and care with ALL trees they ship. Bare-root trees are shipped as a "whip". A "whip" ... well, they take the tree, cut almost all branches off, top the tree to make it fit in the box, then clean and prune the roots before bagging the root bundle in damp shredded paper for the trip. So, by buying bare-root, you lose any branching and some height off the tree that has grown in subsequent years. You really DO NOT want to plant bare-root this late in the year, IMHO. If they will ship this late in the year as bare-root, I would pot them in a well-draining organic mix with slow-release fertilizer, and put them in a shady place to get established, then pot in-ground in fall. If ordering shipped (bare-root), you really don't get any choice in what you're getting. My Stella came with a little bit of damage, which I actually need to go wax or tape, now that I think about it. Granted, there is no reason why you can't go to pick them up, or you could just wait till December to order a bare-root "whip", shipped. The perk of buying rooted in pots is, the plant has already established itself in its own little world, and will grow into the new world you put it into (i.e. the ground). When you go bare-root, you're pretty limited to a short window of planting time, you're introducing a totally new environment, and the tree will spend its first year getting well-rooted in its new environment. I know a lot of people who prefer bare-root, just because they swear trees grow up waaaay stronger and happier this way. I personally don't like to do it because of the risk involved. I'm batting about 75% success right now with bare root fruit trees (6 wins, 2 losses) at my current house. My two losses were due to planting right around this time of year (too late), and really crazy weather patterns this time in spring 2009. I think that's about everything I can share. If you have any other questions, by all means, ask away. If myself or others don't know the answer, I'd sure like to call and ask so I can learn something new! ;)

I toi have been living with neighbors from Hell! I have a new neighbor who wanted my 27 year old native Oak pruned or removed & he'd put up a new fence. I had an arborist come in who removed lower overgrown branches. He did not wish to disturb the natural shape(esp. not top it!). My neighbor wanted it all out or topped. Note: My Oak trunk is 20ft. from fence line. Pruning it on the fence line is ok & lawful, I know & can live with....but he's hired people to cut at dark & theyve been cutting it little by little for 6 months! Ive tried to catch them & can not....they always remove/drag brush they cut(dump it on wild lands of the school property below my house!) jump the fence & hide in a shed on the new neighbor's property! After putting in a camera, calling the county sherif (on a all night attack downing huge limbs on my Oak!)who called me "arrogant & told me Lady it is just a tree!" & Im not waking the neighbors up at thus hour or even in the morning! & Im not writing a police Report either!" So I did not call them back fir months & tried to catch them....No Luck! Their nightly flood lights between our properties create glare & my camera cant pick up the movement & show clear pictures! For a few winter months I let it happen.... felt helpless! As it warmed up, when I was awoken by Ax, saw or thump of a branch falling or dragging of branches down the hill...I get. dressed, I grab my camera, flashlight, comfy chair, warm blanket & I sit outsude my bedroom that is right in front of the Oak & sit there until daylight!!! I hear the new neighbor whisper to his wufe, I hear the people slip away from where they are hiding.In fact, Im certain it is the two young people on fhe other side of me(Ive seen the tools for cutting laying around their yard(Ax, pole saw). When the young grandkids(of a dear older garden loving grandma died🙁)the young grand-kid neighbors moved in....they clobbered down her metal shed in one day & cut down all the Oaks on the property with a chain saw! They set up a marijuana growing area in wine barrels on the shed foundation( I took photos when they were taller than I am!) & brought 2 noisy dogs to the propery: pit bull & alaska husky. They took to spraying Round-Up on my healthy veggie garden & Rose bushes.... They have become bolder since my 2nd & 3rd calls to the sherif's office the last few days(the shelf's deputies finally talked to both neighbors on both sides of me!) It did not help.... They cut & dragged limbs the bext nighf so I called again... this time the deputy only phoned me back lustened & said to get some sleep! I told her it is not just the Oak anymore. They are always home & watching what I do. They fojnd my outdoor exyra key & wenf into my garage & wrote F.....You in my cars front windsheild & put a 2in. screw into my back tire. I had to call a lick smith & replace all my locks! ....& buy a new tire! The neighbor who wants my Oak down harrasses me in the morning starting @5am by tgrowing bits of wood at my bedrolm wall & roof! He rarely leaves the house & does this throwing all day long.... along with the night cutting & destru tion of my plants. They are now spraying my Fig tree & Native garden as well! Nothing has a chsnce to grow!!! I am a member if ghd Native Plant Society & member of the local garden club. No one can beleive this Hell I am living!!! Thsnk you for taking time to share your neighbor HELLs.....It is no FUN! I had a peaceful 26 years at my lovely home & garden and it is SO SAD good people who love nature & their gardens find themselves with ruthless, nasty neighbors who don't give a darn about anyone but themselves!!!! & it is SAD that good people get bullied and are not protected by law-enforcement! THAT has shocked me more than anything else!!!!

Supers go for 2X the price as plants. Super seeds cost a lot more too. We aren't talking about a dozen plants ,growers sell thousands. 2x the asking price by growers or seed vendors. Sell a Cayenne for $.50 or $1.00? I'd say that is a lot of incentive. A lot of the seeds I think the growers are using is from seeds the grower purchased and never test grew them for purity. Super hot seeds can go for up to a buck a piece-retail. Mostly 50-75cents each. Jalapeno ,Cayenne are only a cent or 2 each, if that, in bulk. Until recently,except for Bhuts,Supers were not grown commercially in a large scale for the U.S. market. I read on the internet all the time about people selling all kinds of seeds that are crosses or not what they were supposed to be. As far as supers go,not many of the so called new strains are stable. Doesn't matter to some seed vendors or growers,they already have green arrows and every one elses $. By the time you find out you grew cayenne or ?,it's too late to re grow IF the nursery even replaces the plant (with plants from the same vendors?,you probably get the same thing...). It's probably really hard to figure out who is doing the ripping off. Can be anyone in the chain from seed suppliers,seed vendors to growers... If you want the "Not" Butch T I have,you can pick it up when you go to Green Arrow. It's about 2-3ft tall. Bring a #15 pot or a garbage bag to put it in. It's headed to the dumpster soon. E mail me if you want it,I don't want it.Almost tossed it today... This post was edited by smokemaster_2007 on Sun, May 11, 14 at 8:01