Of the 198 apple trees on this site. I only have room for three. I am considering the three listed below.

I'm wondering, does anyone have experience with this company? I like their site, but have never bought from them.

Does anyone have experience with any of the apples they sell, particularly the three listed?

Also, I'm wondering if the "tree starter kit" is worth the price. I tend to hesitate when things I don't want are packaged with things I do. I'm not a fan of wrapping trees. I am more likely to grow Sudan grass and/or Timothy hay around the tree to keep the sun off than I am to wrap it. Even though I should use labels, I seldom do because they always seem to get lost. I can see the value in the limb spreader, but have never used them. Anyone have experience with them? And I can see the value in the fertilizers. Again, anyone have experience with those?

Our yard is riddled with diseased trees. They are healthier than they were when we first arrived. I've been working hard to get more life into the hard pan soil, but it remains a struggle. Whatever I plant needs a good start and has to be very disease hardy.

https://www.treesofantiquity.c...

https://www.treesofantiquity.c...

https://www.treesofantiquity.c...

https://www.treesofantiquity.c...

https://www.treesofantiquity.c...

Thanks!

I don't know anything about this seller. I wonder though, if you wouldn't be better off to just make an afternoon trip down to the Salem area and see what the local orchards grow - there are probably a lot of nurseries down there with apple trees. I've had much better luck with fruit trees if I buy them locally; you get larger saplings that are suited to your local climate and growing conditions. I live in apple country up here in Washington, but I did live down in the Willamette Valley for a couple years a long time ago. I've had great experiences buying from the growers at farmer's markets - they have great advice for tree care. Best of luck with your apples!

lauribob said:I don't know anything about this seller. I wonder though, if you wouldn't be better off to just make an afternoon trip down to the Salem area and see what the local orchards grow - there are probably a lot of nurseries down there with apple trees. I've had much better luck with fruit trees if I buy them locally; you get larger saplings that are suited to your local climate and growing conditions. I live in apple country up here in Washington, but I did live down in the Willamette Valley for a couple years a long time ago. I've had great experiences buying from the growers at farmer's markets - they have great advice for tree care. Best of luck with your apples!

Ahhhh! I just hate it when people give me good advice I want to ignore! It makes me feel so guilty. One of my best friends and I argue over this all the time. She sticks with local, I stick with the unique. We both have our reasons. Dang it! Dang it! Dang it! Do NOT tell her you agree with her! She's tough enough to live with when she thinks she in the wrong. I couldn't bare it if she thought she was right!

Hi Sallymander. I have Ashmead's Kernel and I will be replacing it with something else. We don't care for the flavor or the texture. We do like Karmijn de Sonnaville a lot, with Grimes Golden nearby as a pollinator. I would plant a Jazz if I ever find one but I think it might be under patent protection.

I'm not aware of this buyer or these apples, but I would be wary of Spitzenburg, because it list no disease resistance.
I agree with Lauribob. We live the very wet PNW, this grower is in a warmer drier climate. What do they know about disease resistance for up here. There are some very good growers of fruit trees in both Washington and Oregon, so much so that the garden centre I use to work imported them into Victoria and Vancouver, BC. If you want antique heirloom there are those growers in your region as well.

I have a few apple varieties I could recommend after having grown them for 10 years or more in this region. They are not the run-of-the-mill, so may meet your wish to plant the unique or less usual.
Melrose (an heirloom variety that ripens in October over a long period of time, keeps well on the tree, stores well once harvested, tastes good for fresh eating and good for cooking/applesauce/cider or whatever you want to do with your apples).
Florina (late September to early October ripening time, great-kind of unique-fresh eating flavor)

I'm not a fan of mail order plants. That said, I have had great luck with Burnt Ridge Nursery in Oregon for trees I have been unable to find locally. Lots of fruit trees and shrubs.

I was impressed with all the famous and exotic apples they listed, but many are probably also available from Raintree locally, probably cheaper too. I haven't grown your selections but I used to buy Spitzenberg from a local grower and it was very tasty. I am put off about the other apples being listed as shy bearers, that doesn't appeal to me. My favorite apples I have grown for more than 20 years in the PNW are Liberty, very disease-resistant (liberty from spraying), it has excellent aromatic flavor even in small apples that fall off the tree, is late, makes excellent applesauce along with my other favorite, Winesap, which has a harder more dense flesh and makes wonderful thick and flavorful applesauce, also late, productive and disease-resistant.

Paying close attention to this thread. My (non-gardener) sis just bought some acreage and wants to plant a couple apple trees. She is on Whidbey, not sure how that micro-climate might affect choices. A quick growing disease resistant variety would be best for her. She is surrounded by native woods, so my guess is she will have plenty of 4 legged friends to share her harvest so a full size tree would likely be better than a dwarf.

We got our honeycrisps at Terra Gardens (terragardens) in Salem on a recommendation. They are very helpful and accommodating--they will work with you to make good, local choices. We went with the hardy and reliable Honeycrisp, which is our favorite apple, and seems to grow well anywhere in the Willamette Valley (we are about 750 feet above the valley floor outside of Salem). First-year apples were delicious--be sure to wait until October 1 to pick them though.
Anyway...my point is to work with the local experts like the folks above. Yes, you have to get out of your PJs but it will be worth it!

Both Raintree and Burnt Ridge aren't that far from you. It might be about a 4 hour round trip to Burnt Ridge depending on where you live in PDX. You will get much bigger trees from Burnt Ridge if you can pick them up, then they don't have to try a fit those in boxes. They will do Sat pick up if you order on-line and talk to them. They have unique and wonderful stock. Their Liberty is great and yummy...William's Pride is early and vigorous we got 4 off a dwarf planted in March this year.

I want to update my advice on getting apple trees: I was following a blog in western WA where a person had been trying apples that grew well in his rainy island climate, so I decided to order semi-dwarf Melrose trees from his recommended nursery--One Green World. I also ordered some wet-weather peach tree performers that are supposed to be resistant to all our curl and other woes. I must say that the trees look beautiful, and I am about to plant them this week. We will start out netting ours, as we have wooded property, slightly above the valley floor. Obviously, the Willamette Valley doesn't quite have the same amount of rain so it's going to be an experiment, but I will report back as they start their journey in our garden. You may want to check out their catalog.