Fruit Tree Nurseries

And while the family farm may be in decline, most of the nurseries and commercial greenhouses in this growing industry are small, family-owned businesses.

They grow fruit trees from seed or cutting into a viable plant large enough to be placed in a landscape.

They may produce trees for direct-sale to private landscaping companies, place them in commercial plant selling businesses such as garden centers for resale or sell the plants directly to customers through their own storefronts, a catalog or a presence online.

Fruit Tree Nursery Services

Many fruit trees are hybrid plants that have been grown to favor specific traits. These traits may include resistance to pests and diseases, cold hardiness or taste and appearance of fruit.

Because hybrid fruit seed will not reproduce a plant that is true to type or identical to the mother plant, the nursery must reproduce a plant from cuttings.

Some fruit trees, such as avocado or citrus also do not provide fruit until the tree reaches maturity if it is grown from seed. If the tree is reproduced from cuttings, it will provide fruit years sooner than seed-grown varieties.

Tree cuttings may be rooted, or may grow by being grafted onto the roots of a similar tree. Because the process involves time, expertise and equipment, most homeowners would rather purchase a tree seedling from a nursery than try to graft it themselves.

Not all fruit tree varieties grow well in all parts of the country. Local fruit tree nurseries will grow varieties of fruit that are resistant to weather problems, diseases and pests in your area.

A fruit tree available for sale in a big box chain garden center may have been sent from another region and may not be ideal for your area.

Fruit Tree Nursery Locations

Local Fruit Tree Nurseries may have their businesses listed in the local white or yellow pages. Your local county extension service agent will also know the identities of fruit tree nurseries in your county.

You can also find fruit tree nurseries on the internet by performing a web search. The internet is a great way to find nurseries that specialize in rare, unusual and hard-to-find trees.

A good way to find specialty tree nurseries on the internet is to enter a search string that includes the name of the fruit tree you are searching for as well as the word “nursery.”

For example, if you are looking for a key lime tree, you can enter the words “key lime tree nursery.”

Your search engine will provide you with a list of tree nurseries that specialize in key lime trees. This allows you to order trees from the convenience of your own desk at home.

Fruit Tree Types

When you order a fruit tree from a nursery, you may receive a bare root tree, one that has been grown in a container or a “balled and burlapped” tree.

Bare root trees are typically smaller trees that have been grown in potting medium. The trees have had the soil removed from around their roots and have been packed in potting medium such as sawdust to keep their roots moist for transport.

Trees that are ordered through the mail or over the internet are usually shipped as bare root trees. These trees are simple to plant because of their size.

Container trees are trees that were planted as sprouts in a flower pot and grown until the tree reaches planting size.

Horticulturists plant the entire contents of the container in the soil when planting the tree.

Balled and burlapped trees are trees that were planted in the ground. When the tree is ready for sale, it is dug from the soil.

The root ball is wrapped in burlap so that it resembles a ball with the trunk sticking up out of the package. To plant the tree, unwrap the burlap from the roots and place them in the ground.

There are a large variety of fruit trees that you can choose from when picking a tree from a fruit tree nursery.

For the best results, it is best to consult the nursery owner or staff member for tree care and planting instructions and to try and find a tree that serves your needs.

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