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Home Depot trees are in, very cold outside

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Posted by mksmth oklahoma 7a (My Page) on
Sat, Feb 8, 14 at 15:56

I went by my local HD's a few days ago. the all got in Peaches, pears, cherries and apples. I screwed up and didnt order the ones I wanted from fruit tree farm and they are now sold out. Home Depot wants $22 for theirs in a 5 gallon pot. They actually have a few varieties I want. My concern is that the day after they came in and leading up to today and into next tuesday the trees have and will have been out in the very cold. A couple of the last nights were down in the single digits with wind chills below 0. Today was the first day above freezing since last tuesday.

The trees have no protection. Would it be too risky to purchase a few seeing how cold they have been exposed to?

thanks
mike

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RE: Home Depot trees are in, very cold outside

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Well, HD has 1 year guarantee, so that takes the money side out of it, time wasted is another story though....

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  • Posted by mksmth oklahoma 7a (My Page) on
    Sat, Feb 8, 14 at 21:11

Good point about the money. I went by one a little bit ago and was looking again. I forgot the mention we have also had some snow and sleet. I picked up a Honeycrisp apple and set it apart from the group to see the structure and when I set it down it sounded like a brick hitting the concrete. Pretty sure the soil was frozen solid :(

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  • Posted by fruitnut z7b-8a,4500ft SW TX (My Page) on
    Sat, Feb 8, 14 at 21:33

Lots of people seem to find that frozen solid doesn't hurt their trees. If they're what you want and priced right I'd go ahead and buy.

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  • Posted by mksmth oklahoma 7a (My Page) on
    Sat, Feb 8, 14 at 22:05

Thanks Fruitnut. I have always heard that it was bad for the roots to freeze but if others havent had issues I probably will pick some up before they get picked over.

thanks again.

mike

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RE: Home Depot trees are in, very cold outside

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  • Posted by bboy USDA 8 Sunset 5 WA (My Page) on
    Sat, Feb 8, 14 at 22:28

The new roots at the edge of the pot are the first to go. If those are now dead then you may be buying the equivalent of a bare-rooted tree, consisting of a live top and some live older roots on the inside of the pot, well away from the pot wall.

Studies have found a tendency for trees and shrubs in pots to be about 20 degrees F. less hardy than the same kind would be if it was in the ground. So how bothered each kind of fruit tree may be will depend on how hardy it is.

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RE: Home Depot trees are in, very cold outside

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In 7a, the ground is probably freezing what, 24" down or so every winter?

I wouldn't worry about it.

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  • Posted by mksmth oklahoma 7a (My Page) on
    Sun, Feb 9, 14 at 16:57

All very excellent points. I think you all talked me into a new tree or two

Joppa. Right now my soil is holding at 32 4" down so ya its pretty much frozen.

Thanks
Mike

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RE: Home Depot trees are in, very cold outside

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I'd want to know from where they were shipped, and in what stage of dormancy they were in when taken off the truck.

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That and the fact that the box stores sometimes have issues with trees being not the variety they claimed to be.

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RE: Home Depot trees are in, very cold outside

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The HD near me wants $39.99 for a fruit tree, was thinking they were on sale for being early because last year they were $59. At $22 and a year guarantee I would have bought one, but at my price I am going to wait until some of my local nurseries get them to see what their prices are this year.
Matt

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"That and the fact that the box stores sometimes have issues with trees being not the variety they claimed to be."

No more problems than anyone else, in my experience. IF Home Depot/Lowes has it mislabled, its probably because it was sent to them that way, and a lot of the "botique" nurseries are buying from exactly the same places as HD/Lowes.

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I haven't had any problems buying trees from Lowe's or HD. I usually buy the leftovers at the end of the season. I usually get them at least 75% off. I have 56 acres to play with so if one of them is the wrong type it is no big deal to me. I can also always graft the tree with another type if I don't like the one I get.

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  • Posted by mksmth oklahoma 7a (My Page) on
    Mon, Feb 10, 14 at 17:40

Yeah I picked up a Ranger and Elberta peach last fall from HD for $5 each. cant beat that. I usually look for the Nursery tag. Most often the store tag just says generic stuff. The ones I got last fall the store tag just said peach. Hopefull the nursery tag is right.

i dont know what ill do. I hate that I dont know how dormant they were and where they came from. I do know that they will have more come later and Lowes hasnt got theirs yet and they usually have good ones too. Fruit trees here always sell in the $19- $23 range so is not that this is a good deal for out area. I just want first pick. LOL. They do have some that I have never seen here before so i may take a chance on one of those.

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