Hi all, I need to find grower sources for fruit and nut trees. I'm starting a home orchard and want to grow apples, pears, cherries and hazelnuts. I know trees are available at large nurseries and garden centres and am familiar with the biggest and most popular of these stores. I would prefer to find a BC grower who sells these trees and buy direct from them. Thanks in advance for any help! DD.
Derry is a great source for fruit trees and mason bees too. I'm not sure if she has any nut trees. If you find a source for some nut trees close by (south surrey), I would like to know as well. You are more than welcome to take some grafts from my fruit trees if you buy some root stock. I may start some nut trees on my own but would be more than open to find some well on their way.
Thanks for the help. Derry has quite a lot of apple trees but it doesn't seem like they have any other kinds of fruit. I suppose I'm going to have to search out individual specialist growers. That will be fun! I also got another lead on nut trees - apparently there is a big hazelnut grower on Glover just outside Ft. Langley. Ther person I spoke with said they had signs up indicating they would sell trees, but I haven't checked this out. Still looking for sources for cherries, pears and plums.
Art knapp has a ton of fruit trees too (king george location) - keep us posted on the hazel nut grower - I will try and start a few from seed as well just for fun.
Thanks for the info - I realise many of the big garden centres like Art's in Langley and Art Knapp's on KGH have fruit trees, but they seem to carry just a few varieties, and the trees are not locally produced (all from Monrovia, I think). I wish to find locally-produced, locally-proven varieties if possible.
I gather your motivation for buying locally-grown is adaptation to local conditions... a pretty good reason. However, do consider that specialist sources, such as Grimo's and Rhora's in Ontario, have years of experience shipping across the country, and may have taken different conditions into account in their cultivar selection.
Hi Karin, Yes, adaptation to local conditions is one reason I would like to find a local grower, but I also want to support the idea that seeking out locally-produced items (including plants!) is more environmentally responsible. If I can find plants that are locally-adapted, as well as locally-grown, it's a win-win.
It's a slippery slope; been sliding up and down it for years myself. It all depends, doesn't it - how far is the drive from you to the "locally-grown" source vs. how far is it from Rhora's to the post office and he's probably making the drive anyway to ship out other packages. And what kind of vehicles do you each drive. Then the post office delivery truck probably drives by your house anyhow on its route. And in the meantime if Grimo's goes out of business for want of your patronage, the variety of trees available to grow in Canada is reduced. There are too many variables you can't measure in determining what is really environment friendliest. I think you're doing the right thing in asking around. But don't cut your nose off to spite your face, so to speak. The environment-friendliest thing is to get the trees you want wherever they are available, early enough in the season so they are established in time to live through the summer, planted where they will have room to grow in the long term... and nurture them to adulthood. No guilt required (been there done that :-)).
We have wild Hazelnut trees all over the place here, and they produce well, if you like I would be happy to dig some up at the proper time of year and send them to you. My wife got back to late in the summer last year and I was very busy building yet, so we didnt get many for our selves, but the ones we did were great and home grown.
There is a heritage apple grower on Denman Island that has lot of heritage apple trees. Cant remember the name, sorry.
I've so far located one local commercial grower, Cannor, which has a nursery operation as well as retail garden centres, so I've contacted them to find out what varieties they have and what their availability will be for fall planting time. Haven't heard back yet. I have not yet managed to get out to see about the hazelnut grower on Glover Road - I'll try to get out there soon and find out about getting some trees for fall. Someone also mentioned the fall apple festival at UBC. That would probably also be a good place to find local tree growers (and test the varieties on the spot!) Diane
The Denman grower is: Denman Island Heritage Apple Trees 70 varieties of old and special apples on 6 different size rootstock Jane and Larry 250-335-2643 or tansy@mars.ark.com Ralph
I am replying to your April 28th, 2007 post where you wrote to another member - "We have wild Hazelnut trees all over the place here, and they produce well, if you like I would be happy to dig some up at the proper time of year and send them to you. My wife got back to late in the summer last year and I was very busy building yet, so we didn't get many for our selves, but the ones we did were great and home grown. Just send us an email and we will help out. After doing a Google map to find out where you were, I am wondering if your wild Hazelnuts would do well in a place like Kamloops (semi-desert) even with irrigation? Also, are your hazelnuts trees or shrubs - would they do well as hedgerows? I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on this. Mike M
Hello friend, we would be happy to send some to you, I really dont know if they are different between bush's and trees, our friend has some large ones but most here are large " bush". I think because of the varied climate here that they may indeed do well down there, Yes they would make a good hedge and even leeflless have quite a thick growth to them, to see thrugh would take some doing , if you like send us an email and I will send you some pictures of the bush with the fruit on now and also later after the leaves come off, harvest time is fast approaching. Your friends Richard and Chery Glover
The original question was for sources for both Fruit and Nut growers in B.C. There were several replies for the Nut growers. Are there sources for Fruit growers besides just Apples? For example Cherries, Plums, Pears, etc.? Thanks.
Hi there, Yes, there is at least one local commercial grower of fruit trees other than apples. Cannor grows and sells a number of different fruit trees, not just apples. There is also a grower in Richmond (name escapes me this minute - a call to a Richmond garden centre yielded the name, which I have written down, just not near me ... :-) ) that grows and sells other sorts of fruit trees. Diane.
I'm hoping you will come back and fill us in as to the source, ddtwo. In the meantime I've called almost all the nurseries in Surrey/Langley and have had very little success in finding any sources for fruit tree growers. One place said that their source for many years retired last year. The only other grower I've heard of is The Urban Fruitery but I can not find out any more information about them. There aren't even any mail order companies in B.C. and the companies in Ontario can not ship to B.C. due to some regulation or some such.
I just found this on the Organic Growers' Association website : Hannah Brook Farm Contact: Martin Rothe 10067-287 St Maple Ridge, BC V2W 1T0 Products: Fruit trees The telephone number listed is: (250) 498-2976 But that doesn't seem like it could be right for Maple Ridge ... There are several more tree (nut and fruit) growers listed there: http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/search/searchbypphp.php I beleive the grower in Richmond is: Name Art's Ent Ltd./Art's Green Acres Tree Farm Address 5440 No. 6 Road City Richmond Province BC Phone 604-273-1553 Found this at : http://www.bclna.com/bclna_member_search.htm Note: BCLNA has changed their search engine and there is now no option to search for a specific plant ... :-( or at least they've changed where to perform this kind of search! D.
Most of Arts (in Port Kells) fruit trees come from a grower just across the line in washington state. They are already adjusted to our local climate... I think they have a selection of hazelnuts and walnuts too... Talk to a lady named Sandra there - she is very knowledgeable about fruit / nut trees.