ABOUT OUT TREE GRADES

Feathered - The feathered tree is our premium grade.  It must have a diameter of 5/8" or more, be over 3 1/2 ft. tall, and have 3 or more feathers.   Why a feathered tree?  A feathered tree will bear fruit earlier.  On average, a feathered tree will produce 15 to 20 apples in its third year whereas a tree started as a whip will be producing 4 to 8.  Year 4 there may be as much as 10# difference.  By year 5, the two trees should be about equal.  Big deal, you say.  It all depends on your perspective.  For an orchardist, an extra 30 to 40 apples per tree multiplied by 800 trees/acre means real money.  For a hobbyist, it means more apples.  A feather develops from one year wood and the crotch angle is far superior to that of a branch which develops from 2-yr wood.  Feathers develop into much stronger scaffolds

 

Nine-sixteenths (9/16")    Premium caliper trees, but with fewer than 3 feathers.  Some varieties, such as Mutsu apple and LongJohn plum, tend not to produce good feathering but do have large diameters.

 

• A 7/16"  tree must be over 3 ft. tall.  These are nice strong whips which may or may not have a couple of feathers. Whips should be topped at 32 inches to encourage branching.
• A 5/16" tree must be at least 30" tall.  In general, the root systems are not  as well developed as the larger trees.  These trees do transplant very well.
• A "No. 1 Graft" has been growing in the nursery for only one season.  It is usually a whip 30 to 36" tall, 5/16" caliper.

 

Grading:

I personally grade all of our trees (Steve C.).  I take my time and examine each one carefully.  I want you to be happy every year with every tree.

 

Storage:

Storage is every bit as important as growing and grading.  The only safe way to store a bare-root tree is heeled-in.  Heeling trees in moist sawdust or sand protects the roots from drying out.  A tree that has dried out will never fully recover.  Of course, we heel-in all of our trees. 

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