Trees & Shrubs co-op this fall?

Just trying to gauge the interest level here - last fall I did a wildflower/trees & shrubs co-op and vowed I wouldn't mix the two again. (The requirements for packing and shipping the woody plants is VERY different from bare-root wildlflowers.

I'm going to need some things for myself, so I thought I'd offer a limited co-op; here's a quick list of the plants that would be included (we'd have to narrow this down to the 15-20 most popular choices, though.)

Sweet Shrub 12-24"
Twig Dogwoods (Coral, Yellow, Red, Grey or Silky) rooted cuttings, they'll be ~6" tall
Hydrangea (Nikko Blue, Pee Gee or Oakleaf) - 6-18"
Winter Honeysuckle 12-24"
Sweet Mockorange 12-24"
Japanese Snowball (Viburnum) 12-24"
Maples (Red, Sugar) 12"
River birch 12"
American Hornbeam 12"
Hackberry 12"
Redbud 12"
Dogwood Trees (White, Kousa) 12"
Washington Hawthorn 12"
American Beech 12"
Ash (Green or White) 12"
Thornless Honeylocust 12"
Sweet Gum 12"
Tulip Poplar 12"
Black Gum 12"
Sourwood 12" or 18"
Sycamore 12-24"
Cistena Plum 2-3'
Oak (White, Nuttall, Pin, Sawtooth, Red/Shumard, Willow) 18"
Corkscrew Wilow 2-3'
Bald Cypress 2'
Chinese Elm 2'

Other things to keep in mind:

1) All of these plants are $1 or less (most of the shrubs are in the $0.55 - $0.75 range).

2) We'll need to order in minimums of 100 per type.

3) To keep my sanity somewhat intact, I'd also request all orders be in multiples of 3 or 5.

4) The nursery does not dig their trees until we get a few good frosts, which is typically mid-October here. Since the co-op would be just woody plants, I'd use larger boxes, shipped via UPS, so we can get the bigger/taller plants, which should do fine planted out in mid-late October in all but the coldest regions.

Please post here if you're interested, (you don't have to specify which plants yet.) I'll need to make a go/no-go decision by mid-July to give us time to firm up the order, collect the funds and get the order to the nursery in early fall.

I'm interested.

I may be interested - depending on the actual price, actual size, and which plants.
I know you said don't specify plants yet, but I will be interested in the river birch, and possibly dogwood.

Im interested in maples pin oak viburnam mock orange hydrangia birch dogwood cork screw willow chinese elm so how does this work you contact us when you decide if its on or do we check back here ? Ernie

Oh YEAH!!!!!

Ernie, I'll post an "official" thread in the co-op forum once I get a feel for the interest level. (Ideally, I'd like to have 20-30 participants, and about 15-20 plants.)

I should also say that when we bought some of these plants last year, the heights indicated are minimums - the 12-24" hydrangeas were easily 2+ feet tall and pretty shrubby.

The prices (in case I wasn't clear) are all $1 or less on all the varieties listed.

Girl you know I am in on any co-op you have!!

If I had to pick just a few these would be at the top of my list!!!

Japanese Snowball (Viburnum)
Corkscrew Wilow 2-3'
Twig Dogwoods

sue

ok 50 60 or so or are you saying hold it to 15 to 20 plants I am really computer inept so I hope I can recognize the offical notice. I can't mark a thread with a marker because the thread isnt there right.

Maybe some one will e mail me if it gets posted and I don't reply soon thereafter. I am such a toad at some things. Ernie

Ernie, I'll nudge ya when (if!) we get to the official stage, how about that ;o)

You'll have a list you can print off and highlight to your heart's content. But I do ask that you somehow get your final list to me electronically, lolol.

As to the minimums, I went back and checked the nursery's website, and I stand corrected - it's a minimum of 10 plants of any variety.

But (and this is a really big "but", I'm still going to plan on stopping at a maximum of the most popular 15-20 plants. There's simply too much work to mix and match boxes when there are a couple dozen or more varieties involved, and the plants will fare much better if all the boxes can be packed and out the door within 24-48 hours of the plants being picked up at the nursery.

I would like the viburnum, and definitely some trees, I just need to research what will do best at altitude and cold.

Thank you terry I appreciate all nudges. Ernie

I might try some hydrangeas. I'll have to do some major thinking on anything else!

LimeyLisa Kay

I'm interested, and can do 15-20 easily.

Off the top of my head:
River Birch
Hydrangea
Twig Dogwood (Red, maybe)
Viburnum
Bald Cypress
Redbud
and maybe Ash although I'll probably not live long enough to see them to real maturity!

Are the Cistena Plum the same as a purple leafed sand cherry? Those are pretty - might be interested in a few of those.

Kim I believe they are: http://plantsdatabase.com/go/53153/index.html

I'd like the twig dogwoods if they'd do well in Georgia. Unfortunately, I only have 1/3 acre to plant on and it's pretty well filled up with needed trees.

I would be interested in the hydrangeas, twig dogwoods, red maple, corkscrew willow and sweet mockorange. Jenny

Sourwood would be my tree of choice. The larger, the better as they are relatively slow growers.
Kelly

Terry are we closer to knowing. Ernie

Ernie, I somehow talked myself into doing a fall-blooming bulb co-op, which is taking all my available time and energy right now. Let me get it a little further down the road and I'll see whether it looks like I could do this one without a lot of overlap ;o)

me too.

We'll not be participating. There are still perennials from NoH20 sitting in pots. There's just too much to do, too little time and energy. Howie's still the main gardener here as my wrist is still in a brace. Thanks, though!

Terry, I don't think I will join in the tree-shrub thing. My ground is getting filled and at my age I need to plant large sized trees etc, so I can live long enough to see them grow!!!!!!!!!! You listed very good choices. Donna

Stand in your tracks the rest of you I refuse to jump I will go down with the ship Ernie

hehehehe, ernie...bar the door!

I suspect that if (big IF) I can work in a second co-op, once it's official we'll have some other takers ;o)

It's just a matter of me figuring out if I can keep everything straight...which might be easier/more feasible later in the year. (Say mid-October rather than mid-September.) I know that rules out the most northern members, but that still leaves a pretty wide swath of folks (probably from zone 5/6 and down) who can plant trees and shrubs up to November if not year-round.

Mid Oct is a great time to plant here in NE Tx. Just let me know.
Kelly

I'm still up for it IF you do it.

Well, Mid-Oct is pushing my limits up here, but I'd like to try. I had planned on getting some things on my own, so this would be great! Let me know when it is official - I've got to check over that list for hardiness.
Cedar

I'm in if it works out. Thanks!

Ohhh...July 14th. That seems pretty close to the "mid July" decision time. I would be an absolute definite maybe. ;-) I have some planting to do this fall and at these prices I figure that I cannot go wrong. I have never been involved in a co-op before.

I would definitely be up from some Hydrangeas, a couple ornamental trees (redbud or maybe dogwood), and a couple "real" trees (beech or maybe oaks).

- Brent

I am interested too.

Anyone had experience with big trees in pots like those city folk do on rooftops? We have lotsa yarden but on one side of the house I have a concrete strip that needs big ol' pots of trees so I don't have to see my neighbours eating breakfast.

I've never been involved in a coop before, but this sounds interesting. Is it going to happen?

I would be in for
hydrangeas
snowball v.
tulip poplar
corkscrew w.
cypress
plum

Daisy I have big trees (well - 12-14 feet or so) in pots that I move around to get shade on my patio as the sun moves around during the summer, and as I rearrange the furniture (monthly event). Best ones prob. those without a tap root I would imagine? I do magnolia fuscata, crepe myrtles and citrus like this - pots aren't even that big - biggest is 24 inch. BUT they are on watering system so get soaked everyday. Got annuals around em - look nice. My experience is you can grow anything in a pot if you use good lightweight soil mix and give enough water.

Count me in!!!


Thx, Carol

Thanks, DD. Any idea how to most easily choose those on Terry's list above without a taproot?

A watering system for pots? Please, give more detail! I've got brugs in 5 gallon pots with fushias growing underneath them. They look great, but, boy, do I have to water them everyday.

At HD, they have build it yourself watering system components. It is soo easy, Pins. Look in the aisle where the hoses are. It is basically tubing and plastic T-pieces and straight pieces. They all connect easily and hook up to a hose bib. You can even add a timer. Maybe I start another thread with a watering system how-to because just so fun to do!

Great idea!

That's what I use pins cept mine is from Walmart - really cheap pieces; gotta replace a few bits every year but on the whole it works like a charm.

One tip: I don't run lines to each pot; instead I group the pots together and put one sprayer head in the back, mounted up on a stick with pull ties; much more asthetic, and cheaper. I do run separate lines to large pots that are by themselves with a loop of minisoakerhose on the end. But they never stay alone long - I have this irresistible urge to cluster pots together.

This group is watered by a single spray head on a stake. Can you spot it? Most people don't notice it unless I point it out.

Daisy - I know willow, elm, birch and hackberry don't have one, but beyond that I don't want to say for sure. Gotta go google girl! Sorry! Usual rule is root type follows tree type - tall straight trees have taproot, spreaders don't, but exceptions of course.