Comments regarding Stark Brothers Nurseries & Orchards Company

I bought 5 trees this past year from Starks. They were 3-4 feet tall, well leafed out, and packaged very well. Shortly after planting them, one of them started looking sickly. I Emailed them about it. They replied quickly, and it was decided to wait and see. The tree never made it through the summer, but the other 4 look good so far. One day I got a phone call - from Starks. Since the tree is dead, they said they would replace it this fall, but it will be replaced next spring, per my request. Great follow-up from the company and very professional. I'm going to be ordering more plants from them again for next spring. .

I can't say enough good about this nursery! We put an order in for a dozen pie cherry trees with Starks Brothers, but then found a better deal with another company. So we called and cancelled the order with Starks Brothers. Well, for some reason, they sent our order anyway. We called to sort the confusion out and the extremely friendly customer service person noted it was their mistake and said to keep the trees and they would give us a full refund. I actually felt guilty keeping them! First of all, the order arrived in two huge boxes about 4' long, packed with obvious care. The trees looked incredible, with fat green buds, 8 - 12 healthy branches per tree, tons of feeder roots, and not a single broken branch. Meanwhile, the second order arrived from the bargain nursery- it was SO PATHETIC compared to the Starks order! A joke! 12 scrawny foot long dried up twigs were rubber-banded together and mailed in a *small plastic bag*! No kidding! I just couldn't believe my eyes- the difference in plant quality and packaging was stunning. None of these trees lived - and I wish I could post a pic of the beautiful Starks trees which are just flourishing! We planted them, watered them maybe twice, and have pretty much ignored them since- and they're growing leaps and bounds! We'll *DEFINETELY* shop with them in the future! I couldn't be more impressed. - Caitlin Allen, Maine

Three years ago I purchased asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, three apple trees and a fig tree. The only thing that lived from this whole order has been two of the appletrees, the pollinater died so I have had no apples, the fig tree which is about 1' tall, last year had 6 figs the size of peas and this year has about that many the same size. My letter to Stark Bros went unanswered in spite of the fact my husband and I had been customers of theirs for 30 years.
I will find another source for replacements for these things.

Recently ordered a weeping peach ornamental. The tree is 4 1/2ft. tall with a very impressively strong root system and is in partial bloom and leafing out just fine 2 weeks after planting. I'm sure it will do fine so long as I don't forget to water it. Waiting on additional order of fruit trees. Feed back on fruit trees as soon as they arrive.

Ordered from Stark last fall, and neither tree survived the winter. I called them, and they sent replacements cheerfully and promptly. The new trees are doing fine!

On 11/12/2006, I planted a Balaton Semi-Dwarf Pie Cherry and North Star Dwarf Pie Cherry from Staks. They were both received in good condition and were good looking trees. They are now both growing very well even though it went down to 23 after they started leafing out.

Stark did a good job. If you live where you can plant trees in the fall then I encourage you to do so. I am in zone 6 and have bought numerous trees from Stark and those received and planted in the fall do the best with the least hassle.

This year is the first year I have ordered from Stark's. I must say that I'm VERY impressed with the size and quality of their fruit trees and the way they packaged the 3 trees I ordered.

My order contained the following:

1. Stark Montmorency Pie Cherry Semi-Dwarf
2. Stark HoneyGlo Miniature Nectarine 4x10 pot
3. Stark Sensation Miniature Peach 4x10 pot
Plus, 2 free gifts of the Stark Tre-Pep Fertilizer and 6 lily bulbs (which are coming up nicely)

The cherry tree is doing very well and is leafing out nicely, even though we've had 2-3 very cold snaps (down to 33F). I had Stark professionally preprune and they did a very good job. This tree was much bigger and healthier than I imagined.

The 2 Miniauture fruit trees I planted as suggested in 4x10" pots and the Peach tree has already had 3 lovely blooms. And both have a ton of new growth on them. I have high hopes for these 2, as I can bring them in during our terrible winters.

I would order from Stark's again and recommend them for any fruit tree order.

I ordered 2 apple trees and 2 pear trees last fall from Stark's.
They sent very sturdy, nice sized trees. All have leafed out nicely and I'm very happy with the quality. Stark will always be my first choice in fruit trees.

We ordered 80 bare root privets and 3 weeks after planting 77 are leafing nicely. A second order of cherry tree, peach tree, concord grape and fragranty lilacs are now beginning to leaf/bloom ...(except for the one grape the evil pocket gopher devoured). Very happy with the plants and service

Recently received 2 apple, 1 cherry, and 1 pear tree from Stark's. Had originally ordered 2 pear trees, 1 of which was out of stock. This was a little annoying because I needed a pollinator and this was the only other tree that would grow in my zone so I had to order more pear trees from a different company. And also, in all, about 1/2 of my order was out of stock. Out of what I did recieve, the apple and cherry trees are doing very well. Have only been in the ground for about 2 weeks but completely leafed out. The pear tree has me a little nervous though. Had barely no roots and just looks like a stick out of the ground. We'll see... All in all, I would probably give them another try.

I ordered Blueberries, ferns and a semi-dwarf Cherry tree (pre-pruned) from them this year. As usual, the box arrived promptly.
I was dissapointed when I opened the box however, as the potted blueberries looked like cuttings stuck in a pot with no leaves. (Chandler, BlueRay, Patriot) As I was not familiar with blueberry plants (only picking from full grown ones) I didn't realize how fast they would grow. Within 2 weeks or watering and hardening off they have grown by leaps and bounds!! They are about 18" tall and bushing out. I am very pleased with them.
The ferns looked great right from the box and are doing well.
I do agree with one reviewer, however, that I was a bit dissapointed with the size of the new cherry tree. Maybe because they pruned it for me, I don't know, but it is in the ground and looks like a tall stick with leaf sprouts all over it. It remains to be seen how it does.
The apple and cherry trees I ordered from them 3 years ago are all producing fruit and have reached full height I hope. I live in the suburbs, so I stick to semi-dwarf fruit trees do to limited yard size. I did have one tree from that batch of 5 that did not make it, and they replaced it promptly for me.The quality of the fruit they produce is top-notch and I would whole heartedly recommend them for the variety and quality of the stock that they carry.

I wanted to try a few apple trees this year and decided to order from Stark Brothers catalog. I ordered three different apple trees; Honey Crisp, Jon-a-Red, and a Golden Delicious . I also liked the look of the Pink Flowering Peach, so I got one of those too. I'm a little nervous about ordering bare-root trees, but I gave it a try.

The box arrived April 13th, a little too early to plant here. The trees were in good shape,were of good size, and adequately packaged. After I opened it the box I put the trees in a bucket of topsoil in the garage until all danger of frost was past. On April 28th I noticed one was budding so I quickly planted them that day.

Today, all of the trees have leaves open on them, the peach already has a blossom open on it, not bad for only a couple weeks in the ground. They seem to be very vigorous plants.

Given the state of the trees I received, I will definately order from Starks again.

We placed an order for one Intrepid Peach Dwarf Supreme tree, one Moonglow Pear Dwarf Supreme tree and one Earliblue Plum Dwarf Supreme tree. All arrived at the proper time, were well packaged, had the extras included and are a good size. They are all leafing out and look healthy. We also ordered 25 strazzberry plants which were planted April 16th and are already blooming. Would definately deal with Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Co. again.

I ordered two pie cherry trees this year. They're beautiful! I don't know why I haven't been ordering all of my fruit trees from this company!

I received an order yesterday from Stark. The order was incomplete. Of the items I ordered: Blackberries, Jupiter Seedless Grape, Neptune EZ Start Seedless Grape, Concord Seedless Grape and Heritage Red Raspberry, I only received the blackberries and one of the Neptune Grapes. I didn't order a Sensation Lilac and a Pink Butterfly Bush but I received both of those. I called Stark. The customer service person was very nice and re-ordered all of my items. However, the Concord Seedless Grapes are now out of stock so I won't be getting those even though I ordered them in March. She offered me a credit or an order next year. I took the credit. The stock I did get is outstanding in quality but the hassle of re-ordering, waiting and not getting one thing I really wanted is irritating.

I'm tickled to see Stark's have a good rating. I ordered 2 peach trees, 1 pear tree, and 2 blueberry bushes from them before coming across this website. I don't have a lot of experience with fruit trees - but read up as much as I could before picking/ordering what I wanted. The trees arrived with the roots still moist, and a good size. I'm hoping to see leaves before too long. Right now I am happy with the service and the appearance of the plants when they arrived.

I have had both a posititve and a negative experience with this company. Last year I ordered a cherry tree and paid $25.00 for it. I got a little whip not much bigger than what the Arbor Day Society sends you. I called and they sent me another whip. LOL

This year, I ordered two trees and was very satisfied with their sizes and their packing. They were sold out of one of the ones I wanted but then again, so was everyone else. Must have been a big year for Cinnamon Apple Heratige Trees...

Overall, I have to say I'll probably take my chances with them again.

D.W.

April 1, 2007 - NYC - Long Island - Zone 7

Two years ago I purchased 2 mini apple trees, that grow to only 4 feet tall, but produce full size apples. When they arrived, they were about 2 1/2 feet tall, with thick trunks for their size and good roots. After one year and little care they produced fruit!!!, I can not say how the apples taste because I Unfortunately tried organic products that were stronger than the worms that infested my apples. This year I used dormant oil and am better prepared. I am extremely impressed with these trees and this company

Five years ago I purchased a self pollinating sweet cherry tree, It is thriving with little care, it is never bothered by bugs or disease. The tree has remained small, due to my heavy clay soil, but I get cherries every year ! This company has great trees!!

In the spring of 2005, I ordered two dwarf apple trees. They are growing like gangbusters.

This February, (2007) I ordered two dwarf peach trees. They arrived yesterday and appeared to be very healthy looking.

Everything arrived in great shape. The phlox were intact, well-watered, and quite alive. My weeping cherry tree is the full height promised and looks ready for its new home in my front yard. I'll order from Stark Brothers again, to be sure.

I received my order today from Stark Brothers. I am very disappointed in the paw paw tree. It was marked 4X4X10 on the box and the tree measured 3 inches! the blackberry plants I ordered in 3 packs were also very small and skimply looking. I will not be ordering from the catalog again!

Everything I ordered arrived in amazing shape - blueberry, lingonberry and miniature citrus trees. Stark Bros. takes time to package their plants and trees as to minimize damage. Everything is growing and thriving. I will definitely reorder from Stark Bros. and recommend them for quality and ease of shopping.

In May 2006, I ordered 2 of the Blueberry Patio Assortment which contained

1 - Northcountry Blueberry
1 - Northblue Blueberry

For a total of 4 blueberry bushes.

I paid $63.43 after shipping ($13) and tax ($4)

The shippment arrived in a timley fashion. The blueberry bushes were small and straggly, but once I planted them, they seemed to grow fine. Very slow growth, but I think that is normal. By the end of the season they had gone from 4" to 8" and seemed to be in good shape.

Overall, I am pleased with my purchase. By comparison, however, I ordered two Sunshine Blue blueberry bushes from ediblelandscaping.com and the bushes were much bigger and far more vibrant. We'll see if the Edible Landscaping bushes do any better this year or not, but my first impression of the bushes from them was far superior to my bushes from Stark Bros - and they were actually cheaper. $10 for a quart sized planting.

I am listing this comment as a negative not due to Stark's commitment or their customer service. All have been beyond reproach.

However, that being said, I have noticed a reprehensible decline in their stock quality over the last 3 years. Three years ago, most of their fruit tree stock arrived well packed and at least 1/2 in caliper, (minimum). This year I ordered persimmon trees that were littel more than 6 month whip grafts. I measured the smallest at 16 inches, (that's not a typo), and 1/4 caliper at the price others are selling 4 - 5 ft trees of the same cultivar. Disappointed? Yes. My business goes elsewhere next year. Sorry Stark Bros, you got the greed bug and you will lose your cutomer base if this continues. You certainly lost my business and I am an old fashioned faithful customer.

In recent years I have ordered 4 Blueberry plants - (on half price) - & a miniature Orange Tree both are doing well. But the Rhubarb I ordered was dead and when I called I recieved more dead as a replacement - so I called again and was given a refund for the cost of the plants but not the shipping

Last year I ordered 3 fruit trees from Stark Bros. and was happy with my experience. I was especially pleased that they offered a Damson plum since I could not find one locally. The other two trees were both apples.

All of the trees arrived in good condition and properly pruned. I followed the planting instructions and all three trees leafed out and grew well. Even the free strawberry plants grew well. All in all -- no complaints.

I have planted 20+ fruit/nut trees, 40+ various small berries, asparagus, and rhubarb in the past two years. All but 1 oriental pear and a few blackberries made it. The pear was over the one year warranty but the blackberries were replaced very promptly with no questions. I try to plant everything in the best location possible, amend the soil, apply mulch and keep them watered good the first year. They have always told me when a particular tree was not in stock, so that I could pick a substitute. Great customer service. Packaged well and shipped UPS at the proper time. Thank you Stark's from eastern Kentucky.

I ordered some apple, pear and cherry trees from them. I received them promptly and even though on their web site they charge extra for "pruning" they were perfectly pruned. We'll see how they do, but they were courteous and prompt on the phone.... i do wish they would list chill hours on their products...

I have ordered from them over many years, and I understand some things (ownership, e.g.) have changed. I have always been pleased by the quality of the trees I ordered and I like the pre-prune option. I ordered from them today and noitced that they will charge the credit card upon shipping, which seems to be a change in policy from previous years. I feel they have a good selection for us city slickers with minimum space to grow fruits.

I want to preface that I have no experience with fruit trees at that time that I placed my order. I ordered 2 apple trees, a peach and a nectarine in the early spring of 2006. I was concerned that the diameter of the trunks of the peach and nectarine seemed small to me, but they nearly doubled in diameter over the course of the growing season. I had also requested pre-pruning, and was also concerned about the nearly complete lack of branches, but I need not have worried. Everything branched out very well. I am now confident that they will continue to flourish and fruit on schedule. The packing was very good and the roots full and good looking. I am already planning for my new orchard's 2007 additions from them.

Back in January 2005 I carefully planned out my fruit orchard and ordered all trees from Stark's to be delivered in April. I thought by ordering early I was reserving them. Well, they didn't show up in April so I called in May. "Oh, we have an order but it hasn't been completed, it is on hold"
How nice huh? and guess what? Almost half of my order was SOLD OUT! It was a big order, about 15-20 trees, all carefully selected for proper pollenation. Out of all the twigs (I ordered the better twigs) I finally received, 5 of them died. Never again with Stark's or any of their other companies.

I bought several trees from Stark spring of 2005. The fall of 2005 I had to have a peach tree replaced, which is doing fine. I had to have a cherry tree replaced this spring and it has died also. So far, I have lost 3 of the trees that they sent. The apple trees I bought will probably not make it, they are just about the as last year. I bought from other nurseries at the same time and the stock I received from them is doing excellent. I will not buy from Stark again.

Years ago at our first house (1999) I planted Stark fruit trees and I was very impressed when the company called to see how the trees were doing. Naturally at our new home I ordered from Stark again based on the customer service.
The order consisted of: Honeycrisp apple, Burbank July Elberta Peach, Elberta Queen Peach, Seckel Pear, and a Brown Turkey fig that was out of stock upon delivery. The packaging arrived in good condition and so did the trees. And the shipping was reasonable compared to other companies.
Two of the trees recieved were whips. They are nicely branching out and full of healthy green leaves. The two peaches are awake now and getting green leaves all over them.
The next time I order (probably this fall) I will check out the end of season sales to see if the sale trees are the same quality. Stark is one of the companies I will order from in the future.

I recently ordered two fruit trees and two knock-out rose bushes. Shipping was very quick and all items were packaged very well. One of the rose bushes was even blooming! What a pleasant surprise. Very good root systems as well. I planted immediately and within 2 days I could already visualize new growth. Thank you Stark Brothers... From a mutual Missouri resident.

I ordered twice from this company within 4 months just because I was so delighted with the first shipment! Thick, sturdy fruit trees that are doing great and leafing out. Very nice customer service and extremely helpful . Service rep told me what would do well in my area and very patient with my questions. I ordered several trees that appear healthy and are thriving nicely. If I had room I would buy more but must now stick to plants and shrubs. I will be ordering again with this company in the very near future.

Growing up in an apple orchard in North Carolina my father always purchased his trees from Stark Brothers. So years later in my home orchard in Virginia I again ordered from Stark Brothers. I have to say the service was excellent. Cherry tree, weeping peach, blackberrys, blueberries and other plants have always been wonderful. On the tree I ordered it already prunned and the job was very good. I also was looking for a old apple tree that my uncle had growing up. They had never heard of it but were able to identify it for me even though the name I knew it by was a local name and not the actual one. They did all this for me and they did not even carry this type of tree. I would say they went really out of there way. Another generation very happy with Stark Bros.

Over several years I have had a declining experience with this company (and their affiliates). At first I received super stock with healthy roots and prompt customer service. However if you read these other experiences from fed-up gardeners you will see a pattern. This year all the Gardens Alive! companies switched to APX/DHL ( or something like that) for their postal needs. This outfit picks up their packages (probably daily) and is supposed to put them into the USPS system. However since they try to make money they don't send out a pallet to your shipping zone until it's full. So your plants sit in a warehouse drying out until it's cost effective for them to ship.

Now I had two orders coming this year from this company. One was held over from last year (since they sold my bought and paid for months in advance plants to warmer growing zones and ran out) and the other was this years. They shipped out on 4/11 and 4/12. The first came after only 8 days. I felt that was great. The one shipped one day later took just shy of 3 WEEKS! Well as experienced gardeners you know what I found. Dried up twigs. So I paid 20+ dollars in shipping for firewood.

I obviously can contact them for a refund or whatever but I think I've had enough. Besides if they send me replacements then they will just ship the same backward way and I'll have more kindling for the wood stove next winter. Most of all is the disappointment of planning all winter and coming up short when it's too late to re-order.

Follow other people's advice and find better companies with better business practices. If Stark's changes their ways I may come back, but only time will tell.

I ordered the package of three Knock-out roses from Stark Bros. They came as small plants but by the end of the summer they were full size shrub roses. I asked my daughter to get me three more for Mother's Day and again the product was really nice and of high quality. Don't hesitate with Stark Brothers, they stand behind their products.

My experience with Stark Brothers has been awful. We ordered 19 trees in March and I requested a ship date of mid-April for my zone 5. They charged my credit card in April for $73 more than the order. When I called the company about this they informed me their computer system had a glitch in it and they would credit my credit card the $73. They also said they shipped my trees on April 12th. On April 24th, when I still didn't have my trees, I called the company and was informed that they would have to re-ship them but they didn't have 2 of the trees that I had ordered and one of the trees I was never going to get anyway because they were totally out of it and I couldn't even get it shipped in the fall. They informed me that they hadn't billed me for this tree. However, when I told them they most certainly did because the total on my credit card included this tree, they disagreed and said they would send it to accounting to investigate. I emailed them with a list of the trees I ordered and the cost from their catalog with an offer to fax them the original order form with the costs they charged me, but I have not heard from them. Now it's April 29th, no trees, I've been overbilled and no one will contact me to rectify this situation. It must be nice to have someones credit card number and charge whatever you want to it without providing the merchandise.