Trees Info

What is a Bare Root Tree?

Bare Root Trees – Shipped Fresh from Our Nursery

At Wild Valley Nursery, we specialize in selling and shipping bare root trees—a time-tested method that gives you strong, healthy trees at the best possible value. Bare root trees are field-grown and carefully dug while dormant in early winter. Instead of being shipped in heavy soil or pots, the roots are gently cleaned, wrapped, and kept moist to ensure safe transport right to your door.

Why Choose Bare Root?

• Stronger Establishment: Bare root trees adapt quickly to their new soil, often outgrowing potted trees within the first years. They will establish a much stronger root system than a tree grown in a pot.

• Cost-Effective: Without bulky pots or soil, they’re lighter to ship and more affordable to purchase. This allows you to get more trees for less money than traditional potted nursery trees.

• Stronger in the long term: A bare root tree that is properly cared for will out grow a potted within few years. And will live longer with its far superior root system.

• Easier Handling: Lightweight and simple to plant, bare root trees are ideal for home gardeners and homesteaders.

Planting & Care
Upon arrival, your trees should be planted as soon as possible while still dormant. If immediate planting isn’t possible, keep roots cool and moist in peat moss or a good potting soil until you’re ready. Once planted, your tree will wake up with the season, sending out strong new roots and shoots in its new home.

Seasonal Availability
Bare root trees are only available during the dormant season Inventory available starting in October and shipping typically from April–May, so ordering early ensures the best selection. Each tree is shipped carefully packaged to arrive in excellent condition, ready for planting in your orchard, garden, or homestead.

Rootstock Information

What is a Rootstock and Why Does it Matter?

Every grafted fruit tree is made up of two parts: the rootstock (the roots and lower trunk) and the scion (the upper variety that produces the fruit you want). The two are joined together through grafting, creating a single, living tree. While the scion determines the fruit’s characteristics—its taste, color, and harvest season—the rootstock plays a critical role in how the tree grows, adapts, and thrives in your orchard.

How Rootstocks Affect Your Tree:

• Size Control: Rootstocks largely determine the mature size of your tree—dwarf, semi-dwarf, or standard. This allows you to plan for backyard plantings, high-density orchards, or larger shade-giving trees.

• Cold Hardiness: Different rootstocks have varying abilities to withstand harsh winters, drought, or poor soils, making them essential for success in northern climates.

• Disease Resistance: Many modern rootstocks are chosen for their resistance to common soil-borne diseases and pests, helping ensure a healthier, longer-lived tree.

• Soil Adaptation: Some rootstocks perform better in heavy clay, sandy, or wet soils, giving growers flexibility in challenging conditions.

• Early Bearing: Certain dwarfing and semi-dwarfing rootstocks encourage earlier fruit production compared to standard trees.

Why It Matters for Growers
Choosing the right rootstock allows you to tailor a tree to your specific needs—whether that’s a compact tree for a small garden, a hardy survivor for prairie winters, or a vigorous orchard tree for larger plantings. When you purchase a grafted fruit tree, you’re not only selecting the fruit variety, but also the foundation that determines how well it will grow in your environment.

Apple Rootstock Comparison Chart

Choosing the Right Rootstock

• For small backyards or intensive orchards: B9 keeps trees compact and easy to manage.

• For cold prairies and homesteads: B118 is the best balance of hardiness, vigor, and productivity.

• For adaptable, traditional orchards: M111 is a dependable choice with strong anchorage.

• For extreme northern climates: Siberian Crab ensures survival where others cannot.

Plum, Apricot, Peach Rootstocks

St. Julian A Rootstock

• Tree Size: Semi-dwarf (12–15 ft)

• Hardiness: Zone 4–5

• Soil Adaptation: Performs well in a wide range of soils, including heavier clays

• Bearing Age: Medium (3–5 years)

• Notes: A widely used plum and stone fruit rootstock, St. Julian A produces moderately vigorous trees with good anchorage and productivity. Excellent choice for plums, apricots, and some peaches. It provides reliable cropping and adapts well to many sites.

Western Sandcherry (Prunus besseyi) Rootstock

• Tree Size: Semi-dwarf to standard (varies by scion, 10–18 ft)

• Hardiness: Very hardy (Zone 2–3)

• Soil Adaptation: Tolerant of poor, sandy, and dry soils

• Bearing Age: Medium (3–5 years)

• Notes: Native to the prairies, this tough shrub is often used as a rootstock for plums and hybrids in cold regions. It imparts excellent winter hardiness and drought tolerance. Sometimes results in smaller, shrubbier growth habits, making it best suited for northern orchards and shelterbelt plantings.

American Plum (Prunus americana) Rootstock

• Tree Size: Standard (15–20+ ft)

• Hardiness: Very hardy (Zone 2–3)

• Soil Adaptation: Adapts well to clay, loam, and sandy soils; tolerates poor fertility

• Bearing Age: Later (4–6 years)

• Notes: A traditional rootstock for plums and hybrids, American Plum is valued for its extreme hardiness and adaptability. It suckers more readily than some other stocks, but provides excellent vigor and longevity. An ideal choice for northern growers needing tough orchard trees with survival priority.

  
  

   

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  Stone Fruit Rootstock Comparison Chart

  Rootstock	Tree Size	Hardiness	Soil Adaptation	Bearing Age	Special Notes
  St. Julian A	Semi-dwarf (12–15 ft)	Zone 4–5	Performs well in many soils, including heavier clays	Medium (3–5 years)	A popular rootstock for plums and apricots. Produces moderately vigorous trees with good anchorage and reliable cropping.
  Western Sandcherry (Prunus besseyi)	Semi-dwarf to standard (10–18 ft)	Very hardy (Zone 2–3)	Tolerant of poor, sandy, and dry soils	Medium (3–5 years)	Native to the prairies. Imparts excellent winter hardiness and drought tolerance. Can produce shrubbier growth habits in some cases.
  American Plum (Prunus americana)	Standard (15–20+ ft)	Very hardy (Zone 2–3)	Adapts to clay, loam, and sandy soils; tolerates poor fertility	Later (4–6 years)	Traditional plum rootstock. Strong vigor and adaptability. May sucker, but provides excellent survival and longevity in northern climates.

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  Choosing the Right Stone Fruit Rootstock

  • For plums and apricots in moderate climates: St. Julian A is the most reliable choice.

  • For very cold, dry prairie conditions: Western Sandcherry provides toughness and hardiness.

  • For maximum vigor and survival in northern orchards: American Plum is strong and adaptable, though it may sucker.

  OHF 333 (Old Home × Farmingdale 333) Rootstock

  • Tree Size: Semi-dwarf (12–15 ft)

  • Hardiness: Hardy to about Zone 4–5

  • Soil Adaptation: Performs well in a range of soils; tolerates heavier clay better than Quince

  • Bearing Age: Medium (4–6 years)

  • Notes: A widely used pear rootstock known for producing semi-dwarf trees with good vigor and strong anchorage. OHF 333 is resistant to fire blight (a major disease in pears) and is long-lived compared to quince-based stocks. Excellent choice for hardy, productive trees in colder climates or standard orchard settings.

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  Quince C Rootstock

  • Tree Size: Dwarf to semi-dwarf (8–12 ft)

  • Hardiness: Best suited to Zone 5+ (less hardy than OHF series)

  • Soil Adaptation: Performs best in fertile, well-drained soils; dislikes drought and poor drainage

  • Bearing Age: Early (3–4 years)

  • Notes: A popular dwarfing rootstock for pears in Europe, Quince C produces compact trees that are easy to manage and harvest. It encourages early fruiting and high yields but requires careful site selection and may need an interstem (like Old Home) for compatibility with some pear varieties. Best for small gardens or high-density plantings in milder climates.

  Pear Rootstock Comparison Chart

  Rootstock	Tree Size	Hardiness	Soil Adaptation	Bearing Age	Special Notes
  OHF 333 (Old Home × Farmingdale 333)	Semi-dwarf (12–15 ft)	Hardy to Zone 4–5	Performs well in many soils, including heavier clays	Medium (4–6 years)	Fire blight resistant. Produces strong, vigorous, long-lived trees. Excellent choice for colder climates or orchard settings.
  Quince C	Dwarf to semi-dwarf (8–12 ft)	Best for Zone 5+	Thrives in fertile, well-drained soils; dislikes drought or poor drainage	Early (3–4 years)	Compact, easy-to-manage trees with early fruiting. Requires compatible scions or interstem grafts. Best for small gardens and high-density plantings in milder climates.

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  Choosing the Right Pear Rootstock

  • For hardy, disease-resistant orchard trees: OHF 333 is the best option.

  • For smaller gardens and early fruiting in mild climates: Quince C is ideal, but requires careful variety compatibility.