Buying fruit tree's at Bunnings? Yes or No

Phil@Tyalgum says...
Yes the guavas (chilean and strawberry) will fruit true to type either from seed or cuttings as there is not great variability as far as different cultivars available. One fruit I would steer clear from in these stores tho is the feijoa, as 90% are seedlings with no name, this plant is always best bought as a named variety eg Mammoth or Triumph. They are hard to find but worth seeking out and paying a bit extra for as the fruit is far superior to the seedlings. Most plants will have the cultivar name either written in felt pen on the tag if they are a selected variety, if not they will probably be a bit ordinary.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Phil@Tyalgum says...
I think I have seen both named varieties there as well as anonymous plants. Feijoas are grown from cuttings rather than grafted. I've also grown them easily from seed. I think I bought a "Mammoth" from Poyntons a few years back but it was kind of pricey

Phil@Tyalgum says...
To be honest, I prefer to support the smaller, privately owned nurseries when I can. A meyer is a meyer, if it is named you shouldn't go wrong by picking a healthy looking plant wherever it is. I find most of their other stock isn't named however - the smaller nurseries at least know what they are selling instead of having a supermarket mentality.

Mish says...
Hi
I think it is entirely dependant on where you go... either independent nursery or Bunnings. I have been to Dawson's in O'Connor and the staff had no clue at all about growing fruit trees in pots and not to mention they said there is 'no such thing as a 'dwarf' citrus...' they were not helpful, or approachable, I had to chase after them around the shop.

South Fremantle Garden Centre, were friendly, knowledgable and had a good range of fruit trees and were happy to order plants in that they didn't have. The plants they did have looked like they had been there for a long time. Where as, Bunnings have a higher turnover of plants so you know they haven't been sitting there for months.

Also, I have been to 5 different Bunnings stores around Perth and found them to have very knowledgable staff, although at varying levels of approachability. Port Kennedy and Rockingham had the most helpful and knowledgeable staff who didn't mind taking time to talk and explain the differing needs of the plants to me. And were also eager to find out information or order plants in that I wanted.

However, Bunnings in O'Connor was very much like a supermarket, no staff at all in the garden centre, I had to go searching for them, only to find them working the register.

I always ask 'where were the plants grown', as I want to know whether they are WA or interstate plants, and found that both Bunnings and the Independant centres generally order their plants from the same wholesale nurseries.

The upside of Independent centres is that they are not usually limited to buying stock from certain wholesalers, where as, Bunnings can only get plants from those they are contracted with.

As for quality of plants (being as they basically come from the same place), there was no 'one' best shop for plants, e.g. one shop would have better grapes, the other had better pinkabelle's, and another one had better nectarines etc.

So I guess, at the end of the day, it means that to get the best plants you have to spend some time shopping around.

moadeep says...
Thanks brad and mish. This is good advice and why I created this forum thread. I'm happy to buy plants off daleys but I can't justify the shipping costs for more commonly available fruit plants, hence my question about bunnings and the quality of the fruit tree's they have.

Having said that though, I'd still rather support smaller local nurseries (if they have good stock). Bunnings can make their money from other product sales, small nurseries can't.

Jimmy says...
My bunnings never waters the plants very well, so lotsa trees are really behind the 8 ball health wise.

But saying that, if the stock is fresh its from the same Olea Nsy that the small guys use and cheaper.

You can tell by the tags !!

Mish says...
Hi Kath

At Port Kennedy Bunnings, I remember that they lost heaps of garden stock last summer. I saw pallets of grass dead, and plants shockingly dried out.
I thought something had definitely gone wrong... it came down to stupid store policy... only the horticulturist is (according to policy) qualified to water the plants... they were on leave...
I know this as my friend is one of the horticulturist there and when she returned from holidays, she was (to say the least) flabbergasted by their stupidity.

I went into Meadow Springs Garden Centre (totally forget they existed) and they had a huge range of fruit trees looking very healthy and they had different types that I hadn't seen around, like pomegranates.
Also, the one on Pinjarra road opposite the spud shed had huge range of apples and citrus, and I was very excited to find paw paw...
Now just have to find some big cheap pots...

Brad says...
Mish - Re cheap pots. The blueberry forum had this info a few months back. I haven't checked it out. Please let us know more :)

try Garden City Plastics http://www.gardencityplastics.com/advanced.htm) in Canning Vale - I got 6 x 580mm UV-resistant pots from them last year for ~$35 each for my blueberries - way cheaper than anything else I could find of the same size/quality.

Jimmy says...
The sign on the bin says "please do not take these pots, they are recycled by disabled persons' thus taking them is eseentially stealing froma slow learner.

Not a good look...

Kath says...
Mish, wouldn't you think Bunnings would have retic set up? R'ham seem to be continuously watering-would be a big job on the really hot days. The amount of stock PK Bunnings has lost must be huge & the plants that survive would be stressed. Can imagine how your friend felt when she came back to all the dead plants!

CJ says...
Shaun I believe these are two separate stores.

Mish says...
Hi CJ
Meadow Springs Garden Centre is behind City Farmers on Hampton Street. If you go up Gordon Rd from Fremantle Rd lights, take the first right, then right again and its on the right...
Just bought some great blueberries - Denise and Brigitte varieties and a pomegranate... they also have bananas, which I have not seen anywhere else.
Lovely staff also, and the place is just immaculate, I didn't see one sick or dried out looking plant.

Trudy says...
Hi,
Unfortunately over the years I have brought fruit trees and plants from Bunnings which were mislabeled.
2 Limes which turned out to be Grapefruit and later a seedless Grapefruit which had seeds. 3 years ago I brought a Fuji (hard Persimon) which had soft persimons last year.
I even purchased from Bunnings 5x Lantanas bushes (Golden Candle -1 mtr high bush) which were all groundcovers.
Now I avoid Bunnings and pay more from a good Nursery -at least you get good stock and what you pay for.

amanda says...
I have had a lot of success with my fruit trees from Bunnings (except Feijoa) but I don't really have anywhere else to go :-(
I guess it's the same with anywhere you go - look for healthy trees, check their proportions to pot size, weed free (I now have a spreading clover weed thanks to Tass1)
You can also contact their supplier to find out more about the tree in question if you ask for the number. I have got to know my guys well - and they will often source and order in something unusual for me.
For the really unusual subtropicals it's better to go to a specialist like Daleys and get proven plants.

(PS Brad - I agree about the prices of a lot of stuff - I use my local rural suppliers extensively for this reason)

Jimmy says...
I got 4 x dwarf citrus for 50 bucks each all up ex Daleys.

Wandilla wanted $55 each and the plants were worse.

This time of year, Olea despatched the autumn stock, look out for it and plant the same week it comes in.

My apricot was done this was, it established over winter and grew very well the next year...yes roots can grow when no leaves are present.

Illy says...
I have just bought some friut trees from Bunnings. Hopefully they will turn out to be what they are supposed to. (not really worried)

However, if you are in Brisbane I'd hihgly reccommend the rocklea markets on sundays. There you can find a wide variety of plant to affordable prices. You buy directly from the seller so the middlemen are cut out. I have bought many plants from there and I'm very happy with them. Just one note though, the earlier you get there the more variety you'll find. It opens at 6AM. Happy shopping.

Melissa SA says...
I bought Feijoa from Reynella Home Hardware as an 8 inch tree for $3.95. There was only the one and I had never seen them there before, so I don't know if they always have them, let alone that price. I do recommend them over Bunnings for prices. Though Bunnings generally has better variety of fruit trees.

snottiegobble says...
The banana I bought from Bunnings has powered away!

jimreevescairns says...
Worth checking that what they sell is appropriate for your region - i found some kiwi fruit vines for sale at the one in Cairns recently $45 !!! When I challenged the staff regarding the suitability for this climate they admitted that they would never fruit here ?? but there was a whole load which they have happily now sold.
regards
Jim

Jimmy says...
Yes, Bunnings orders much the same plants across the country. Selling high chill trees in low chill areas.

Don't fall for it !.

MaryT says...
Bunnings trees are OK if you know the plants that would do well in your area and get only their freshest stock. I'm afraid our local Bunnings don't look after their plants so they go downhill very quickly. Not cheap either from the look of their size and price.

Brain says...
Some of the citrus suppliers use very sandy soil, which falls apart as you say. As citrus does not like soggy soil, so it's not a bad thing but the only trouble is, sandy soil has little moisture retention, so you need to water it frequently, which is not a problem at most Bunnies, as they have someone paid to do so.

Back to your question, yes, your plant should be ok, provided you repoted quickly and your soil mixture is compacted against the roots - i.e. it's still gettting water! If your orange tree is still looking ok and healthy, then that's your answer.

I actually make a point remove the original potting mix when I plant citrus into a pot. I use premium mixture and this generaly last for 2 years and after that, remove to bare root and do it all over again.

The only thing I will add is, the plant will take a while to adjust, so you will need to water regularly for say a month or so until your tree reestablished itself. As it is winter now, you won't see too much activity from the orange tree.

jakfruit etiquette says...
Citrus are probably field grown, then dug up and potted before shipping+sale, so the roots wont have grown into the mix.
Also mix could have dried out and rewetted before you even got it.
The roots have to be heavily trimmed to fit a nice size tree into a 5 or 10litre pot, so thats why it takes a long time for tree to establish after you plant it.

jakfruit etiquette says...
Boris, I agree with your sentiments, but field grown grafted Citrus are still common.

Judy D says...
Tks to all, so now I will have to be patient and pray it will survive. I did pot it on into premium potting mix and here in Adelaide it has been getting a lot of rain, so the salts shouldn't build up for a while.

sternus1 says...
The nursery staff at Bunnings are invariably pillocks, but you can indeed get good trees from Bunnings. Citrus especially.

upset says...
Well, in regards to all fruit trees being from cuttings at bunnings you will be right soon. I am surrounded by fruit trees being grown for bunnings. They are all from cuttings. We had to put up with 4 months of hell while our neighbour who owns all used a chain saw to do the cuttings. He's been contracted by bunnings for thousand of fruit trees.

Brain says...
Bunnies on occassion does have some decent stuff, if one is patient enough and knows where to look.

Sure, citrus on a rootstock is superior, but for the average punter, a cutting would also do fine. A thai lime(kaffir) and the sublime would be case in point.

Like all things, its buyers beware and do your own reasarch first.

Judy D says...
It is now nearly three years on and my dwarf Orange has 5 fruit hanging on for the first time, hoping to full size. It is in a 300mm pot and I was wondering when should I up the size of the pot or is it ok in this one. Lots of citrus food used over this time.

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1

Judy D says...
It is a dwarf
Valencia and I wasn't sure how small a pot it would be happy in. Tks.

Kai7 says...
Shop in East end bunnings, guys there have being really nice. Everytime when i was looking around they came up and ask if I needed any help..hope my new eureka lemon bear some fruits soon.

S t a r l i n g says...
There's nothing wrong with bunnings citrus trees. In fact they are generally the best because of high turnover; they haven't sat in small plastic pots getting rootbound due to not having sold for so long as is the case with smaller nurseries.

Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi

Most (not all) citrus trees in Bunnings are reasonably priced and oftentimes of the highest quality. I bought a few fruit trees from bunnings over the years and i don't have any complaint with the price or quality wise. I always buy them during the spring season when the best among the best stock come to Bunnings. You must be quick though. If you miss that small window frame the succeeding stocks will be of lesser quality. You can also ask them the delivery times so you can anticipate and be there firsthand when the new stocks arrives.

I have uploaded a picture of my double grafted orange (valencia/navel) and double grafted mandarin (emperor/imperial) that i bought from bunnings trained by me as informal espaliers. They are now loaded with fruits after two years of purchase from Bunnies. I am more than happy with the result.

As for pricing, I have purchased numerous fruit trees from different nurseries including online and I can say that the pricing and quality from Bunnings (Victoria & NSW Bunnings) is not far off or equal to the pricing of most established nurseries.

Happy Gardening :-)

Pictures - Click to enlarge
Picture: 1	Picture: 2

Fruitylicious1 says...
Hi David

Thanks for the compliment. Most of my fruit trees are espaliered (apples, pears, citrus, feijoas, strawberry guavas, dwarf mulberry including one of my jaboticaba). My tomatoes are espaliered too. Its a very effective space saver. A bit more time consuming maintenance wise but, its worth the effort; nice, clean and efficient.

I bought Allen Gilbert's book 'ESPALIER' years ago. Sadly, He passed away last year. That's where i got my inspiration to try espaliering my plants.

Happy Gardening :-)

FRANCISCAVALLO says...
Hi Judy, I came across this thread & noticed your dwarf orange tree has survived from Bunnings. Can I ask whether you've re-potted this tree & whether the tree is still thriving ?

Unfortunately, I'm a little disappointed with all the lemon, lime & valencia orange dwarf citrus I bought from Bunnings which cost me around $40-45 approx each from memory. They appear to have all died after being taken care of for the most part of 2 years. Giving water and fertilizing just wasn't enough so not sure what went so wrong. The plants appeared healthy when I bought but this just isn't the case anymore.

I now have a bad taste in my mouth about Bunnings fruit trees. I have Japanese box hedges in the same soil conditions which surround these dwarf citrus trees and they are all thriving very well.

Anyway enough about my experience, I'm hoping you will have some time to share your experience please

Muzza47 says...
I have bought dwarf bannana, kafir lime, tahitian lime, lemon, dwarf mango, egg plant, 4 different chillies, lemongrass and a dwarf mandarin from bunnings about 9 months ago on the Gold Coast. I am thrilled with the advice I was given as all trees have started fruiting in the 1st year.