Spring is almost here, which means the weather is getting warmer, flowers will be in bloom, and… Costco fruit trees are back in stock!
What Trees Are Available?Instagram user
- In early spring and again in late spring, fertilize your established fruit trees with an all-purpose fertilizer.
- Once small, green fruit begins to appear, you need to “thin” out your tree by removing some of the small, unripened fruit to promote growth.
How long it will take your tree will start producing edible fruit depends on the maturity of the tree when you purchase it.
It certainly depends on where the Costco is located. In my area much of what they sell is on rootstock that will not survive our cold winters in the long term. Having it on the label does not seem to matter, people are excited about the price and the nice tree size and buy anyway.
They are my favorite Big Box, but you have to take into consideration the cost of membership and the amount of time walking in their huge stores, slightly drunk on all the cheap goods- shopping there is work and all shopping is safer when sober. I’m mostly an Amazon buyer these days for all but groceries. Time is money.
That is the main problem up here. Many of the trees in big box stores are lovely but on rootstock totally unsuitable for our cold zone. Some do live fine, but then the Russian roulette game comes into play. I have switched to buying my rootstock and bench grafting. I have also bought a small dormant tree and immediately grafted it onto good rootstock before I plant it. Just hedging my bets I guess.
The Costco trees are legit, coming from burchell nursery in California. The rootstocks they use are basically the same as DWN, but they don’t use citation and have a few of their own. At 14 bucks a tree, wow, that’s only 2 bucks more than a wholesale tree with royalty charge. Burchell also has some really really good varieties that are their own, too. I have never bought burchell trees from Costco but from reputable nurseries. THE PROBLEM is, about 50 percent, yes 50, are mismarked trees. I have some mystery peaches and plums from them I will never know what they are. Some nurseries here have stopped selling burchell trees for that reason. I have not purchased a tree from them in a few years, they may be better now but probably not. If you can get the right varieties I recommend September honey peach, October sugar nect, honey showers peach, and would recommend a few of my mystery stuff but don’t know what they are. Some of my other mismarked stuff was terrible fruit though to but on good rootstock for topworking. So great price but you don’t know what your getting!!
My local Costco had some decent fruit trees, and there was a good selection this year at my local Kroger (!) as well. However, I will not buy fruit trees unless I know the rootstock, because so many of them do poorly here. For example, PTSL is big where I am, and UGA recommends Guardian RS, with Lovell second if you can’t find Guardian. The rest, at least, according to UGA Extension, are pretty much death on a stick. So rootstock is important. Same thing with apples. MM111 and M7 would’ve ok, but M26 would be foolhardy because of fireblight.
Planting Costco Trees – Are they worth it?
FAQ
Does Costco have apple trees?
Does Costco sell plum trees?
Is Costco selling plants?
Are all fruit trees seasonal?
Does Costco have citrus trees?
In general, Costco garden centers offer citrus trees in many species. Grapefruits, mandarins, lemons, and blood oranges are some of the very popular citrus trees to find in Costco. If citrus is not your favorite fruit type, then you can find a wide selection of apples, pears, pomegranates, peaches, and cherry trees.
What are the different types of fruit trees at Costco?
Depending on where you live, Costco offers a variety of fruit trees that are best for the climate you live in. Some other types of fruit trees that have been spotted at Costco stores include pear, peach, apple, cherry and pomegranate trees. Growing a fruit tree in your backyard requires a fair amount of TLC.
Does Costco sell fruit trees?
Costco only sells fruit trees that will grow in the specific area or region where the store branch is located. So a branch in USDA Growing Zone 5 will not sell fruit trees that grow in Zone 7 and vice versa. That way there’s no risk of you buying a fruit tree that’s not suitable for your particular Grow Zone or conditions.
Where can I buy plants at Costco?
Lilacs, wisteria, hibiscus, and hydrangea — at Costco.com, you’ll find all your favorite plants at our incredible wholesale prices. Be sure to visit Costco’s garden center, or shop online today! Shop Costco.com for live indoor and outdoor plants, including garden plants, fruit trees, orchids, bulb collections, succulents, bonsai trees, & more.