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euqruob

Some hard to find plants now at Baker's

euqruob
13 years ago

Just got back from Baker's Nursery, they have been getting a lot of interesting tropicals lately. Two types of Loquat, a big variety of bananas, some really nice dwarf Buddah's hand citrons, Goji berries, Manilla mango and even some Paypaya.

But, I was looking to buy some Alphonse Karr bamboo, and, in the last week they got a shipment of some really rare and hard to find varieties. They have one plant of Spectkalis (Chinese walking cane bamboo), its a big beautiful plant, but its a runner. They had Arrow (running) that was a good 6 ft tall, Rufa "Green Panda" clumping bamboo that only grows 6 to 8 feet high, and Koi bamboo, which I bought to fill in my hedge space. Prices for these new strains was $52, which isn't too bad. They also had lots of Buddah's Belly, Giant Timber, Black (running), Golden (running), Golden Goddess, and some Mexican Weeping.

It seems like this season there is a lot of tropical plants available, good to see some variety!

Comments (39)

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    euqruob, what time are you, I meant Bakers, open till?

  • euqruob
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    LOL! I am not a paid employee of Bakers. Often, I'll wait for HD and Lowes to have the same thing if possible. I did see Cherimoya at Lowes today, I've never seen that for sale here, even at Tropica Mango.

    Its just nice to see some variety lately.

    Also, on Oct 30, the AZ rare fruit growers will have their annual sale at the extension office on 43rd St and Broadway, lots of fun stuff.

  • runs_with_scissors6
    13 years ago

    Thanks for the info euqruob! Dontcha just âÂÂ¥ Bakers?

  • grant_in_arizona
    13 years ago

    Great information, thanks for posting it! I will be taking a new-to-Phoenix transplant (person, not plant, LOL) to Baker's this weekend to show it to her, so I'll definitely check out the new stuff. I've been to Berridge a lot lately, and some of the Harper's, and last weekend I did the Botanical Garden's autumn plant sale (oink oink) but it's time to share the wealth with wonderful Baker nursery too. I'll see what I can do this weekend, and hopefully make my friend a convert as well.

    Great information about the rare fruit sale too--I'll plan on going.

    Take care,
    Grant

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    So how large are these Loquat trees they are selling at Baker's?

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    Ive got a few 15 gallon Loquat and Cherimoya if anyone interested

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    phxplantaddict I am a little broke right now. (Big understatement) and there are some other trees I would like to purchase from mail order firms first. But I will keep you in mind as I lost one do to herbicide a couple years ago. Right now I only know of one mail order nursery that sells good sized Loquats and I would rather buy from you. If you still have any in December we may be able to work something out.

  • agility_mom
    13 years ago

    phxplantaddict, you say that you have Cherimoya for sale, have you gotten any fruit from your trees?

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    I have. Picked couple weeks ago.

  • agility_mom
    13 years ago

    How would I go about successfully growing a fruit producing Cherimoya? I have been wanting a Cherimoya or an Antemoya but I have heard they are tricky to get to produce fruit.

  • sundrop07
    13 years ago

    phxplantaddict, how big are the loquat trees you have and may I ask how much you're asking for them? Thanks.

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    Plant cherimoya like avocado. Loquats are 5-9 foot, 15 gallon. $35

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    phxplantaddict what variety of Loquats do you have? Also I'm in East Mesa not far from AJ. How far away are you from me?

  • oceanlyons
    13 years ago

    ^ I'm in E. Mesa too. :)

    Picked a Kaffir lime up from Bakers. Yummy! Nibbled on a leaf on the way home.

  • agility_mom
    13 years ago

    I'm in East Mesa too!

    I have been wanting to get one of those limes. It looks like a trip to Bakers is in order.

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    Sorry for delay. 35th and Bell. Loquats are Big Jim and Champagne. And on a related subject, the gentleman asking about Cherimoyas on another thread came and bought a tree with fruit and flowers on it today. The Cherimoyas do fruit here. Morning or filtered sun, afternoon shade, lots of mulch and compost.

  • steenbean18
    13 years ago

    Stopped by Bakers today for the first time and we loved it!! Huge variety of plants and everything looked really healthy. Not much in the way of service (nobody even acknowledged us) but we picked up two 15-gal cascalotes for $16.95 each and can't wait to get them into the ground tomorrow!

  • lulu2
    13 years ago

    Hey all, I live in east Mesa too, near AJ:) I didn't realize you can grow Cherimoyas here! How big does the tree get? I'd love to try growing one, they are sooo tasty:)

  • grant_in_arizona
    13 years ago

    Thanks again for posting about the Rare Fruit Growers Sale! I went yesterday and picked up two dwarf fruiting bananas (I already have the seedy but fun Japanese fiber banana (Musa basjoo), plus a white sapote and a "Cherry of the Rio Grande" which I really bought for the common name, LOL (it's a Eugenia).

    This is a fun thread--thanks for starting, and continuing it! :)

    Take care all,
    Grant

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    agility_mom and lulu2, any chance either of you have a truck and can drop off a Loquat or two for me on your way home? I want one or perhaps two large ones. I just don't see how they will fit in my Cadillac.

  • euqruob
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I picked up an Ice Cream Banana and a Suriname Cherry plant at the rare fruit sale yesterday, and found a Silverstripe Bamboo at HD on Friday. Guess what I'm doing today?

    Bakers has 2 different kind of loquat, Big Jim, and another that I can't remember, they aren't really big, they will easily fit in your car.

  • agility_mom
    13 years ago

    Thisisme, check at Lowes for a Loquat. They did have some Big Jims at the Ellsworth/ Southern store.I believe they were around $25.
    I have an SUV and getting some of the trees that I want is a problem for me too. I have a trailer but there is no place to turn it around at Bakers. Sometimes just parking your truck is a problem let alone with a trailer. I even asked them and they said it wasn't a good idea.
    I picked up a Jelly Palm (Butia Capitata) at the sale. There wasn't a whole bunch left when I went there that I was interested in since I was looking for some rarer things.
    They did have really good prices on their bananas but I already have 3 different kinds and want to see how that goes before I get any more.
    They will have another sale in April.

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    agility_mom I love my car but once or twice I year I sure wish I owned a truck. I will check out the Lowe's and see what they have after I get paid. There is a nursery in Tuscon that that orders a bunch of low chill fruit trees from Dave Wilson Nursery. If I had a truck I would be there when they arrive in early January.

    eugruob I have never grown banana's but I have heard that the Ice Cream is one of the better ones to grow here. Bakers is a lot further away than Lowe's for me so I would only run over there is Lowe's is out.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mesquite Valley Growers Nursery DWN Order.

  • agility_mom
    13 years ago

    Bakers will be getting their low chill fruit trees and other plants in late December/early January. They order from Dave Wilson and L.E Cooke nurseries to name 2. So, if you go to those 2 nursery's websites and see something that you want, you can talk to the order guy at Bakers. He will hold orders for you of the various things that you want. I have done this for the last 3 or 4 years and it works out great. I get the plants that I want w/o worrying that they will sell out of the plants that "I have to have".
    Another thing is that the man that orders things for the Lowes garden center that I mentioned told me that he can also order me things.
    So, there are 2 options closer to home.

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    Ive got 6-9 ft tall big jim loquats for $35.

  • agility_mom
    13 years ago

    The ones that I saw at Lowes were 3 to 4 feet high.

  • lulu2
    13 years ago

    Hey, Thisisme. I have a small truck with a tunnel cover. I can't haul big trees but can move smaller ones with the tops hanging out the back:)

    OK,, I googled loquats and wish I had a place for one here at my "Little Dump in the Desert", not to be confused with the "Little house on the Prairie":)

    I was a good gardener in Washington, but here in Az. I feel like a total newbie to it all, but I am determined to learn again:)

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    Trees dont have to be planted in the ground. I grow over 200 in pots, some 10 years old. You can have more variety with container growing.

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    lulu2 I think a 9ft Loquat would fit with 2-3ft sticking out the back of an average small truck. If you are willing to pick up a tree or two from phxplanaddict for me I would be willing to buy one for you for your trouble. Or I could give you a couple 25 gallon pots instead if you prefer. If you don't think a good sized one will fit I will just pick up a smaller one at Lowe's.

    By the way UC Davis has some great videos on gardening and growing fruit trees in a climate similar to ours.

  • lulu2
    13 years ago

    Hey, Thisisme.... Sorry for not getting back with you right away,,, we are priming the exterior of our house. I won't be painting until the weekend because of the heat wave, but have lots of caulking to do. Maybe we could move the trees Thursday,,, hmm. Let me know:)

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    lulu2 check your email.

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    phxplantaddict please tell me those Loquats are grafted or air-layered or grown from cuttings and not grown from seed.

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    As of this moment I have grafted and seedlings. Also just picked up a few of each gold nugget, strawberry, vista white, and wolfe

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    phxplantaddict I was going to email you but your email function is not turned on.

    Another forum member and I are working on a plan to pick up some trees. I guess the most important questions I have now are...

    What size are the grafted varieties?

    Are they the same price?

    Need an address as distance is an issue.

  • desert_dawg
    13 years ago

    thisisme If you haven't been to Mesquite Valley Growers in Tucson yet, you have to check it out. I have driven down twice this year from Phoenix. It blows everything I've seen here away. There is a great chance you don't have to wait until January to get what you want. I went there the first time in Feb to get Minnie Royal & Royal Lee cherries. Bakers was out of stock already. When I called MVG they said their intent was to never run out again. They had dozens to choose from on different root stocks. They had dozens of avocados in #5, #7 & #15. I thought I was in paradise. I took my wife the 2nd time, we could have easily stayed overnight & browsed another day. I wish we had something like this in Phoenix, but I haven't found it. You will definitely need a truck, I filled mine up both times. It makes for a great day trip.

  • thisisme
    13 years ago

    desert dawg Thats a good idea. I will think about it for sure. They will have a better selection in January. But even so, planting now has a big advantage over planting in January. I will have to balance that with my health issues. I don't travel well and its about a 2 1/2hr trip each way on a good day.

  • desert_dawg
    13 years ago

    thisisme You might also try www.BayLaurelNursery.com. You can order next years Dave Wilson stock now. They don't charge your credit card until they ship. I ordered next years cherries on an 8' dwarfing rootstock that will ship Jan 3. I've ordered from them & Raintree before to get Dave Wilson Nursery stuff. Both are great. Also I've ordered from a tropical mailorder place in Punta Gorda, FL before. They are the best packers in the business. They have a huge variety of stuff. Important to me was avocados on west indian rootstock. All three have the advantage of not having to leave the house. I'm determined to get some avocados to the fruiting stage. I have at least a dozen varieties on different rootstocks growing in different areas of sun & shade. My yard is like a giant avocado experiment. Hopefully I will get one or two to produce. I am encouraged by a few of them, but only time will tell. I'm also excited about the possibility of cherries. I like growing the things people tell me will not grow here. The odd thing is I don't eat avocados or cherries. Lucky for me, I have a wife & grandchildren who love both.

  • brugpuppy
    13 years ago

    Hi everyone,
    I am moving to Maricopa in the near future. I have purchased a house there. I am reading the AZ forums with a much interest, and cannot wait to get my new back yard planted. I am very anxious to put a tropical in the ground and actually see it grow all year 'round! I have made a list of plants and nursery's and this February I am going to 'shop 'til I drop'

    phxplantaddict, I am unable to email you. Could you email me with an addy that is usable? I will be down in Maricopa in February.

    In the mean time, if anyone knows of other good nurseries, please let me know.

    BTW, I have a 7 year old loquat, 5' high, in a 5 gal pot, which I haul in and out of the greenhouse twice a year. Getting one into the ground, and actually having it bear fruit will be a dream come true!

  • phxplantaddict
    13 years ago

    Thisisme, Ill have to get back to you on loquat availability, have a nursery coming this weekend to shop.

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