Frequent Questions

When should I expect my trees to arrive?

Trees are shipped bare root during their winter dormancy from January through May depending on your USDA zone. We prefer to have trees planted just as the ground begins to thaw. This is often 6 weeks before one would consider planting out a spring garden. 

Do you ship in the fall?

We do not ship in the fall. Our growing season here in California is very long and our trees and plants are still in the ground during the fall. We harvest our trees and plants in late December through January during their winter dormancy so that they can be shipped in their dormant state to minimize transplant shock.

Do you offer local pickup option? 

Trees of Antiquity is not a retail (pull-up) nursery. We do, however, offer a limited order pick up option here at our nursery for local folks during designated hours on appointed weekends in the winter. Pick up hours are by appointment only on designated weekends (week day pick up is not available, sorry) in January and February. If you click the "pick up order" button at checkout, we will contact you to let you know when your order will be available for pick up. If you are coming from out of the area and this will not work for you, please consider the shipping option so that we can get your trees to you in a timely manner. Oftentimes, the cost to pick up your order in an attempt to save on shipping costs exceeds the shipping fee when driving time and the increasing costs of fuel is calculated.

When should I order my trees or plants?

To ensure availability of your choice of trees or plants, we recommend placing your order as early as possible. We begin taking orders in July prior to the shipping season. Shipping season is between January and May. For instance, place your order in July 2023 and trees will arrive early 2024.

What size are the trees?

Our  trees height range from 4-8 ft. in the field and trimmed to 4 to 5 ft. when shipped. Our young, two year trees, are most often feathered (side limbs). Our trees trunk diameter (caliper) is often 1/2 to 3/4 inches.*;   *As noted by University of California Scientists and other qualified professionals the most successful trees often have caliper from 1/2" to 5/8" and usually establish faster than smaller and larger planting stock.

 Are you open to the public? 

We are simply a mail order nursery as such we don't maintain a regular retail facility here at our nursery grounds.  All our trees ship with freight and/or UPS.  We currently do not offer a retail pull up option to purchase our trees. 

How prune my first and second year tree?

To prune a one year old apple tree with a modified central leader, follow these steps:

  • Select a strong, upright central leader that will become the main trunk of the tree.
  • Cut off any competing shoots or branches that are growing near the base of the tree.
  • Thin out any shoots that are growing along the central leader, leaving only a few of the strongest and most evenly spaced shoots.
  • Cut back the remaining shoots to about 4-6 inches in length, leaving a few buds on each shoot.
  • Select 2-3 shoots from near the top of the tree to become the future scaffold branches.
  • Cut back these scaffold branches to about 18-24 inches in length, leaving a few buds on each branch.

Repeat this process every year, removing any shoots that grow from the base of the tree and cutting back the scaffold branches to maintain their spacing.

This method will help guide the growth of the tree into a well-structured form with a strong central leader and evenly spaced scaffold branches, promoting good light penetration and fruit production. (Click here for more pruning help)

Experiencing a problem with getting your new password? Your new password isn’t working?
  1. If you do not receive an email from us after requesting a new password within a few minutes, check for it in your junk/spam mail.
  2. If the new password isn't working, try copying it from the email and pasting it into the log-in page. Sometimes it's difficult to distinguish between certain numbers and letters used in passwords.
  3. It’s possible that you had entered an incorrect email when you first registered. Just Contact Us with the name and email you used when registering and we'll check it for you!

I placed an online order, how do I confirm my order?

Upon placing an order online, a 50% deposit will be charged to the credit card supplied online. You will then receive an "order update" email that displays the deposit amount charged and your estimated ship week in 2023.

I read that you charge a 50% deposit to reserve trees, but I was charged in full. What happened?

The website does not automatically charge the card in full, rather, we manually put through the 50% deposit once we receive and download the order from our website. A "processing" charge will appear on your bank account for the full amount of the order immediately after you place the order. This is sort of a hold on funds, similar to what would appear on your card if you check into a hotel and they held funds for incidentals. It does not affect credit utilization and the charge is removed from your account once we manually charge the 50% (correct) deposit. The removal times for the "processing" charge may vary with different banks, but should only be 24-48 hours after we actually put through your 50% deposit.  

What is the best way to make changes to my current order?

It is best to email us to make additions to your order as we check email each day, throughout the day. You can also place a new order online, and this will be combined with any existing orders to save on shipping. Alternatively, adding to an order through our live chat function at the bottom of your screen or by leaving a voice message through our main phone line is sufficient. However you make the change, an updated sales confirmation will be sent out. This edited order will have the same order number, but a new letter suffix each time an edit is made (for example order 1234 becomes 1234A). We recommend that you take a close look at your revised order to be sure that the changes are correct.  

How can I refer to my order?

If you have any order inquiries or need to email us about a change to your order, please supply your first and last name and your order number if available.

What is the minimum quantity required?

There is no minimum quantity required but the shipping rates for an individual tree is expensive since UPS/Fed Ex charges a dimensional weight and an additional handling fee to ship a tree. You will find that it is more cost effective to consider a handful of trees, vines, or our helpful Tree Starter Kits rather than an individual tree.

Why do you want my email account?

We will only use your email address for important matters. Junk mail will not be sent. All orders are confirmed via email which will include the estimated ship week for the trees. We use your email to send a payment link in the winter/spring to collect the final balance on your order, and your UPS tracking number will be emailed to you when your order has shipped.

Do you offer discounts on large orders?

Yes, we do.

Orders over $300........................10%
Orders over $600........................15%

Orders over $1200......................20%

Orders over $2,000.....................20% plus free shipping

Additionally please check our bundle of trees for even greater cost savings Trees of Antiquity has to offer.  This would be in addition to cost breaks listed above. 

Do you carry any trees grown on dwarf rootstock?

No. Trees of Antiquity primarily carries semi dwarf trees that when mature will grow from 8-12 feet tall and wide and may bear fruit sooner than standard fruit trees. 

What is a climate zone?

The USDA Climate Zone Maps are maps created by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to categorize different regions of the United States based on their climate. These maps are used to determine which types of plants are best suited for growing in specific areas, as well as to inform building design and construction practices that must consider local climate conditions. The maps divide the country into 11 different climate zones, ranging from extremely cold zones to warm temperate zones, taking into account average minimum winter temperatures, length of growing season, and rainfall patterns. These maps are updated periodically to reflect changing climate conditions.What does bare root mean?

What is Bareroot tree?

Bare root is an agricultural technique that removes trees in its dormant state which usually occurs during the fall or winter. This technique makes storage easy and bare root trees are shipped by keeping roots moist in paper shavings.

Pollination : Apple trees and pear trees are generally cross-fertile, which means that a variety is pollinated by a different variety of the same fruit. If you have three or more varieties of apples, pollination will probably not be a problem. However, certain related apple trees will not pollinate each other and some apple trees have sterile pollen. So, theoretically it is possible to choose three varieties that will not pollinate each other at all. We have composed a list of three categories that should help clarify any confusion. Use these in the search engine to help select your tree(s).

  • Required: fruit trees that qualify as "require" pollination need another tree's pollen to fruit. They also provide pollen in return, allowing the other tree to also fruit. Another way to explain; requires different variety with same bloom period. It's self sterile (does NOT pollinate itself – but CAN pollinate others) 
  • Self:(self fertile) These are fruit trees that accept their own pollen, although they will produce a larger crop with a pollinator. Most will also provide pollen for other trees.
  • None: These are fruit trees with sterile pollen. They will not pollinate themselves or another apple tree and need another apple tree. Triploid (does NOT pollinate itself or others)

What should I do if my trees arrived before I am ready to plant?

Trees may be kept in a cool dark in the box with the roots in the bag for several weeks. Check that the roots are moist. If the soil is too sloppy or frozen, “heel” in the plants (cover the roots) with moist soil or sand in a shady place to protect the roots from freezing. It is particularly important to keep fig, persimmons and pomegranate roots moist, but not soggy! If the roots seem dry, soak them for a few hours before healing them in. Trees are best planted before they leaf out.

What size hole do I need to dig?

Dig a hole slightly larger than the root system of the tree. For maximum growth, do not prune the roots. Plant the trees so that the graft line sits 2" or 3" above the soil surface. The soil line should be where the roots flair out.  It is best to plant on a slight mound in high rainfall areas. This will prevent water standing around the trunk which can lead to collar or root rot. (For more on planting click here)

How do I plant my trees?

Refer to the planting directions on our growers guide link at top of page. 

My tree died, what should I do?

If your received your tree and it did not survive, contact us immediately. If you contact us before July 1st, we will offer you a replacement. Please read about our limited warranty posted below for further details:

Warranty: Our trees are guaranteed to arrive alive and healthy. They will leaf out and grow if planted in accordance with our planting instructions. ***If we are notified by July 1st of the same year in which you received the tree*** we will replace any tree that fails to grow by issuing a store credit for the price you paid for the tree minus the shipping cost (customer is responsible for shipping and handling). Beyond July 1st, there are too many variables in nature that we cannot control (extreme weather, rodent damage, disease, soil nutrient deficiencies, individual tree care, etc) that can contribute to demise. We may request the tree be returned to us for inspection or an email with illustrative photos. We reserve the right to not re-issue credit for replacement of already replaced trees. Any tree which proves to be different variety than that ordered will be replaced. We do require payment for shipping and handling on all replacements. We are not liable for more than what was paid originally for the trees, and reserve the right to make substitution if the variety in question is not available. Sorry no refunds.

Does Trees of Antiquity offer gift certificates?

We will send the Gift certificate e-mail.

How do I redeem my Trees of Antiquity gift certificate?

Trees of Antiquity Gift Certificates may be used to purchase any item we offer. If you have received an e-certificate, you can apply the certificate at checkout and the amount will automatically be subtracted. If your Gift Certificate value is greater than or equal to your order total, select the “Check/Money Order” payment option. If your Gift Certificate value is less than your order total, select the payment option that you will be using to cover the difference between the Gift Certificate value and your order total.