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nafex - Re: [nafex] marketer's mirage

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  • From: jhecksel@voyager.net
  • To: nafex@yahoogroups.com
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] marketer's mirage
  • Date: Wed, 09 May 2001 21:19:22 -0400

Ed Fackler commented that the American public is woefully in need of the
most basic information about growing plants. The more I learn, the more
I have to agree with him. It is a little depressing.

I disagree with those who claim it is too hard. I know of a multitude
of 8 year old boys who can recite Pokemon statistics for longer than I
want to listen. They *want* to know all that detail. They *like* it.

The ability, the desire, to learn the finer points of growing plants
kept humans from extinction for many thousands of years. I think that
desire to know must be strongly ingrained. Either as instict, genetic,
cultural....whatever. Popular culture must be pretty serious
deprogramming to scrub such a strong instinct.

Ginda Fisher wrote:
>
> Marketing woes are hardly limited to fruit trees. I was at the Home
> Despot the other day. Their nursery building was full of giant trees.
> I mean, trees 20 feet tall and more. Not a lot of branches (tied up, so
> maybe more than I could see) and even less root. They had burlaped root
> balls maybe two feet across.
>
> I find it hard to believe these things are going to prosper, especially
> if purchased by homeowners who probably won't think the water them every
> day for two years.
>
> If they had labels, I couldn't find them. (I did see price tags.
> $150-$200.) Honey locusts, a few types of maple, birch. All fully
> leafed out.
>
> Ginda
>
> Thomas Olenio wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > Speaking of a "marketer's mirage", 90% of the apple trees at one local
> > nursery are "collection" trees. They each carry 4 grafts of various
> > apple varieties.
> >
> > It is funny... When I talk to the nurseryman they tell me there is less
> > and less interest in fruit.
> >
> > With selections like a "collection" apple, which is bound to produce an
> > unusual, unbalanced tree, which will most likely dissapoint the grower, it
> > is no wonder there is less interest in fruit.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Tom
> >
> > --
> > Thomas Olenio
> > Ontario, Hardiness Zone 6a
> >
> > On Wed, 9 May 2001, dwalsh/wchase wrote:
> >
> > > Joe,
> > >
> > > I agree that the columnar apple trees are a marketer's mirage. The
> > > ones I've seen
> > > definitely grow branches and these must be cut off early and the person
> > > who buys
> > > this does not know it ... result is a dwarf semi-branched apple tree
> > > with
> > > bland-tasting fruit.
> > >
> > > Also, they are marketed as stand-alone apple trees, but they are not
> > > self-fertile.
> > >
> > > Derry
> > >
> > > Derry Walsh & Bill Chase email:wchase@interchange.ubc.ca
> > > Aldergrove, B. C., Canada
> > > phone/fax (604) 856-9316
> > > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> > > Home web page http://www.interchange.ubc.ca/wchase/HTML
> > > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> > > :
> > > : My two cents is that the columnar form stinks for raising quality
> > > : fruit. One vertical with
> > > : many 6" side branches and fruit on side branches. Roger's kept
> > > pushing
> > > : vigorous side branches at 30 degrees from vertical which then competed
> > > : with the central leader. Stark's response was that the grower had to
> > > : prune them to make them look like the picture in the catalog. Roger
> > > was
> > > : put-out because he could prune *any* tree to look like the picture.
> > > :
> > > Columnar apples are an
> > > : bad idea that was some Madison Avenue types used as a gimmick to foist
> > > : trees onto the naive public.
> > >
> > > :
> > > : -Joe Hecksel
> > > : Eaton Rapids, Michigan
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

--

-Joe Hecksel
Eaton Rapids, Michigan

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