I told my customer that he was not my customer

This week, I told my customer that he was not my customer.

A guy from upstate New York pre-ordered some Empire Elite trees for Fall.

I emailed him, thanked him for his order and said:

“To be straightforward: I take pride that my chestnut trees are adapted to Midwest zones 5 – 7. Your area of NY is Zone 5B. BUT Zone 5B in NY is different than Zone 5B in the Midwest (like Iowa). I can’t guarantee that they will make it through NY winters and survive.

I started Grow Nut Trees because I bought trees from NY (Twisted Tree Farm) and they didn’t do well in Kansas. Some made it a few years and then without warning died to the base.

I’m not trying to talk you out of the trees. I’m just being straightforward, which I wish someone was with me when I bought Dunstans from FL, hybrid trees from Alabama, Colossal from PNW, and trees from GA – most of which never came out of the first Kansas winter.”

He cancelled his order. Which is OK, because I would rather he not be upset in the Spring when those trees do not come out of dormancy in NY.

I know because I was that customer

I tried to grow chestnuts from the Pacific Northwest. They thrived in cool and wet conditions of the Pacific Northwest, the exact opposite of Kansas.

Maybe it’s not in the first year. I grew out two chestnut trees from a New York nursery. They did well for 5 years and just started to bear nuts, with a few burrs that year. Then they died to the ground.

I have also thought – maybe I can adapt them to Kansas. But New York winters are consistent and Kansas winters are not.

It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last.

I needed more Empire Elite for my nursery and ordered from what I thought was a Missouri grower — same zone, same 6B climate. Instead they came from a farm in Georgia – Zone 8.

They were already leafed out (out of dormancy), while mine still had leaves starting to peek out.

I sent a few to a friend in Georgia (their native Zone 8) and they did well.

But then in Kansas we had three days in March that were in the 90’s. With a few days of 30’s and a low of 11 in there as well. Nineties is weird even for Kansas. The Empire Elite started struggling.

“Not everyone is your customer” – Perpend

I got an order for Empire Elite from East Texas. I didn’t have any Empire Elite left in the Spring except these trees. And East Texas is Zone 8, so it should be fine. I went out to prepare the trees but the Empire Elite were not looking so good. I told my customer that they were looking a little rough and I didn’t feel right about selling them to him. He thanked me for my honesty (which is a compliment that I really appreciate!) and he cancelled his order.

Seeds have a memory

My chestnut tree with catkins. I will have nuts this year!

Seeds (and trees) have a memory. They remember the place they came from – in Kansas it is those brutal winters, scorching summers, lack of rain for long periods of time.

New York may be Zone 5, but it is not Midwest Zone 5.

So where are your trees and seeds from? And do they know where they’re going?

My Midwest Memory trees are adapted to the Midwest Zones 5-7.