fREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1) Why should I choose PPS Fruit Trees?

PPS Fruit Trees (formerly Prairie Plant Systems) is one of the longest standing propagators with a history of producing the highest quality plants in the industry. We take the time to nurture and grow up our plants to field ready size so you have the best possible chance of success. We want the plants to flourish for you so we never force plants out our door before they are ready. Don’t risk disappoint, choose PPS Fruit Trees when only the highest quality plants are good enough. 

2) What size of plant will I receive?

All plants are grown and shipped in square vacuum deep pots that are perfect for growing a plant up to field readiness. The pots are small enough to be easily transported while large enough to all the plant roots plenty of room. Each pot measures about 2.5 inches in diameter and about 3.5 inches deep. 

The shipping height of the plants can range from 6-16 inches tall depending on species/variety and the age of the plant. Although height is useful in determining overall vigour, more important is the overall health of the root system. We inspect each plant individually, whether you order 10 or 10,000 plants. We look at each root system to make sure the plant is field ready. If a plant that is 6 inches tall has a more developed root system than a plant that is 12 inches tall, we will always choose the shorter plant with a more advanced root system. This reduces transplant shock increases your success. 

3) Are your plants GMO (genetically modified organism)?

No. All of our fruit trees are propagated from diverse collection of cultivars (varieties) developed at the University of Saskatchewan Fruit Program.  These cultivars have been selected through controlled crosses (breeding) specifically for their cold hardiness, superior quality, yield and also ease for mechanical harvesting. No genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering. All of our fruit trees are propagated under sterile conditions, where plant explants (plant parts) have been sterilized before being placed in a sterile gel-like nutrient medium required for plant growth. 

4) Why are tissue culture plants superior and what justifies the cost?

Tissue culture plants are the highest quality of plants one can receive.  They are produced in a sterile and clean environment where varieties are true to form and disease free.  The higher costs associated with producing plants in this manner ensure you are getting superior plants.   Orchard growers demand consistency and uniformity in quality and growth.  Only tissue culture can provide large numbers of plants with their exceptional traits.  Other propagation techniques have their limitations and are not generally recommended.  We want you to have success with your plants and we recommend planting top quality plants so you get it right the first time.  Please see “Our Process” for more information on how we produce our plants.

5) Do my plants need another variety to produce fruit?

Some do and some don’t. Both Saskatoon Berry and Dwarf Sour Cherry plants have flowers that are self-pollinating.  This means that they can pollinate themselves and their neighbours without the need for a second pollinizer.  On the other hand, Haskap flowers are not self-pollinated and a successful orchard will require at least two compatible varieties.   The ratio of compatible varieties can be anywhere from 1:1 to 1:5.  Any lower of a ratio and you risk poor pollination. 

6) When can I expect the plants to produce fruit?

Most plants will take the first year or two to establish a healthy root system deep into the ground. Once the plants feels as though it is strong enough, it will begin putting more energy into flowering. This typically occurs in the third year. Most of our plants reach full maturity 5-7 years after planting. It is not uncommon however to begin receiving small amounts of fruit as early as year 2. 

7) How much fruit can I expect from my plants?

The amount of fruit that a plant produces from year to year changes depending on several key factors including climate, weather events and natural cycles. 

On average, mature Saskatoon Berry plants will produce 5-10lbs. 

On average, mature Dwarf Sour Cherry plants will produce 15-20lbs. 

On average, mature Haskap plants will produce 10-15lbs. 

Mature fruit trees are considered a minimum 5-7 years old. Since these plants are all long lived, they will produce plenty of fruit for decades to come. 

8) How cold hardy are these plants?

We only sell the hardiest plants which were selected and bred for Canadian/northern USA climates.   Saskatoon Berry, Haskap and Dwarf Sour Cherry can all withstand winter temperatures below -35 C.

9) Will the plants grow in my area?

Most of our plants are highly adaptable. That being said, we specialize in northern species that are adapted to cold climates. We have customers in zones 1-7 that have each experienced good success. Most of Canada and northern US states fall under this designation. We do not recommend planting these cold hardy fruit trees if you live in a plant hardiness zone of 8 or above. Please see the links below to find your hardiness zone:

For Canada:

http://www.planthardiness.gc.ca/images/PHZ_2014_CFS_Map_30M.pdf

For USA:

http://planthardiness.ars.usda.g

1) Who do you sell your plants to?

Anyone and everyone. We regularly sell plants to customers ranging from backyard gardeners to the largest of orchards. Our minimum order requirement is 10 plants, but that can be any combination of available species/varieties. 

2) Do you offer discounts for larger orders?

Yes we do.  Any order that is 50 or more total plants qualifies for incremental discounts. Our first price break occurs at 50 total plants but we also have further discounts applicable at 100, 500 and 1000 plants. Large orders allow us to get our volume up and prices down. We then pass these savings on to you. 

3) What are royalties?

A royalty is a small fee that is collected and submitted to the plant breeder or organization that developed the cultivar. Most of our plants were bred at the University of Saskatchewan located right here in Saskatoon. Royalty revenues allow the researches to develop new varieties and also reward them for past successes in plant breeding. All species and varieties are protected under Plant Breeder Rights and are grown under license from the plant breeder or organization. Any purchase of our plants comes with the condition that they may not be propagated without license.