# Beware Greenbarnnursery.ca



## willjayc

I ordered several hundred dollars worth of grape and fruit tree stock though Green Barn Nurseries located in Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, Quebec. It was a complete bust. They took payment for all of my order in March and only delivered part of my order and it was mostly sad looking stock that wasn't delivered - in bare root form - until June. Needless to say some of it failed. I lost about $240 to them, $80 for plants they never even shipped as they were out of stock, the rest in mortality. Contact with them has been difficult to say the least and if I have reached them they have had no interest in talking. They will not stand behind their guarantee and will not refund me for the vines I paid for and never received. Something fishy going on there. I have been able to Contact an affiliated Green Barn Nursery direct in Elora, ON. They have been great at trying to clean up the mess, but I suggest only calling them direct and not dealing with the head office or the website. Just wanted to pass this along. Apparently mine is not an isolated incident. I have also purchased from Volcala Nurseries, Silver Creek Nurseries, Kraus Nurseries and hardifruittrees.ca this year and all were great.

Hope this helps others from getting into the same situation.


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## spaniel

How did you pay, credit card? If product was not delivered, document that and your communications, then stop payment through your credit card company.


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## willjayc

Yes, did pay by CC but they required payment when ordering (March). Apparently you can only dispute a payment within 90 days so Mastercard says they can't do anything.


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## bigdrums2

Next time look up double a nursery in New York. Good, reliable products.


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## willjayc

I had contacted double A but they won't ship to Ontario unfortunately.


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## Anna_P

I can't say I know what happened in your case, but I'd like to vouch for this company. I've made a couple small orders here and there over the years from Green Barn Nursery in Quebec and never had any serious problems like these. There were periods when they were very hard to reach - the answering machine was full for a long time - but they eventually got back to me. Last year during a windstorm I lost a lot of branches off a 2 year old "chum" bush and Ken told me how to prune it. This year I'll find out how the bush will recover.

I think there was some restructuring last year when Green Barn Quebec tried to open a franchise. It sounds like they went through a rough adjustment period.

- Anna Przychodzki


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## willjayc

Yes Anna, I think you are correct about the restructuring. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt and maybe they will have gotten better through their restructuring.

It still doesn't change the fact that they shipped me some bare root stock that arrived 8 weeks after the planting season, arriving in June, and was fully flushed or completely dead. Bare root stock does not survive that and they know it. 

Some of my order didn't even show so I was offered a refund.

The refund never materialized, the plants never showed and they will not reply to my phone messages or email messages. Even after the persistence of 6 months of trying to contact them.

I understand things happen and I will give anyone the chance to make things right or let them try again but they clearly have demonstrated they have no interest in that. 

I posted a complaint on their Facebook page once hoping to actually get a reply and they told me publicly that I should contact them ASAP and they would fix everything. I did just that and after they saved face on facebook they wouldn't talk to me about the refund again. 

To me this is just such a cut and dried case. They took my money, did not deliver product and will not talk to me. I feel like I was robbed. Not to mention they sent dead plants on top of it that were supposed to be guaranteed, they didn't survive a month and they will not honour their guarantee either.

I am glad you haven't had any "serious problems" with them. I hope others can say the same. But I advise not pre paying for anything so at the very least you can dispute charges when they take your money and don't come through on their end.

I stand by my words:

BEWARE: GREENBARN NURSERY.CA


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## cwdchan

*Green barn nursery*

Hi willjayc,

I just saw your post. I was going to order some grape vines and cherry trees from Ken. You mentioned you contacted an affiliate of GreenBarn in Elora, ON? 
Can you provide his/her contact number? Do they sell grape vines?
I am having a hard time to find table grapes grape vines in Ontario. There are plenty in the US but obviously I cannot import them without permit.
I am looking for reliance and somerset especially.

thanks,

cwdchan


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## Julie

I am really sorry to hear about your problems with this vendor. Being in Canada, I am not sure on what you can do legally but here in the US we have a Better Business Bureau. I had an issue with a vendor last year on a damaged shipment that they refused to reimburse us for. I contacted the Better Business Bureau and within one week, they issued the refund. I am sure Canada would have something like a Better Business Bureau


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## willjayc

Julie,

I tried many avenues to get retribution. Canada has a better business bureau as well but it doesn't apply to Quebec as they have their own organization and I could not file a claim from a province outside of Quebec. I am in Ontario.


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## willjayc

cwdchan,

I had ordered my vines from a couple of sources last year. I had gotten sommerset from Hardyfruittrees.ca. It was a bit expensive but the stock was good and preformed very well and showed up on time and well packed. 

When I was at the end of my rope trying to contact Green Barn in Montreal, I had contacted the Green Barn affiliate in Elora (Whiffletree Farm.) Lowell had been very pleasant to talk to and seemed to want to help in any way he could. They had asked me to contact them in spring 2014 and they would help me out with some replacements on the dead stock and the unshipped plants I paid for last year..... Unfortunately, this year they are working with one of the previous Green Barn owners from Quebec that I had difficulty with last year and they have more or less kiboshed any meaningful retribution. I might get 6 of the 10 grapes that I paid for and they may replace 2 of the 4 dead trees but this was not without struggle and I am not holding my breath. Only 1 of the plants promised will be the actual variety I had paid for but if it does come through it will be better than nothing I suppose. It's a little too late for me to trust them anymore but it is up to you. Just be warned. I have had nothing but headaches, broken promises and can never find anyone at their phone numbers or emails if I don't have an order to place.

If the new plants do come through I will update this post and share the experience.


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## incredule

Indeed there is something wrong....I've bought thousands of dollars worth of fruit trees from "Green Barn nursery" and most of them did not survived the winter. They are way too optimistic with their proposed hardiness zone and the trees I bought had an " L.E.Cook" label on them. L.E.Cook is located in California and clearly the trees were not hardy enough for a Canadian 5A hardiness zone.
They claim some peaches/nectarines and Asian pear are hardy to zone 4......which is contradiction with the literature that state that those trees are for a zone 5 (only when protected from dominant winds). So how can this be suited for a zone 4? I’m really disappointed, and lost my money.


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## willjayc

Incredule, What and when did you buy? Where are you located? I am in a little frost pocket in 5A. Still not sure what has made it through the 6 month winter we just endured.


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## willjayc

*Green Barn Nursery Failure Update.*

Things are even worse this year and it looks like if I want my orchard without holes I am going to be buying some potted stock soon.

As I had said before, I bought stock from many nurseries last year. The stock from Green Barn arrived in bareroot form in June and either looked dead or was fully flushed. It appears now that I have lost every tree I purchased from them while every other tree I had purchased and planted from elsewhere last year is thriving, save one that the voles got. I have had 1 chum shrub survive from Green Barn. I also planted 36 grape vines last year. 25 of these I ordered from green barn, they only shipped me 15 (charged me for 25, promised a refund that never came) I culled the sad stock down to 9 of the 15 that they shipped, of the 25 I paid for(3 of each variety) and I have 5 that didn't make it of 9! The other 21 that came from other nurseries last year all made it through the winter.

So last year I spent about $550 dollars and ordered 10 trees and 25 grape vines and I have 1 chum shrub and 4 grape vines to show for it.....oh and a real sour taste in my mouth.

I stand by my words....

BEWARE GREEN BARN NURSERY


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## willjayc

*Greenbarn Nursery /Wiffletree Update*

Just an update about Green Barn Nurseries and WhiffleTree Farms. After getting ripped off by Green Barn, Whiffle Tree Nurseries (their Ontario Affiliate) had expressed interest in shipping me the plants that never arrived and were not refunded. Whiffle Tree did not come through and left me high and dry as well. Steve, the Tree Huster as he is known (and hustler is apt) who worked with GreenBarn now works with Whiffle Tree and has absolutely no customer service skills or integrity. He quite frankly told me to take a hike.

After 2 growing seasons here's what survived from Green Barn Nurseries vs what was ordered:

Ordered 25 grapes, 15 were shipped, 5 survived into year two.

Ordered 12 trees, 2 survived into year two.

Of my other 19 fruit trees and 21 vines (non green barn) I planted in the same year all survived but one (peach lost to winter kill due to last years low temps, and my zone)


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## Siwash

What about Wine Tech?

Also Bert Dunn... He's in the Schomberg area.. Think I am going to get some Marquette from him


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## willjayc

Siwash - Not familiar with either of them but I believe most people selling nursery stock are decent and are trying to do do the right thing. Have a talk with your nursery first, ask about when they ship and how they package and any other questions and feel them out. Remember, if you can hold off payment until near the ship date, you have 90 days through your CC to dispute. Don't get roped into paying in January or February and lose any possibility of protection.


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## Siwash

willjayc said:


> Siwash - Not familiar with either of them but I believe most people selling nursery stock are decent and are trying to do do the right thing. Have a talk with your nursery first, ask about when they ship and how they package and any other questions and feel them out. Remember, if you can hold off payment until near the ship date, you have 90 days through your CC to dispute. Don't get roped into paying in January or February and lose any possibility of protection.



Bert Dunn was affiliated with the Little Fat WIno (who passed away), he's a good guy.. only grape vines.. and VineTech is a well established place in Niagara... Surprised you've never heard of them

Look em up.. do some research on them


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## willjayc

Seems it was not an isolated incident. Here's a few more people who have received dead stock. http://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/1467044/got-my-tree-order-inthink-some-were-shipped-dead?ps=1


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## sqfgardiner45

I thought it was important to continue this thread as the situation with Greenbarn is only getting worse. I've been dealing with them for approx. 4 years now and have spent a couple thousand dollars on they're trees and shrubs, I've also been on a couple of their educational tours. I must say that Ken is very knowledgeable and has extensive experience with fruit trees. He describes himself as a "mad scientist" and I would fully agree, he's not a business person and knows nothing about customer service! I've had several very expensive rare fruit trees die, I've e-mailed and called him repeatedly to no avail. They will not stand behind their products! I only wanted the dead trees to be replaced but they won't even do that. I've only continued to order from them because they have the rare varieties that seem to produce in my zone, but no more. If you're lucky enough to live in southern Ontario then you can pretty safely order from Whiffletree's as Steve is no longer there. I ordered a couple of cold hardy shrubs last year and they were very healthy.

I also agree that buyers should beware of this company, I'm not certain how long they will remain in business for selling fruit trees at this point anyway, they seem to be more interested in selling their fruit to a company in Montréal.


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## RedSun

It is somehow very challenging to grow fruits trees in Canada. So both the growers and nurseries should educate themselves. Fall planting is a No No. Do not even think about it. Spring nursery stocks are usually not the best quality, compared to fall stocks. There are just so many factors with planting fruit trees. 

But on the other hand, if the nurseries have the guarantee policy, them they should stick with it. 

Container fruit tree is another option. I know there are few selections, but it is still better than wasting a full year. Time sometimes is more valuable than $$.


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## willjayc

sqfgardiner45 said:


> If you're lucky enough to live in southern Ontario then you can pretty safely order from Whiffletree's as Steve is no longer there. I ordered a couple of cold hardy shrubs last year and they were very healthy.



Thanks sqfgardiner45. It was Steve that I had my first unfortunate dealings with at Green Barn Montreal and when he rolled into the picture at Wiffletree I ran the other way. I will try them out again.


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## SelenaM

I had a horrible experience with a Green Barn in 2020. We paid 500+ for our order, the trees were sent in such a condition that from 5 trees 4 came dead. The root system was wet and I expecting the reason why the plants are dead is that they did not survive the winter at the Green barn before they sent the order. I would not bother for one dead tree, but 4 out of 5 sounds too much! I never experience such a huge loss of 80 % of trees from a single purchase. This company is absolutely one to avoid for future purchases Trees were super small as well. See photos. Ken refuse to send other plants, no refunds.... This company is really robbing you. It is better to purchase form Canadia Tire.....


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## BCC

Similar experience in 2021. Somerset grape did not break dormancy, but no response to email. Funny thing is, when I was ordering they answered my email quickly. The Kiwi they sent me also died. I will not ever order from Green Barn again and strongly recommend against anyone ordering from them


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