Fruit cocktail tree

**dwnloom** · 06-30-2011, 09:47 AM

I am thinking about buying a "Fruit Cocktail" Tree....It has nectarines, peaches, plums, and apricots grafted(???) on to one tree. Do you think it will grow? Will the fruit be ok? I am really curious......Oh, it is a dwarf tree also.

**Contrary Housewife** · 06-30-2011, 10:00 AM

I have heard that these need a lot of maintenance. The grafted branches grow at different rates and you have to prune and trim to keep the tree balanced, and keep branches from overgrowing. Do they tell you what varieties they have put on the tree? Do those kinds of fruits normally grow in your area? Most fruit trees need a certain number of cold days each winter or they will not set fruit. And then, it can't get too cold or some will freeze. Sometimes the grafts just die naturally.

It will take 3-4 years before the tree is large enough to fruit, also.

**CrazyCat** · 06-30-2011, 03:00 PM

I've never heard of it~
Interesting...but it's like a freak of nature~!

**Missy** · 06-30-2011, 04:30 PM

It's not a plant in nature on it's own, it's several plants (scions) grafted onto a host or rootstock. So the take say a apple rootstock and graft on other varieties of apple or other plants all together, in this case apricots and such. it looks like one tree. it's a neat process, if you wanted to give it a try yourself ... Grafting

I have a few of these fruit cocktail trees myself and two that are several varieties of one plant (one is plums, the other cherries) they are neat. if you attempt to graft, be patient. Might take a few goes before you get the hang of it. and once the tree gets going it can take a few years to fruit well for you.

**Joshin** · 07-01-2011, 07:55 AM

They require a bit of maintenance. One fruit tries to become dominant, so you can spend a lot of time pruning half the tree to keep it from switching over to one type of fruit. Also keep in mind that with these that dwarf means about 15 feet high. As for fruiting, it depends on where you buy from. Some nurseries sell them once they are mature enough to fruit, though you still won't usually get fruit until the next year because of transplant shock.

Another minimal space option are columner fruit trees. These don't produce branches but instead grow all their leaves and fruits up the trunk. I know there are columner apple and pear trees, as well as a columner peach (the Red Rocket peach). There may be other fruit varieties. They grow to about 10 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet wide, and can produce fruit for 20 years or more. They grow especially well in containers.

**monkeywrangler71** · 07-01-2011, 08:47 AM

You'll need to find out the pollination requirements for all the different fruit varieties on the tree. If they are not all self pollinating then you will need more trees of different varieties in order to produce fruit.

I don't know about the fruits on the tree you are looking at, because they don't really grow in this climate, but they sell a similar tree here that is five varieties of apple grafted on to one rootstock. I've heard that they are difficult to maintain, as all five will not grow at the same rate.

Dwarf trees are also less hardy, but that may not be an issue in your region.