Does anyone have the multiple-grafted fruit trees? I ordered a few and would like some feedback.

[off-grid hen]

We had an old pear tree that had to come down last year. I ordered some fruit trees, including a 3-on-1 cherry with 3 different varieties, and a fruit cocktail tree and a 5-on-1 pear tree from Burgess. Also ordered a plum and a peach tree from Miller Nurseries for zones 4-5. Never started from scratch with fruit trees. I figured it would start producing in a few years. I have a Cornell University pruning book.

Can anyone give feedback either on trees from Burgess or the multiple grafted trees? Thanks!

 

[Arielle]

Can't speak to the Burgess trees; but I do have peach trees and pear trees from Miller, all about 15-20 years old now. THe only issue with the peaches is a mold now develops on the fruit near the time of harvest so the entire crop is lost every year. THey grow beautifully, will enough water; and we also feed it with magnesium as they are heavy feeders and I have it for other purposes and need to dump the solution so the stone fruit get it.

Also plan where the plants go = they need sun all the way around. Keep other trees from crowding around them and blocking the sun.

THey taste better than anything from a store.

 

[off-grid hen]

Thanks! I live in eastern NY and we get peaches from the finger lakes every year. They are SO good! I will talk to someone at Cornell about the mold. What variety is it, if you remember?

I have since read reviews that burgess trees are not very good quality but I might have good luck. Hey, for $20 it was worth a shot.

 

[flgardengirl]

I haven't grafted stone fruit trees but I have grafted other trees like citrus. I don't know about the stone fruits but with citrus you have to keep some of the grafted on branches in check via trimming them because the more vigorous ones will over take the tree. For example grapefruit is much more vigorous than lime so the grapefruit sometimes goes wild and hogs space and shades out the other branches.

 

[off-grid hen]

I was reading about a person whose fruit cocktail tree the plums took over. Somehow when they pruned the plum part it killed the whole tree? Sounds like user error but I will be careful.

 

[Arielle]

Wonder why Burgess is regarded as not as good a quality . . hmmm. I don't know which mold they have; the varieties were reliance and several others. I order many different ones not know which would survive. They are big now , 15 feet across. and they grow well. They flower at different times too, but seem to get enough over lap to get pollinated. I love my pears too.

 

[SweetSilver]

I was reading about a person whose fruit cocktail tree the plums took over. Somehow when they pruned the plum part it killed the whole tree? Sounds like user error but I will be careful.

Fruit cocktail trees are hard to maintain. It is very difficult to maintain anything over 3-in-one as one graft is usually dominant (plum!). The trick with 3-in-1 is that they are usually failed 4-in-one trees and you don't get to pick the exact varieties. Honestly, I've never seen a mature fruit cocktail tree that has every graft alive and thriving.

I recommend the 3-in-ones for a single type of fruit (just apple, or just peach, etc...), and we have had several over the years. Asian plums especially are nice for this, to spread the harvest out. Any more than 3 varieties, and pruning becomes tricky. The south side graft dominates, and the ones that can't peek out the sides east and west get overtaken.

 

[speckledhen]

I have a three-in-one cherry which only began to bloom after about ten years and only on one limb, hence one of the purported three varieties. It was a huge tree by then. We ended up cutting it down. We had a five in one apple tree that bore fruit on only two varieties. Can't recall where we bought those, but I'm sure it wasn't Burgess.

Now, my husband grafts our own, both cherry, pear and apple, and we have better luck that way. It's really rather simple to do and now we can get whatever variety we want and not pay those exorbitant prices for the already grafted trees (which never were very lucky for us anyway)

 

[coopscritters]

Usually the main trunk for the 3 or 5 in one trees will be dominant. Generally they use the hardiest type for the trunk ie: Bartlet for pears but sometimes they can use a totaly different type of fruit tree like apple. I found tha you have to prune hard on the multi varieties in order to get a good yield.

 

[off-grid hen]

Thanks everyone! I guess I will just see what happens. I knew it would be a risk, just wasn't sure about how much of a risk. Good thing I know lots of people with their own established trees that I can use as consultants.