Does it make sense to plant a 2-in-1 apple tree?

I decided to add a fruit tree to my yard this year. After doing some research, I found that I would need at least two apple or pear trees for pollination. I would really prefer to plant just one tree though.

Now I'm considering trees that are grafted with two different types of apples or other fruit. Do these trees really grow well or are they more of a "gimmick"? I hate to spend the time and money on something that isn't going to work in the end.

I am including a link to an apple tree that Stark Brothers has. This is their photo.

http://www.starkbros.com/products/trees/apple-trees/2-n-1-classic-pie-apple

Penneyfeather, I know nothing about growing in your area, but here that Arkansas Black is as hard as a cueball if grown at any altitude. Although it is crisp and delicious when grown down at 1,000' or lower. I am always told that multiple varieties on an apple tree don't work well, but I grafted two different varieties onto an established Fuji and so far it is healthy and all three are producing, although the original Fuji does kind of dominate the tree. Don

They will work well but one variety will generally always do better than the other. I would probably prune that one back more. I think it is the trees that are not pruned accordingly that end up just being one variety. Just dont let the rootstock produce suckers and you will be fine.

This site http://www.fast-growing-trees.com/search-results.htm?q=4-in-1 had 3 different 4-in-1 trees at one point but apparently sold out on the apple trees. Interesting huh..

We tried a four-in-one heirloom varieties apple tree. It never did well and we finally just cut it down. Of course, apple trees don't seem to do that well here; pears and peaches do much better in our little orchard.

I have two trees that my Dad grafted several types of apples onto. He used a Delicious tree as the base and added Macintosh, Grimes Golden, Johnathan, and Banana grafts(six kinds in all) to the tree, the tree is about 60 years old and produces a lot of fruit each year. Great space saver as I only need one tree, but it is a regular tree about 25 feet tall and as much across. I would not trade it for the world...........

Rather than buying one tree with different varieties grafted onto it, which can be quite expensive you could buy two or three different varieties and plant them all together in one hole.

This method is recommended by some of the wholesale fruit tree companies for people who don't have a lot of room.

Makes a lot of sense, but I would buy the dwarf type of tree, much easier to manage and pick, and think of the room that it would save in the yard.

Pennefeather, The advice about more than one tree in a hole to save space makes sense. I have done it with a variety of stone fruit and it is working out well. However, I cannot offer any experience with this method for apples but I don't see why it would not work.

I would not recommend dwarf trees to anyone unless maybe they were growing it in a pot for moving inside in the winter and with apples that should not be neccesary. Dwarf trees, semi-dwarf and standard are all the same for the fruit producing (above the graft) part of the tree. Dwarf trees are just grafted onto less vigorous root stock to stunt growth. An unneccesary thing to do in my opinion. You can control the size of a standard tree by employing summer pruning (after harvest) to keep the tree at a size you desire. Winter or dormant pruning for shape and cleanliness.

If you put more than one tree in a hole the intertwined roots will be competeing for nutrients and water and that will have a stunting or growth limiting effect without resorting to an inferior root stock. I would check with a knowledgable county agent or other expert, maybe at a nearby university, to get advice about what disease resistant, and soil friendly root stock would be most appropriate in your area. Don

The person who first told me about planting 3 apple trees in one hole also bought trees on standard size rootstock and then kept the trees pruned down to a managble size. He planted a Golden delicious, Granny Smith, and Red Delicious. As the trunks grew together it looked like one tree and amazed his friends.
If you have a good nursery in your area I would imagine (hope) that they would only carry trees that would do well in your area and on the correct rootstock.

Also check out the L.E. Cooke Company, wholesale growers web site. they have an article on growing 3 or 4 trees in one hole as well as a lot of other very useful information

I wish I had thought of that when I lived in the San Fernando valley, I think it should work with any fruit trees, orange, lemon,grapefruit, needless I am going to try it here, but in a large pot, so I can move it inside for the winter, God I miss California..........

I am going to investigate this further. I like the idea that it will also help to keep the size down.

Not sure if they'll do well in your area, but Anna is a self-fertile variety and does well in my yard, as evidenced by the photo.

Nice!