Fruit Cocktail tree, anyone got it?

My dad and step mother have a fruit cocktail tree. They planted it 6 or 7 years ago. It does flower in the spring. Up until last year, they never got a fruit from it and last year they got one small plum. We cut it into 15 pieces so everyone could try it. It was the best plum I ever had. :) I don't know if the lack of fruit was the tree or the tree caretakers. My guess is the caretakers. They never gave it any fruit tree spray until this year after my DH mentioned it. But they still don't do it on a regular basis. Mostly because it rained practically all May and the first part of June around here.

I saw an advertisement for a fruit cocktail tree. I'm very tempted to buy one. But if its just not a good idea, I don't want to waste my time. I like the idea that its different fruits grafted on one tree. Currently, I have a peach and an apple tree. I keep telling my DH that I want to have a mini orchard in our front yard. Maybe add a cherry and a plum. I think the word orchard scares him. Tee Hee.

Anyway, has anyone had success with this tree? I just want to know if it's a good idea to buy one for myself or not. I'm not really looking for advice for the folks. They probably won't listen to me anyway.

I bought two from Starks last year in a year end closeout. They were nice looking and well shaped trees. They are supposed to have two types of plums, peach, and apricot. They settled in well and bloomed this spring. The two of them set on some plums and one peach this spring. I really didn't expect that so I hadn't been spraying them. The plums still look good but the peach has been insect damaged. I really need to pinch it off but think I'll leave the plums.

Sounds good. Maybe I will get one.

Hi, be sure to check the watchdog site for the company that you are buying them from. gardener's choice sales some mixed trees, but you would get a twig that would not grow. I would like to know where you are getting them from. If they have good ratings, I might get some also. The ones that I got from gardenerschoice.com were very small and did not live and the 5-1 apple trees never arrived even though they were on the invoice as packed. Bad experience. Take care, Mike

Shoot, Jenhillphoto, your orchard is already almost half as big as mine! My DH laughs that I call my 3 apples (one is a rescue that might not make it), 1 peach and 1 nectarine an "orchard". He thinks it's cute. But for your DH, maybe you could call them "Flowering Ornamentals"!

Ditto what excel says about the Watchdog. My trees from Starks are really nice looking but I have heard really bad reports on these trees from some suppliers.

Most of them that I've seen advertised don't give any IDs as to the varieties they combine - and some or all of the cultivars you get may be totally improper for your climate, with regard to chill-hour requirements, growing-degree days, frost-free dates, etc.
While they 'look' like a good idea, it often requires quite a bit of work to keep the various species or varieties in balance - some are more vigorous than others, and unless the various varieties bloom concurrently AND are capable of cross-pollenizing one another(provided you have the appropriate insect pollenators present at the appropriate time), you may not get fruit, even if they bloom.

Personally, I wouldn't waste space on one - but I've got plenty of room to plant individual trees.

Good point lucky.

I would like to see one of these trees that's mature. If one exists.

This is the second season for mine from Starks. They are healthy looking, about 5 to 6 feet tall. I am unsure if Starks has them on a regular basis. I got mine from an end of season brochure that was sent to current customers. I just tried them because the price was right and was quite pleasantly surprised when I got them. I did have to call their tollfree number to get a list of the varieties grafted onto the tree. I felt that if they were going to the trouble to do all that grafting there should have been a list included with the packing. I would say that I wouldn't buy such a tree from a place that didn't make fruit trees their business and have a decent rating in the Watchdog.

Bought 2 - 1 from Raintree (good rating with watchdog) & 1 from Direct Gardening (BAD rating - hey I wasn't a DG'er back then) the one from Raintree never did a thing. Raintree reimbursed. One from Direct got moved after 1st year (planted in a bad spot) it is now in the 2nd year (in its new spot) and 1 limb did produce fruit (took all fruit off except 2 the poor stem was touching the ground due to the weight) but for what I spend on it no complaints. Its supposed to be a dwarf version so it suits my lot....I figure even if I only get sporadic yields I am still better off then planting a non fruit bearing shrub...

This message was edited Aug 31, 2006 5:04 PM

"I figure even if I only get sporadic yields I am still better off then planting a non fruit bearing shrub" MQN...my thoughts exactly on the fruit trees.

I decided to hold off on the fruit cocktail tree for now. Since fruit trees in general are new to me, I'm going to see how it goes with the two I have for a while. I have to fight the wildlife around here, but that's another topic, for another thread. Of course, I may change my mind tomorrow knowing me. But anyway, I didn't get a fruit cocktail tree this time. I'd be interested to see how MQN's trees do next year. If you remember, please post! Thanks to all who responded.

http://www.oznet.k-state.edu/hfrr/hnewslet/ksht0608.htm

They sound fun, but I've heard that they can be a bit tricky to prune. The different fruit types can have varying vigor and make keeping a balanced tree a challenge (not mostly plum, not mostly peach).

I heard a while back not to waste your money on them and that some of the grafts die. Maybe they do a better job these days.

I am going to try to graft one of these myself.... all plums but still the same idea at least...

One of these days I'm going to get brave enough to do my own grafting - maybe in a decade or three! Good luck, Mitch!

That should work much better than mixed species. The different varieties will also pollinate each other and give a heavier fruit set. I think some are better pollinators than others, so make sure you have a good one in the mix.

Did ya'll know that almond trees and peach trees are closely related? On an almond you eat the seed and throw away the fruit and on a peach you eat the fruit and throw away the seed. I also read that almond trees can be pollinated by most peach trees. I am pretty new to fruit trees and have drowned more than my share. Like kmom, I may try grafting in a decade or three after I learn to quit drowning them. Take care, Mike

When I was growing up, a friend of mine's family had a small almond orchard - us kids, not knowing any better, used to eat the ripe fruit. I think that "stealing" them helped improve the flavor, but I don't remember them as being bad eating at all.

Did they taste similar to a peach?

Yes, they did taste similar to a peach, but not nearly as sweet. Kind of "mealy" textured compared to a peach, too. When actually ripe for almond production, they dry up and split. I don't think we actually ate them when the fruit was ripe for "fruit" production. We got yelled at for picking the fruits and making the almond harvest smaller :-)

http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/homeindex.html

This is the place that grows the trees I like.
There are 2 kinds of cocktail trees; one that has different fruit on it, like plum, peach and nectarine, and one that has different varieties of the same fruit on it. That takes care of cross pollination, which may be the reason for your tree not bearing, and it prolongs the period in which you can harvest. I have many multi variety fruit trees, and they perform very well, respond very good to pruning, and they were very healthy!

Check their website out, it is full of information, the trees they sell are top quality, and the people are helpful and will answer questions per email.

On the picture, look for trees with many labels on them; they are the multi budded fruit trees.

Hope you find what you are looking for, Christie

Thanks Mrs Colla. Did you buy yours by mail, or did you go to a nursery? If buy mail, what site did you go through? Thanks again, Mike

http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/retailers/outofstate.html#texas

This link should take you to the place on their website that lists retailers and nurseries in Texas.
They only sell wholesale on their growing grounds.

If the link doesn't work; go to the link provided before, there is a topic you can click called "where to find Dave Wilson trees", or something close to those words.

I never had a tree that died from them, firstly because they provide quality, and secondly because they have a very entertaining website that explains precisely HOW it's done.

For more questions, mail me!

Have fun, go and grow!