5 in one apple trees

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iamakylady53 Louisville, KY(Zone 6a) Apr 19, 2008

Has anyone tried these? Do they really produce well?Do they remain dwarf sized? I keep seeing them advertised but am nervous about trying them.

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Farmerdill Augusta, GA(Zone 8a) Apr 19, 2008

They do work and are dwarf if grafted onto dwarf stock. They are a pain to keep balanced as some of the grafts want to take over and others are shy and recessive. I consider them more work than they are worth, but where you are pressed for space and willing to devote the time to pruning, they do work.

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amandaemily Gulf Coast, United States(Zone 9a) Apr 19, 2008

Yes multi-grafts will produce fruit.

As to whether they will remain "dwarf" depends on what rootstock they are on. I'm presuming you are looking to purchase the tree from a home-garden center. Rarely will a home/garden center know what the tree is grafted on and in reality they are usually actually "semi-dwarfs" and will end 15-18 feet tall and just as big around if not kept in check (a single story home is typically 12-15 feet in height for a vision).

In regards to the multi-grafts, some varieties will be more vigorous than others and you will have to keep up on pruning just to keep it in check and not end up with a lop-sided tree.

Personally, I don't bother with them. Not worth the effort to keep the branches in check for the common varieties typically offered when I can pick up a common commercial variety apple tree on true dwarfing rootstocks for around $5-$6 and espalier it to make it fit in my yard.

If this is your first apple tree, I would highly recommend a tree that is single variety due to the pruning required for multi-grafts. If you are in a residential area, other folks within a mile will almost always have either a crabapple or another apple tree to provide pollination.

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iamakylady53 Louisville, KY(Zone 6a) Apr 19, 2008

Thank you,
I'll pass on the 5 in one thingy.
Kathy

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