Miniature fruit trees

[pwlynch]

Has anyone had experience with miniature fruit trees?I'm thinking of getting ones you sometimes see in magazines-buy 2 apple trees and get a pear free for around £20.There's also offers where you get 2 kinds of fruit on one tree.Are any of these any good?I don't have much space and they seem to be just what I want.Thanks

[Primrose]

I wondered about getting some of these myself as I also have limited growing space but the only person I know who bought one apple and one pear tree found them a waste of money as after 2 - 3 years each tree had yielded so little fruit that she reckoned it would probably take her about 20 years to recoup the cost of the bushes, compared to the price she could buy the same fruit for in the supermarket. I suspect that if you're planning to buy the varieties you keep in a large container, with the root run being so limited (rather like a giant Bonsai tree),the fruit yield will never be very great. They're a lovely idea and look very attractive when you see the photos in the catalogues, but possibly not so good in practice. But perhaps somebody who had better luck than my acquaintance can tell a different story.

[Geoff]

I don't know much about small trees but I would guess you would be better off buying from a specialist fruit nursery on the most dwarfing stock than through one of the Saturday paper ads. Take care with pollination requirements if you are only buying a couple, again proper nursery would advise. We have had excellent trees from Jasper's.
The usual advice is that multi-graft (sometimes called family) trees are a waste of time as one variety becomes dominant so the advantage is lost.

[Beryl]

I've just picked 8 peaches from a miniature tree in a large pot. Nothing on the nectarine or apricot.
All planted last Autumn. I don't think they are mean't to have serious large quantities. But can be fun to grow.
Mine were bought from Bakkers.

If you want a larger crop then I would say go for a standard tree on dwarfing stock.

Beryl.

[pwlynch]

Thanks for your comments.I'll see what room I have and will get a couple of the dwarf trees,not the miniature ones.