Miniature Duo fruit trees (Daily Mail)

joho

Hi all,

I saw an advert for miniature dual fruit trees (the ad I saw was a Daily Mail one) and I wondered if anyone had bought any and had any comments on the quality, longevity, ease of care or general advice on them? Should I avoid dual ones if I want to go down the miniature fruit tree path?

Thank you
Jo

RAS

We'd really need more information. What sort of fruit? Rootstock?

Despite what adverts suggest, there is nothing special about some "dual fruit" trees. I've 5-8 varieties in some apple trees. But I notice with dual fruit trees that one usually dominates the other.

There's nothing really special about miniature apple trees, just get them on M27, make sure they don't fruit until they are nearly the size you want. Unless the variety is weak growing when you want a stronger rootstock.

Check out cordon fruit trees in the RHS website? And learn how to summer prune, if you want your tree to remain miniature.

twopenny

I haven't the experience of these but I got a brilliant mini cherry from Tesco during covid time. Now i see them in the garden centre.
The rootstock is Pixie.
I bought an Apple the same time but it struggled with bugs and not appearing at the moment. 
I'm thinking theres a reason. So I don't know but I'd say that multi varities on the same dwarf tree is pandering to desirability over longevity. So you were right to be suspicious.

Morrisons have single fruit trees on a small (not pixie) rootstock. Worth buying if you get them as they arrive healthy. Not so much when they've been there for a while.

I got dwarf rootstock M25 and self fertile Cox. Does produce but not a patch on one good tree.

I'm keeping a Dunster plum sold as dwarf and not, smaller by pruning. My neighbour who knows a thing or two says any tree just prune to size. Pretty much what Ras said.

RAS

2p, M25 ain't dwarf, it's the largest apple tree on the allotments. You need M27. Or M9, but that needs staking for life. You can spot them in the early autumn, when they are horizontal after the first storms. 

Try Frank Matthew's rootstock web page for different species.

joho

Thank you all. Very helpful. I had no idea about rootstocks and M27 or M25s.
I will do a bit more reading around the subject and look at the suppliers you've mentioned.

This is the page with the ad - Fruit Trees | Mail Shop (yougarden.com) 

Jo.x

Sarahspangles

I wouldn’t buy fruit trees mail order, you don’t know how they’ve been treated before they reach you.  If space is a premium, consider training some step-over or espalier trees, lots of instructions online.  You still need to buy them with a dwarfing rootstock.

twopenny

If you find a nursery that sells bare rooted trees they are half the price. However they shouldn't be planted at this time of year.
But choosing your own means you can pick ones the shape you want as hopefully they will live with you for a long time. Don't leave it too late or they will struggle to make root and foliage at the same time.
Apologies for the wrong number. Ps I didn't know that about staking. I know instinct told me to continue supporting mine. 

RAS

joho said:

Thank you all. Very helpful. I had no idea about rootstocks and M27 or M25s.
I will do a bit more reading around the subject and look at the suppliers you've mentioned.

This is the page with the ad - Fruit Trees | Mail Shop (yougarden.com) 

Jo.x

If these are sent out as 4 foot bare root, they are identical to the stock you can get in the budget  supermarkets under a tenner, which have been lopped at 4 foot to get them in the packing box. They will struggle to make a decent tree because the trunk and side branches have been hacked.

Tesco had similar at £7 recently.

It might be worth keeping an eye on your local B&Q as they have much better trees for £15. Also check Wilko, but it is a bit late in the season for bare root. 

Farway

Sarahspangles said:

I wouldn’t buy fruit trees mail order, you don’t know how they’ve been treated before they reach you.  If space is a premium, consider training some step-over or espalier trees, lots of instructions online.  You still need to buy them with a dwarfing rootstock.

Second the training route, one of those things that may appear daunting but is really common sense and involves a bit of [easy, take your time] pruning a couple of times a year.

I have an old tree, which was getting way too tall for me, but over about five years have now got it down to shoulder height and easy to pick

RAS

Looks good Farway.

If I was to do my garden orchard again, I'd go for cordons. I could get 8 apples and pears into the 18 foot length. The pruning is very simple, and formative pruning pretty much irrelevant with maiden whips.

Big advantage - as long as you avoid triploids, the rootstock doesn't matter much.

PS

T&M have an even cheaper offer, not sure whether they are whips or chopped to fit in the box. £23 +p&p. Though I'd not choose Golden Delicious unless I lived down south.

Farway

RAS said:

Looks good Farway.

If I was to do my garden orchard again, I'd go for cordons. I could get 8 apples and pears into the 18 foot length. The pruning is very simple, and formative pruning pretty much irrelevant with maiden whips.

You & me both, too late now for me.

 I did go on a day course fifty plus years ago for growing trained trees and cordon were one way, I so wish I had gone that way, take note Joho !

And would make a lovely "hedge" as well