amprice:

Yes, it is easily possile. They are likely talking of four stone fruit; like peach, nectarine, plum, and apricot; on one tree. You don't have much to lose at $15, but that is about what you will get at that price, not much. If you want a little fruit for your money and effort, step up to some place like Raintree, where such a tree is $40-50.

I have many multi-grafted trees. And with a few exceptions have been pleased. All but one I grafted my self.

The Fruitnut

Amprice, Fruitnut gave you very sage advice. Fruit cocktail trees can be a fun little conversation piece, and also are good for those with really limited space. I bought my 5 in 1 stone fruit tree (apricot, peach, 2 plums, and nectarine) from Raintree, although the nectarine limb didn't make it. But, the rest did fine, and I got a good crop off of it this past summer.

But, be sure to check out Garden Watchdog's customer reviews of House of Wesley/Burgess before you order from them.

www.davesgarden.com -- this will take you to the garden watchdog site.

Also, aside from the stone fruit trees, you can also get 4 in 1/5 in 1 apples and pears (not on the same tree, either all apple or all pear, they're not graft cross-compatible, apparently).

Dennis
SE Michgan

I always have a hard time finding the Garden Watchdog area from www.davesgarden.com. Maybe I'm missing an obvious link? In case the same happens to amprice, just google the word "Scoop" and "House of Wesley/Burgess" so "Scoop House of Wesley/Burgess".

Do buy a fruit cocktail tree. Don't buy it from them. Their rating is deplorable. 17 positives, 13 neutrals,
108 negatives. That's one of the worst ratings I've seen. As Dennis & Fruitnut mentioned, www.RainTreeNursery.com would be a good place to start. Or, if you're looking for more sources, let us know and I'm sure people here would be happy to help. It would help to know where you are located though.
-Glenn

I have a feeling you guys just saved me quite a bit of heartache. I had filled out the order slip and was going to make the check out in the morning!!! I really want to try and get one of these, just for the fun as we already have 2 apple, peach, pear and 2 blueberry bushes planted just this past summer. We are in NW Illinois right along the mississippi river so any recommendations for a source would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

amprice, Raintree does have a 4-1 Fruit cocktail combo tree. Shiro plum, Frost peach, Harglow Apricot, Victoria plum. $42.50 + about $30 shipping. I did order from them once this past summer and had to wait a month for the order confirmation after they charged my card. So I am on the fence in recommending them pending $290 late March delivery. See Gardenwatchdog

I tried two of those fruit cocktail trees 4 years ago. I planted them and they took off like crazy. The growth of the trees have been incredible. The limbs outgrew the trunk and I've had to trim them radically each year. However, the one tree only produces peaches (a lot of peaches) and the other tree bares lots of nectarines but they fall of before they are ripe.

For about the same money as the place you were thinking of if you include shipping charges, you buy one in person at Lowe's or Home Depot, they usually get some "fruit cocktail" trees in with their bare root stock. I don't know where you live, but our bare root stock has been in for a few weeks here in California--you in zone 5 will probably have to wait a few more weeks for your bare root stock. Try and get one where all the grafts are about the same diameter and evenly spaced on all sides of the tree.

Carla in Sac

The one problem with the fruit cocktail trees in zone 5 is that they are not the hardy varieties that one would normally plant. I recommend checking the winter hardiness of each of the individual varieties before buying one since if it isn't hardy then you may never see any fruit from it. I wouldn't wait for Lowes or Home Depot to get one either. At least around here they don't get many bareroots and what they do get isn't taken care of and is usually left outside to die during a freeze.

I spoke with a gardener in NW Kansas today who happened to say how she loved her fruit cocktail treeÂso thereÂs one yes vote.

I received three unsolicited plant magazines after searching online nursery sites. I had planned on trying a 5-in-one pear that I saw in that same group of magazine/web nurseries operating from Bloomington, IL Â "House of Wesley", "Four Seasons Nursery (directgardening.com)", and "Exciting Gardening". Their prices are extremely tempting. I would never have thought to do this, but after calls to some the phone numbers listed in the magazines rang busy for 2 days and I received no response to an email questionÂI made some calls to the area and visited the BBB website. ItÂs sad to say, but in this day and age, I suggest you do the same and way the risk of proceeding with any on line orders to any companies that you may not be familiar with. Thanks for the tip on Raintree! I may give them a try.

I am on my way to Floyd and Associates in Dade City, FL to buy a 4 in 1 Citrus tree! Any suggestions on the upkeep of this tree? I will be potting it and keeping it on the patio. It will be in a 7 gal cont. How soon do you think it will bear fruit? 1 year?

Navel Oranges (Fall)
Honeybell Tangelos (Winter)
Ruby Red Grapefruit (Winter)
Meyer Lemons (Year Round)

Thank you

Here is a link that might be useful: Floyd and Associates

Wow. Every year when I get Raintree's catalog (who I know to be a reputable company), I always raise a hairy eyebrow when I see that dumb ad for the "fruit cocktail tree." I know about grafting etc, but my inner cynic just refused to believe that many fruits could be grafted on one tree. I'm relieved to know that Raintree's "fruit cocktail" tree is on the up and up. Enjoy your trees!

For those in the Great Lakes region, Meijer (of all places, who knew?) has multi-graft apples, cherries, and even a very few fruit cocktail stone fruit combos at their garden centers this spring for $30. I bought 2 of the apples, 5 in 1's, one was all summer varieties and one fall to storage types. They are actually really nice trees, about 7 to 8 feet tall, well rooted and well established. Several of the apple varieties even have fruit on them already.