apple tree help

[stella]

Does anyone know where I can buy a dwarf apple tree with 2 other sorts of trees grafted on to it. Just been to local garden centre but no joy. T&M dont have any in their book want somewhere reliable. Any ideas, thanks

[Nicos]

Here you go- I've used them in the past and were very pleased with them.

Family Apple Trees Uk, Family Pear Trees Uk, Mixed Fruit Trees Uk, Family Garden Trees Uk,

or is that not small enough for you??

[FB.]

Try Deacons Nursery.
They don't list all stock on their website, but they have an enormous selection of varieties and rootstocks - including family trees.

Deacon's Nursery - Home

But I dislike family trees or dwarf trees for several reasons:

The different varieties often grow at different rates and some varieties tend to grow upwards, while others grow outwards - creating a strange shaped tree. They can become quite a skilled balancing act to keep the tree evenly shaped, or to stop one variety dominating the others.

Also, the different varieties look a bit strange, with different colours of fruit in different parts of the tree. Often, one side of the tree will be bare - because you've already picked the fruits, or because it didn't want to produce any fruit that year.

Also, most of the varieties that get grafted onto family trees are the one's everybody's heard of. Sadly, those varieties are bred for orchards with heavy spray routines - they are often very prone to pests or diseases.

I also dislike dwarf trees because they need intensive care all season-long. Daily watering during the summer is quite likely.
Dwarfs are normally grafted onto M27 rootstock to keep them small.
But such weak growth can be stunted entirely by pest and disease attack, or lack of intensive care.

Personally, I would go for a single self-fertile, disease-resistant variety on M26 rootstock.

Some varieties that are hardy, reliable, resistant to pests and diseases, and are self-fertile, with compact and neat growth, include (in alphabet order).

Crawley Beauty
Egremont Russet
Falstaff
Grenadier
Red Devil
Winston

I would get them on M26 rootstock.

FB