Owner's comments
(I had to mark one year as its age at planting, but it had not lived a year yet.) This tree began life as a bench graft (by Greenmantle, in CA) planted in Spring 2011. I chose Bud118 as root stock because D'Arcy Spice is a weak grower, although reputed to be a really tough tree. First year growth less than a foot. No problems with aphids when first leafed out. It about doubled in height the second year; slow but sure. Second year produced three branches at less than a foot from the graft; will prune March of '13 to encourage single growth for another year, at the least. Although D'Arcy is slow growing and will be the lightest cropper among my fruit trees, it may well prove a treasure, for conditions here seem conducive to produce the spiciness for which it is named.
