Hey Ron, you def got me interested in this one!
So I did some research and this is what I found out, for anyone else that's interested:
MANDARIN MELON BERRY TREES
This tree can grow as tall as 30 feet or it can be pruned to make a bush. It's disease and pest free and will grow in zones 6-10.
Male and female trees can be planted together in the same hole and that increases fruit production BUT the presence of the male tree causes a lot of early fruit dropping so you lose a lot of fruit that didn't get ripe. Not getting enough water can cause that too but it doesn't like staying too wet.
PLANTING
The soil needs to be sandy and well-draining with a slightly acid pH of 6-6.5 - but it is tolerant if the pH isn't exactly right. If it's more than one tree then space them at least 6 feet apart. Find a spot that gets full-sun. Dig a hole that's 3 times the width of the pot or root ball and is as deep as the root ball. Mix the dirt from the dig 50/50 with aged manure or rotted pine bark with aged manure/compost. Put the tree in the hole so that the top-most roots are level with the ground. Put the soil in the hole but DO NOT PUT FERTILIZER IN THE HOLE. Pat the soil around the roots and in the hole gently cause the roots are sensitive. Thoroughly water the tree so that the entire root ball gets water.
FERTILIZING
Use a 5-2-6 fertilizer. Remember, the most important things are iron, zinc, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, copper, and boron. All plants need those and most garden soils lack them.
ZONES 6-7 - Fertilize twice. Once in March then once in June/July. Never after July.
ZONES 8-10 - Fertilize 3 times. Once in February, once in May, then once in July/August. Never after August.
Spread the fertilizer evenly, 5 inches away from the trunk and under the whole canopy of the tree. Water or rake the ground to mix it in.
WATERING
LIGHT SOIL - Water thoroughly (40-50 minutes) twice a week. The whole root ball should get wet.
CLAY SOIL - Water thoroughly (40-50 minutes) once a week.
The trees need at least 1 inch of water each week. If the tree doesn't get it, the fruits will drop before they're ripe.
PRUNING
I have no idea how to prune a tree to make it a bush so somebody else needs to help with that part.
Normal Pruning: For best fruit production, prune heavilly in the winter. Remove 1/2 the branches from the previous summer and 1/2 of the older branches.
If a male and female are growing in the same hole, you might have to do additional pruning of the male tree in the summer. The male tree needs to be only 25% of the whole canopy of the 2 trees.
HARVESTING THE FRUITS
The fruits are ripe when the stem doesn't bleed white sap after picking.
CUTTINGS & GRAFTING
I don't know anything about either one but this is what I read.
For grafting, the best rootstock to use is Osage orange. Trees done that way will fruit early without root suckering.
Cutting-grown trees will spread into a hedge. You can get more fruit with those and the root suckers will be thornless. - What's a root sucker??
Anyway, I hope this info helps.
It'll def help me cause I'm gonna grow one.