The Fruit Cocktail Tree

Adding fruit to our little homestead.

We would love to someday have a small orchard on our property. There are already a couple of large pear trees that need some care. We are working to figure out what we need to do to get them healthy and productive. 

Thursday we bought a couple of blueberry bushes (we will talk about the blueberries another day) and we also purchased a "fruit cocktail tree."

What is a "fruit cocktail tree"?

It is a fruit tree that has had branches [typically from the same species] grafted onto it. Our tree has peaches, plums, apricots, and nectarines. However, one of the limbs (nectarine) seems to be dead. Only time will tell for sure. This was the only one available at our local nursery with four possible fruits, so we figured we would try.

Why did we choose a "fruit cocktail tree" to begin our orchard?

Well, why not? 😊 It will be pretty awesome and amazing to see different fruits growing on the same tree after all. But that is not the only reason. 

Since we are on a tight budget, we were not sure if we will be able to purchase any other trees this spring. This tree gives a variety of fruit within the one tree. It seemed to be a good idea as a start to our orchard. I am very excited to see this tree grow and produce.

For more information on planting and pruning fruit trees, we referred to: Storey's Basic Country Skills: A Practical Guide to Self-Reliance and Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills