Disease Resistant Pears, 3 on 1 Multiple Grafted Fruit Tree
Enjoy three different fruits or varieties on one tree! Multi-grafted trees have three different varieties grafted onto one rootstock so you can enjoy more variety and extended harvests in one third the space. European pears are late blooming, tolerant of heavy wet soils, and a good choice for many areas. Susceptible to codling moth and some to fire blight. Plant at least two varieties for best results. Harvest 3rd year. On OHxF333 semi-dwarf rootstock. Trees left unpruned reach 2/3 of standard (about 12-18′). By pruning, keep any tree to any size.
To increase survival rate of grafts it is important not to let one graft overtake the tree. If the different fruit varieties (the limbs) are not well-spread on your trees, use a spreader to separate them. Always plant the smallest limb (the weakest bud) to the south/southwest to insure that it gets plenty of sun. Prune back the strongest growing varieties by 2/3. Prune back the weakest variety by 1/2 or not at all. During the summer, watch the growth-rate of the smaller limbs to determine if pruning is necessary at that time. If the weakest variety is 1/2 the size of the others, it is best not to cut it back. Prune back the more aggressive limbs. Summer-prune when necessary in order to let sunlight get to all the developing varieties. Keep even sunlight available to all the developing selections. After the third season, maintain the multi-budded tree so that each fruit-type grows in balance with the others.
Check out our Fruit Tree Harvest Chart to plan for successive harvests.
