Food bearing trees.

[W.Lynn]

Years ago I learned: A hungry person plants what they can eat soon, a careful person plants, so they can eat next year, and a thoughtful person plants trees that will feed their grandchildren.

Since then, I have had a habit of sprouting fruit tree seeds. I'm a hopeful person. And yes, I know they won't all be fruitful, even if they survive.

I can sprout them, and not go nuts when a (at the time,) toddler pinches the tops off to try to get the Lorax to come play with him. I didn't even go nuts when said toddler drowned the rest trying to be helpful. Apple seeds, oranges, limes, lemons, grapefruit, I can sprout them all. Somebody in my family will destroy them for me. Saves time?

Of all the silly things, I actually managed to sprout an avocado pit recently. The seedling is standing pretty well, a foot tall or better. I only recently saw tips about cutting it back, but I feel like I'd end up destroying it. Older grandson trimmed a stick for me to stake it with if needed, and for at least this year, it's small enough to bring in if we get any bitter cold.

Wish me luck.

[0utlaw]

I planted pear trees and blueberry bushes when when we bought the URL in 2012 (Undisclosed Remote Location). Not for any well thought out reason or grand plan but they were 1/2 off at the end of the season. The two pear trees were about 2 -2 1/2 foot tall and the 5 pots of blueberries maybe 8-10 inches the blue berries took off and we've gone from a handful the first year to gallons this year. The pears grew well but they would only put out 4-5 pears a year...until this year. One of them produced a bushel that we picked and I've been feeding the donkey one or two a day for a month now from it. Oddly enough the second tree put out nothing this year and it was usually the more fruitful of the two. By the way they are both about 12-15 feet tall now.

Good luck on your avocado!

[W.Lynn]

I've been thinking of blueberries, RP doesn't like them, but he's the only one (and they attract meat.)

[0utlaw]

And they make jam and more importantly blueberry cobbler

[kickstand]

"Click!" to everything posted above this!

[redman2006]

Good luck to everyone on their orchards

We planted a bunch of trees, then moved. The new owner says the trees are producing nicely. Unfortunately, we have a ways to go to get the ones at the new house to the production phase, but I did find 2 pear trees producing those old fashioned, hard as a rock pears. they are not worth eating plain, but they sure make good pear preserves.

[olfart]

Our peach tree produced 4 peaches the first year, and after 6 years our apple tree still has not produced an apple. Maybe next year.

[kickstand]

I planted a dozen eggs, trying to get just one chicken tree to grow. No joy yet, but it is starting to smell bad out there...

My taco patch isn't fairing any better.

[olfart]

[W.Lynn]

Kick, if you think chickens are difficult, try planting donut seeds, everything under the sun eats those seeds!

[0utlaw]

*click*
*click*
*click*
*click*

[redman2006]

Olfart. I think many apple tree varieties require another variety to set fruit. You said tree, singular, so i think you may have to have another one, maybe of a different variety to get fruit.

[olfart]

The older one is a Yellow Delicious, which claims to be self-pollenating. I've planted another apple tree, a Gala, just in case, but it's a few years from blossoming.

[W.Lynn]

I think with some fruit, it's also important to release additional pollinators occasionally, lacewings, butterfly caterpillars, keep bees if you can, whatever.

[W.Lynn]

Still trying, even after I got my seedlings through the huge freeze in February of last year (complete with power outage, so no way to give them a heat lamp, so I put some long-burning candles around them to make microclimate just above freezing.) Starting again, got 6 more orange seedlings, and another avocado.