When I was young in Ma, just above worchester, we had a not normal tree vine thing. A concord grape growing in a pear tree. It was in a hay field that when the hay was cut became our ball field just behind home plate. I don't know if it was planted or not. Gramp is no longer alive so I can't ask. the tree tree was about 15" (big enough to support 6-7 12 year olds) the vine about 3-4 inches at its base. about the time Yaz, Rice and Lynn were doing their better luck next year, mom would send us with a basket to pick grapes when we were "up". pears never got to fully ripen (18 kids, tree for bench) but the grapes were to tart for anything but a "I dare you". has anyone tried this form of growing ? Mom said gram sent her to the tree when she was young so I know it lived at least 20 years. The farm was sold , we moved to maine, when I went back 15 years ago there was a house with a cement pond where the tree was. I would like to try this for my grand children on apple trees that are fully established (12"+ ) is there some reason it would not work because it is apple instead of pears. Next do you think" constantly pruned by kids climbing ". Has to enter into the mix? We had an orchard on the back 5 ac then that we sprayed but I never remember spraying that tree. For some of you old timers gramp taped blocks to the peddles of the 8n so I could reach. we sprayed without masks, and he was still weeding the garden at 95 yo.