Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop on April 1
A Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop will be held April 1, from 7-9 pm, at the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds in Grinnell. Iowa State University Extension Commercial Horticulturist Patrick O’Malley will be the presenter.
Please pre-register with the Poweshiek County Extension Office by no later than March 29 (641-623-5188) or email to: xpoweshiek@iastate.edu Due to the nature of the class, there is a maximum of 30 students. The fee for the workshop is $30 per individual or $50 for two family members. The program fee includes two self grafted apple trees on dwarfing rootstock to take home and plant.
The class will begin with an explanation of different types of grafting. This will be followed by a demonstration and then hands on grafting with apple to create two self grafted trees for you to take home. Each student will get to choose two rootstocks (two of one kind or one of each). The rootstocks are: Polish 2 (dwarfing) for a tree that gets 8-12 feet tall. The tree will need support. The second will be EMLA 26 (dwarfing), and is for a free standing tree that gets 10 to 15 feet tall. No tree support is needed. Additional root stocks beyond the two provided can be purchased for $5 each. The class will be approximately 2 hours in length.
O’Malley will have budwood or scions from several different trees: Including Honeycrisp, Iowa original Red Delicious, Chieftan, Golden Delicious, Jonafree, Liberty, Williams Pride, Dayton and Red Free. The latter five cultivars are apple scab resistant.
You may bring your own bud wood or scion. If you do, follow these directions: Remove a 12 inch or larger piece of wood from last year’s growth (one year old wood). Don’t take any wood from the bottom part of trunk since it may be only rootstock. Keep the wood wrapped with moist paper towels or newspapers and place them in a plastic bag with holes. Keep in an unheated garage, or on north side of your house under mulch or snow, or in your refrigerator. If in your refrigerator make sure there are no apples or pears in with the scions because they can release ethylene gas that can reduce quality of bud wood. Ideally collect the scions before the middle of March.
Don’t bring a scion from a nursery cultivars which is plant protected (generally newer cultivars, examples would include Pristine and Zestar). You cannot legally propagate them unless you have written permission from the tree developer.
If you have a sharp pocket knife or grafting knife you may bring it. Do not use a serrated knife, grafting knives will be available for use.
