Create Your Own Orchard: Make Fruit Trees by Grafting

Have you ever wanted to grow fruit trees in your own backyard and harvest home grown fruits or start a small orchard? This class will give you the skills and hands-on experience to learn how to hand make your own fruit trees, repair damaged trees, and add on different fruits to existing trees to save space.

Grafting is the ancient art of how to attach a specific desired cultivar of fruit onto a rootstock to make a customized fruit tree. Students will learn the reasons for grafting, the skills and materials needed to dormant graft, bud graft, and summer graft, and how to nurture trees to maturity. Basic biology of the tree, and why this works will also be covered. Resources also will be given that will help you find desired rootstock and scionwood for the specialty tree of your choice. If you have a favorite tree you want to replicate, like a neighbor’s or grandparent’s apple tree, contact Dan after you register and he’ll provide instructions for preparing tissue from that tree to graft.

This class is about two hours of instruction, an hour break for lunch, and then hands-on practice afterwards. Each student will take home two trees that they themselves have made. 

All are welcome – WEI classes are open to everyone.
Create Your Own Orchard: Make Fruit Trees by Grafting - Women's Environmental Institute