Grafting Workshop near Chicago

Make Your Own Fruit Tree. Hand's on instruction for grafting a fruit tree. There is a small fee for materials, and you get to take home whatever trees you make. You can select from many varieties of apples, pears, plums, etc. Visit

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to learn more. Midfex stands for Midwest Fruit Explorers, a not for profit group which trys to encourage growing fruit, berries, and nuts in people's backyards.

SUNDAY, April 23th Cantigny greenhouse in Wheaton, IL. Lecture starts promptly at 1 PM and runs until 4 PM.

Sherwin D.

Reply to
sherwindu
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There is also a grafting class in Green Bay, WI on April 22 at the Ag & Extension Serice Center, 1150 Bellevue St. starting at 9am. Apples scions and rootstocks are available for folks to try grafting themselves. Call the UWEX office at (920) 391-4653.

Reply to
John Kring

Does anyone know of a class in the Baltimore area? I've read books on the subject and think that I'm doing everything right but my grafts never work.

Paul

Reply to
Pavel314

I've done a lot of successful grafting. What types of grafts are you doing and what happens after you do the grafts? Anything? John

Reply to
John Kring

John,

I've tried grafting apple trees and grape vines. After grafting, the grafts shrivel up and die. I've paid close attention to getting the cambium in contact and dressed the joins with grafting wax. I've tried bud grafts, whip grafts and cleft grafts, all with the same bad results. I'm obviously doing something wrong; what would you say is the most common mistake made by beginning grafters?

Thanks,

Paul

Reply to
Pavel314

I can't think of a better place [than Chicago] to have a workshop on graft.

Best regards, Bob

Reply to
zxcvbob

Paul, I have only done whip grafts. Like you I make sure the cambiums are together. I do not use grafting wax. Instead I wrap the graft tightly with rubber electrical tape (this isn't the regular electrical tape that's used, it's more like rubber and stretches, I've found it at Menards) so that it covers the entire graft area and then I coat it with a water based grafting compound (I used a product called TreeKote, comes in a yellow plastic container)

Here's two links to a good site for grafting:

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Again I've only done whip grafting but I'd say that over 95% of my grafts take.

One other important thing, make sure that your scion wood and root stocks are not exposed to ethylene gas. Fruit in your refrigerator gives off this gas so if you store your scion wood in a refrigerator with fruit it will damage your scion wood. This site talks about ethylene gas and grafting:

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your scion wood is bad you can buy more from someone like Maple Valley Orchards
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Good luck!! John

Reply to
John Kring

One thing you don't mention is a rubber band wrap. Tightly wrapping with a rubber band squeezes the two pieces together for better contact. Over that, I usually use a product called Para-film. It is a stretchy material, but differs from the electrical tape in that it allows air, but not moisture to pass through it. It is sold as both a dressing for wounds and a special version for grafting. You should be sure the scion wood is dormant before attaching. Trim all but three of the closest buds above the graft. Trim off any competing leaves, but leave another branch or two untouched to help

the rootstock to survive in case the graft doesn't take and you want to re-use it next season. You should be seeing an improvement in your success rate if you follow the above steps.

Sherw> > I've done a lot of successful grafting. What types of grafts are you > > doing

Reply to
sherwindu

Thanks, John, I'll try again this year using the rubber tape.

Paul

Reply to
Pavel314

Thanks, Sherwin, some more good tips to remember next time I try to graft.

Paul

Reply to
Pavel314

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