Grafting workshop

Spring is a magical season. One day winter is beating down the door and the next buds are swelling on bare leafless limbs, the spring peepers awaken, and Daffodils are stretching leaves through the cold ground ready for a bright yellow show. Do you know what else is like magic? Grafting fruit trees. The Chinese may have been grafting as early as 2000 B.C., but the first verifiable references of grafting occur in Greek texts going back to 424 B.C. Romans were famous for their grafted olive trees. The Bible contains references to grafting, including some of the New Testament's most important verses written by the Apostle Paul. But what is it, and why do we do it? Grafting is joining two pieces of genetically different living plant tissue together so they grow as one plant. Woody plant species including most of our favorite fruit trees including apple, pear, and peach do not reproduce true to type from seeds. In order to set fruit, trees need to be cross-pollinated by a different variety, but the seed hidden within (the offspring) is a combination of the genetics from both parents. For example, if you want a Cortland apple you need one Cortland apple tree and a McIntosh. If you were to plant the seeds contained within the apples of either variety, the genetic variation of the next generation will look very different from each other and their parents. Do you look, think, or act exactly like either of your parents or siblings? The same goes for fruit trees. In order to carry forward the characteristics we want, such as particular flavors and keeping ability, we have to graft living plant tissue, referred to as scion wood, from the parent tree onto the rootstock or limb of a host. All commercial orchards are composed of grafted trees, as are the fruit trees available through local nurseries, mail order, and online catalogs. Thanks to grafting we can grow standard sized, semi-dwarf, or fully dwarf trees of any variety. Grafting is a fun way to start a home orchard and offers the only way to propogate grandma's favorite old apple tree. If you would like to learn more or try your hand, please join us for a grafting workshop March 25 at 9 a.m. at the UT/TSU Extension Office. The education is free and everyone is welcome, but if you want to try your hand at grafting there is a $30 registration fee which includes seven rootstock, a wide variety of scion wood to choose from, and access to specialized grafting tools. The registration fee must be pre-paid at the Johnson County UT/TSU Extension office, 212 College Street by March 20th.