Workshop Details

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Come join us for a hands-on workshop on grafting on Earth Day weekend! Grafting is a horticultural technique used for thousands of years in which tissues of related plants are joined together so that they heal and continue to grow together as one. This is the method used to propagate almost every kind of fruit tree. Think of it as something like tree surgery - with the goal of making a brand new fruit tree to plant somewhere. When you know how to graft, you can graft your own fruit trees for the cost of a rootstock (usually less than $5) versus buying an already grafted tree from a nursery for $25-$50. Grafting also lets you change the cultivar of a tree you already have growing to a different cultivar of that same fruit (for example, changing a disease-prone 'Honeyscrip' apple tree that never gives you usable fruit to a highly disease resistant 'Liberty' apple tree). You can even graft good pear cultivars onto wild (and invasive) callery pears or create a "tree of many fruits" like a pear tree with 20+ kinds of pears on it! The possibilities are endless!

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Workshop Format

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The workshop will take place in the afternoon, rain or shine. (If it rains, we will be grafting inside our barn, garage, or high tunnel). The workshop will include a demonstration of how to use and sharpen a grafting knife, a demonstration of several different grafting methods (whip, whip and tongue, and cleft), and then a hands-on portion where everyone can try their own whip or whip and tongue graft on two pear or apple rootstocks.

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Workshop Schedule

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12:45 pm: Meet at Hundred Fruit Farm. Sign in for the workshop.

1:00 pm - 1:30 pm: Demonstration of tools used for grafting and how to sharpen and maintain them

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Demonstration of various grafting methods - bench vs field grafting, topworking, whip grafts, whip and tongue grafts, cleft grafts, and bark in-lay grafts

3:30 pm - 5:00 pm: Individual grafting practice. Tye and finish grafts on two pear or apple roostocks to take home.

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Workshop Cost

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The cost for the workshop is $65 per person. Coffee and tea will be provided throughout the workshop. Each participant will take home two grafted pear trees.

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Who is this workshop for?

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Because we will be working with sharp grafting knives, we only recommend this workshop for adults. This workshop is best for people who are completely new to grafting, or those who have minimal experience.

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Do I need to bring a grafting knife?

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yes, please bring a grafting knife if you have one. If you don't have one, I would highly recommend this inexpensive but good quality grafting knife from Victorinox and bring it with you to the workshop. (I don't have any affilirate program or other relationship with Amazon or Victorinox, I just recommend this knife and use it myself.)

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How do I register?

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You can register and pay for the workshop through our Square site by clicking the button below.