A group of volunteer reserve wardens got the chance to learn the art (or science?) of fruit tree grafting from Andrew Spray at Colwall orchard this month. The group spent the day at the orchard and grafted around 10 fruit trees each. Grafting can allow us to continue rare and ancient fruit tree species and David Watkins (reserve warden for Common Hill), used grafts from some of the trees on the reserve in the hopes of replacing some of the older trees as they mature and die.
Here the wardens tell us a bit about their day.
"We spent the first part of the morning in the classroom learning about why trees are grafted and the specific characteristics of the various rootstocks available. We then moved onto a discussion of the various grafting techniques, concentrating on the ‘whip and tongue’ graft (the technique we would be practising in the afternoon). After the classroom session it was time to head out into the orchard to select and cut the scions from a wide range of apple varieties available, incidentally the cuttings were selected to assist (in a small way) with the winter formative pruning of the trees. Back in the classroom for the afternoon it was time for the practical exercise of grafting the scion to rootstock, then wrapping and waxing the joint, and importantly labelling the tree. At the end of the afternoon we all came away with a number of grafted apple varieties and mine are now safely potted up and safely stowed in the fruit cage. We should know in a few weeks what the success rate is.
The Colwall Orchard Group has a great facility and orchard, Andrew is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic on the subject."
Bob North