Success Story: Apple Grafting

Michele Stanton

Homeowners have more questions about vegetables and fruit trees than most other plant-related topics, if our callers are any guide. They want healthy plants, and they are very likely to be persons of a do-it-yourself mindset. Additionally, the cultivars that are most disease-resistant and best to grow here—the ones I would recommend—are not always available locally, and may be hard to find on line. When homeowners grow well-adapted, disease-resistant fruit trees, they have healthier trees, need to use fewer pesticide applications and end up with more usable fruit, which benefits the environment and promotes healthier food choices.

With this in mind, I have offered apple-grafting classes the past two winters. Grafting allows for the creation of new trees with a specially selected root system joined to the apple variety of your choice. Two other community members helped teach—another Extension agent, and a small-scale grower who is also an active local Master Gardener; another extension agent helped secure special scionwood.

Participants learned about the science behind the propagation: why and how does this work? What are the biological requirements for success? Why is grafting done during a particular time of year, and why is it physically necessary to do it certain ways? Grafting is an art as well as a science. There are different tools and methods that can be used. Participants were taught how to do cleft and whip grafts with grafting knives, and had the opportunity to use specialized grafting tools as well.

33 people attended the classes. 12 came to Kenton County’s Extension Service for the first time. They were able to select from a variety of rootstocks and scionwood to create their own custom apple trees, with cultivars that do well here. One cultivar was a Kentucky apple breeder’s personal selection, and is not available for purchase anywhere. Additionally, a participant brought scionwood from an ‘antique’ variety at her old homestead so that it could be propagated for a new location after the farm was sold. Each person went home with two to five new trees; ninety percent of survey respondents said they would attend this class again.

Surveys taken two months later included the following comments:

“Great instructor...thank you.” 

“I learned a lot, and I really appreciate the experts giving their time to teach.”

“Really pleased with the results using the grafting tool. The one that didn't take has growth on the rootstock so I plan to do a new graft next year. Thanks for doing this program.” 

“I also grafted more at home with the extra rootstock. In all I have 4 alive! Thanks!”

“All the apple trees from the grafting class are doing great.”

“I had 100% on my grafts and the trees are doing great. Thank you so much I can’t wait till next spring to give this another try.”

“All of our grafts took…D and I are walking around like peacocks. We’re soooo proud of ourselves….lol”

I plan to offer this class again!