When
April 11-12, 2025
Where
Virtual
If you registered for this class and have questions regarding the schedule or your kit please contact [email protected].
This workshop series will teach you the techniques and processes required to successfully bench graft new apple trees. We’ll walk you through the process of splicing dormant scion wood and rootstocks. Once the splice is made, the new trees will need to rest and heal under cool and damp conditions, and then be planted outdoors. There are few things a gardener can do more gratifying than to graft and grow their own apple trees, and we look forward to walking you through the process.
Note: Apple trees grow best in zones 4-8. Although we will send materials to all contiguous US states and accept all virtual registrations, for best results, we recommend planting apple trees within zones 4-8.
Registration includes guidance for caring for your apple trees throughout the year and access to educational videos, recordings of live sessions, and other resources. This is a virtual class. Registrants will receive an email from [email protected] with a Zoom link no later than April 7, 2025.
All times are in Central United States time zone.
Students who cannot attend live will receive recordings, and our instructors will be available to help and answer questions throughout the year.
Level I: Instruction only (no trees, no grafting kit) $35
Level II: Instruction + Scion Kit $75 – CLOSED
Scion Kit includes five (5) heritage variety apple scions from SSE’s historic orchard, five (5) rootstock (size M-7, ¼”, semi-dwarf), practice wood, grafting tape, thumb cot, and tree tags.
Level III: Instruction + Full Grafting Kit* $115 – CLOSED
Full Grafting Kit includes: Scion kit plus a bench grafting knife. You must choose between a right or left-handed knife.
Additional Scion & Rootstock Kits: $60 – CLOSED
Additional Scion & Rootstock Kit (SKU: EVT016A) includes five (5) heritage variety apple scions from SSE’s historic orchard, five (5) rootstock (size M-7, ¼”, semi-dwarf), practice wood, grafting tape, thumb cot, and tree tags (same as grafting kit above).
Note: We cannot accommodate specific variety requests for this workshop. This allows our orchard team to select the best scion available when it is time to collect it. It also allows us to send out lesser-known and rare varieties with only a small amount of scion. You will receive five unique, rare, and historic varieties from SSE’s historic orchard. Along with your kit, you will receive names and descriptions of each variety. If you are looking for specific varieties, we recommend going to the Exchange to order additional varieties from IA SSE HF. Note that varieties requested from the Exchange do not come with rootstock. To learn more about the Exchange, go to exchange.seedsavers.org.
Also, please note that scion kits can only be shipped to contiguous US states. Your grafting success is dependent on using the right tools. A bench grafting knife has a single bevel with one straight edge to create a flat grafting surface on the rootstock and scionwood. We highly recommend purchasing one if you do not already have a grafting knife.
Scion and Grafting Kits will be shipped in early April. Changes cannot be made to orders after Thursday, March 27, 2025.
We can offer full refunds up to March 20. After that time, we are unable to refund your registration.
If you have questions about this event, contact our customer service staff:
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