As the weather warms and the spring bulbs bloom, people start thinking about their yards and gardens. With Arbor Day on April 26th, it is time to think trees. Trees have tremendous value - aesthetic, shade, energy savings, food and homes for wildlife, and the list goes on. When you plant a fruit or nut tree you get all of these benefits plus a harvest. You can harvest your own pears, hazelnuts, paw paws, peaches, and chestnuts to eat fresh, can, freeze, dry, share or make pies, jam or flour.
Remember the last time you went apple picking and how delicious every apple tasted right off the tree. You can have that in your own yard and the Midwest Fruit Explorers (MidFEx) can teach you everything you need to know. They are hosting a fruit tree grafting class on April 14th at the Chicago Botanic Gardens for the public or you can join for $15 and go to the member event at Cantigny in Wheaton this Sunday on April 7th.
Click here to watch a 3 minute video on apple tree grafting.
Grafting is attaching new wood growth with buds (scion wood) from a tree of the fruit variety you want to a root with a small trunk. The root can be dwarfing, semi-dwarfing, or standard. Dwarf trees grow 8-12 feet, semi 12-16 feet and standards 25 feet or taller. Fruit trees don't grow from seeds. If you eat an apple or a pear, for example, and plant the seeds, the resulting tree will not bear the same fruit you ate. The only way to grow the variety of fruit you want is by grafting. All of the fruit trees at the nursery have been grafted.
The MidFEx event will teach you how to graft your own tree for free. Just pay $4 or $5 for the rootstock and scion wood. You can then go home, plant your new tree and graft extra scion wood to an existing fruit tree or an ornamental apple, pear, or cherry tree on your property. With proper care you will be harvesting delicious fruit from your yard in a couple of years.