Thursday 25th August 2011
Diana takes her role of unofficial horticulture tutor very seriously I'm glad to say, as when I stepped foot into the garden for the first time in three weeks she was ready with a real hands on lesson. As promised we spent the next four hours "budding", that is carefully cutting a bud from a budstick of the tree you wish to reproduce. In this case we worked with two cherries, Summer Sun and Stella. Then we made a t-cut on the bark of the root stocks Gisela 5 and Colt carefully peeling back the rind to reveal the cambrian layer and gently eased the bud into the incision . Next we taped around the bud so it was secure and finally finished with a good coating of grafting wax, this stops the moisture from evaporating from the wound so aiding the bud to take. All we have to do now is wait for spring to see if it has worked! After a break for lunch at which we ate fresh figs from the greenhouse (delicious), we set to and summer pruned the cordoned apples and pears. All in all a most productive, informative and enjoyable day.
Pics-grafting tools, a closer look and the finished product.
"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree"
Martin Luther
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