A Few Notes on My Apple Grafting Plans, 2026 Edition
Grafting season is almost upon us, and this year I’m planning to graft no fewer than forty eight new apple trees.
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Book Notes: Growing Fruit, by Chris Whitelock
This new volume covers all the essential fruit growing principles in a clear, concise and clearly illustrated style, and is ideal for beginners.
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A Few Notes on My Plans for 2026
I’ve got a busy winter pruning, planting and grafting season ahead, and I’ll be helping out at a few local orchards as well. Here are all the details.
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How To: Z-Graft New Apple Trees
This is my favourite method for grafting apple trees, one that I’ve found to be easier, safer and perhaps slightly more reliable than whip-and-tongue.
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Grafting Workshop, National Trust Quarry Bank, March 1st 2025
I’ll be running a three-hour session to teach the ancient, fascinating and hugely satisfying skill of apple tree grafting.
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Another Grafting #EpicFail – A ‘Family’ Tree, Killed by Canker
The best laid plans of orchardists gang aft aglay when apple tree diseases get involved, including my latest grafting experiment.
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Conrad Heresbach (and Barnaby Googe) on ‘Graffing’
A few words of reasonable wisdom on ‘graffing’ from a learned C16th gentleman… plus a whole lot of apparent nonsense.
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Benjamin Whitmill (the Elder) on “Gathering Cyons”
Here’s some eighteenth century advice on the best time to collect pear and plum scions and how to store them before grafting.
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Book Notes: The Commonplace Book of John Gwin of Llangwm
This historical document provides a fascinating insight into orcharding practises, and apple and pear varieties, of the C17th.
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Mid-Year Update, 2022 Edition
Here’s a quick summary of my various orchard-related activities so far this year.
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How To: Top-Graft a ‘Family’ Apple Tree
Here’s how I went about creating a ‘family’ apple tree of six varieties, using the rind grafting technique.
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How NOT to Graft a ‘Family’ Apple Tree (#EpicFail)
The best laid plans of orchardists also gang aft a-gley, especially if you don’t think your clever ideas through properly…
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Amelia Simmons, on Grafting a ‘Family Tree’
Words of wisdom here on how to keep youngsters out of mischief by teaching them the art of apple tree grafting.
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Grafting Advice and New Cultivars from SkillCult
A shout out for Steven Edholm’s superb SkillCult blog, where he’s been offering grafting advice and talking about his apple breeding project.
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Arnold’s Chronicle on Greffing Family Trees
Another 16th century mention for multiple-variety fruit tree grafting suggests it was quite a common practice for the time.
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Brossard (Mascall), on Graffyng Family Trees
As this 16th century quotation shows, the concept of the multi-variety ‘family’ fruit tree is not a new one.
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Master Fitzherbert, on When to Graffe your Fruit Trees
Not sure when to graffe your peares, wardens or apples? Here’s Master F. to set you straight.
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Master Fitzherbert, on Equipment for Graffynge
Here’s a 16th century guide to assembling your graffynge kit, which every good housbande should keep to hand.
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Growing a ‘Family’ Apple Tree – Episode 1
I’ve been meaning to graft up a multi-variety apple tree for a while; here’s my first attempt.
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Fruit Tree Grafting Advice From the Experts
If you’re looking for expert advice on grafting apple and pear trees, look no further.
