How to graft apple trees!

Over the last few weeks when the weather has been cold but dry, I've been grafting apple trees, taking scions from my parents' old family tree. The scion is the cutting of young growth you take from the desired tree, which you then attach to the root-stock. I've gone for semi-dwarfing root-stock variety MM106, so the trees will be small but not too tiny in our northerly climate here in Yorkshire.

Tips for grafting apple trees:

1. Cut your scions in January (UK), taking approx 6-10" of last year's growth, and label carefully. Store these in an airtight container in the fridge to keep them dormant, but check for mould formation regularly.
2. Purchase root stock from a good quality supplier. Ask them about which type of rootstock is required for your needs. Root-stocks can determine size of fully-grown tree and have added benefits such as disease-resistance.
3. Keep your rootstock in a cool dark place from receipt (roughly March) until you are ready to graft, again to keep them dormant.
4. Gather together some low melting point wax (or I like to use beeswax), a small paintbrush, a clean sharp knife (e.g. Stanley) or grafting tool (does make life easier, and less likely to cut oneself!), thin plastic tape like Parafilm or strips of plastic bag, large pots, compost/soil, plant tags.
5. Set up a ban-marie to melt the wax, and pot up your root-stocks.
6. Place together scions and root-stocks that are approximately equal in diameter, if possible. If not, grafting can still be done successfully by carefully aligning at least a section of the green rings of living plant tissue just inside the bark when binding the scion and rootstock.
7. Cut the base of the scion, about an inch up, with an angled cut, and do the same on the top of the root-stock, to give the greatest surface-area for binding. This slice is made by cutting away from yourself.
8. The next two cuts need to be done with great care (or use a grafting tool for safety). Cut into the scion approx 1/3 of the way along the angled cut, almost in parallel to the angled cut, and make the same-but-opposite cut in the root-stock to form a strange Z-shape, so that the two can be slotted together as shown in the photo below:
   
   
   
9. Once slotted together, the most important thing is to align as much of the green rings of living plant tissue just inside the bark as possible. Then bind the graft with tape/plastic bag strips, leaving a small 'church window' gap at the top to allow the graft to swell (see arch in photo below).
   
10. Lastly, cut off the tip of the scion, reducing the scion to approx 4-6 buds, and paint the tip with wax to prevent it drying out. Label your tree!
11. When moving between grafts, clean tools thoroughly to prevent spreading disease. Water your new trees and keep them out of the frost this first year (and out of the way of hungry animals like rabbits), then plant out in the summer (unless you used dwarfing root stock, in which case they can be kept in pots).
12. Rub off any buds below your graft-line, so all the energy from the root-stock goes into your chosen scion.
13. Get creative with grafting,there are many possibilities with different fruits, and enjoy the fruits of your labour in a year or two!

A Little Inspiration in the cold, grey weather...

A few weeks ago I won tickets to the Edible Garden Show in Warwickshire, including getting to meet James Wong, front row seats for his show, and received a free signed copy of his inspirational new book 'Homegrown Revolution'.

I also had enough free tickets to bring along my in-laws, niece & nephew! It was an amazing day, and thanks to James, his book and website I have been inspired today to plant Inca Berry, Goji Berry, Anise Hyssop, Quinoa and Cucamelon (all inside, of course) - roll on summer! :o)

It's warm outside! :o)

A quick nip down to the allotment to see how every thing is after the Christmas holidays, which were a little wet and wild. The temperatures have been mild for some time now. There were five active water boatmen in the pond (some mating!) plus plenty snails and daphnia zooming around. I oiled and sharpened the secateurs, pruned the young apple trees lightly and nipped the whippy tops off the new raspberry canes, added more coffee grounds to the compost, did a bit of weeding and enjoyed the sunshine. Hope it's shining where you are too!

It's cold outside...

...but the wee critters on the allotment are still working hard! These springtails (Collembola) were ice-skating on the pond at the weekend. 

Collembola means 'glue-piston', referring to the special tube on their ventral abdomen, which is used for sticking to surfaces, exchanging fluids and even grooming. The name 'Springtail' comes from their ability to bounce into the air when disturbed, using a forked spring tucked under their bodies.

When not having some R&R ice sating on my pond, they would normally be found in the compost heap, under rocks, and in leaf litter helping to break down organic matter on the allotment, much like earthworms. The largest springtail found in the UK is approximately 6mm long.

The oldest fossil Collembola (found in Scotland) was 400 million years old!

Want to find out more about these tiny creatures? Check out:
Natural History Museum: Biology of Collembola

Attenborough's springtail movie 

Making Peat-Free Acidic Soil for Blueberries and other ericaceous plants..

Over the last few weeks I've been attempting to create an acidic soil raised bed on the allotment, out of an old strawberry bed (the plants were over 4 years old, but I've kept the runners!). I'm using a raised bed because my standard soil seems to be fairly close to neutral, which would result in unproductive, sickly ericaceous plants. So, looking into tips and tricks, the way to achieve acidic soil without using peat can be done through using the following free/very cheap materials:

• bracken
• coffee grinds
• well-rotted bark chippings/clippings, preferably from evergreens (well rotted to avoid nitrogen robbery)
• oak leaf mold
• pine needles

I mixed as much of the above I could get my hands on together to create the raised bed. I have since planted cranberry, blueberry and lingonberry there, and will continue to add oak leaf mold as I have plenty in my garden! 

 The strawberry bed a year ago before I took on the plot, 

now an acidic soil raised bed!

Well rotted chippings/clippings, chiefly from evergreens, come from my local saw mill at a very cheap price as they want rid of them! Starbucks provide a free resource of coffee grinds too, if you're not a big coffee drinker at home. 

Blueberries and cranberries also like it really damp but well-drained around their roots, so all these organic materials help hold in the water. All of the above materials can also be used (once rotted) as a mulch to top up the acidity of the soil, and retain moisture. Be cautious using tap water on these plants too, as it can be quite alkaline - better to collect and use rainwater.

Hugelkultur would probably be a very advantageous method in this case too, to maintain/improve moisture levels- I have some rotting fallen branches from my oak tree, so might try burying them between the plants...I'll be adding some heather later as both a bee-friendly plant and as another indicator if the soil pH becomes too near neutral.

So go peat-free! There are plenty of cheap/free alternatives out there, please experiment. And I'll report back on how this bed gets on next year... :o)

Further info:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/oct/02/shopping.gardens 


[On another note, the lowered pathways webbed across the plot and back-filled with chipped bark are doing a fabulous job of absorbing excess water (whilst poor neighbours' plots are swimming). The excess path material was used to raise the growing areas of the allotment. Using wood chippings for pathways rather than carpet etc is a natural way to encourage beneficial invertebrates and boosts organic mater/nutrients on the plot, whilst keeping weeds down.]

All is not well on the plot...

Horror of horrors, I found rat poison loose by my compost bin last week, and another pile heaped under one of my weed-clearing boards, with the poor vole I've been following for the last couple of months sat right in the middle of it. Needless to say I removed what I could find immediately using a trowel & bucket. A few days later & no sign of the vole. So very sad. No communication from the committee to inform people this was happening on their plots. I have sent a stern letter to the allotment committee - I am awaiting the response. Visiting the plot now has lost its charm, somewhat tarnished... :o(

Quick update on the allotment wildlife!

On one visit, with hubby, in-laws & aunty-in-law, we found:

• Three partridge (gave us all a fright as they took to the air!), 
• One frog, swimming in the pond (it was a hot day!), 
• One field-vole, under one of the boards (in a mini-nest), 
• One toad (same toady as in the earlier photo, same spot!), 
• Two woodmice under another board, 
• One Devil's coach-horse chomping on another beetle!

 Victoria Plum/autumn berries & peas harvest.

 Pond creation project!

 Fresh strawberries from the plot, our home-made jam & hubby's scones...delish!

 The pond starts to take shape...

 Old/rotting wood is good for wildlife in ponds - don't keep it too tidy! :o)

(I also did 3 OPAL wildlife surveys (ponds, biodiversity on the plot & biodiversity in the hedgerow) - great fun, & very interesting!)