Bench Grafting workshop at the Nut House in Valparaiso. Ne.

 Bench Grafting Workshop

March 7, 2020, 9 a.m. at the Nut House, 206 W. 2nd St., Valparaiso

                             2020 Bench Grafting workshop

The Bench Grafting Workshop will be held on March 7^th, 2020, 9:00 a.m. at the Nut House House at 206 W. 2^nd St., Valparaiso, NE.  The workshop is sponsored by the NeNGA and HN’NM organizations.  The workshop attracts interested participants from throughout Nebraska to learn about grafting methods and try out their skills grafting black walnut, pecan, and hickory scion wood onto black walnut and pecan root stock. 

We offer two methods of grafting, bench grafting and saddle grafting using a Top grafter tool.  We supply the root stock obtained from northern seeds managed by commercial growers.  We also supply the scion wood, which is obtained from specific tree cultivars with notable nut characteristics that are growing in nut orchards in Nebraska.  Grafting materials and equipment are also supplied.  There is a $5 fee for each grafted tree with a minimum of three grafts.  Experienced grafters will be available to assist where needed.      

At the workshop last year about 120 seedlings were grafted.  One half of the black walnut seedlings were bench grafted below the 1” to 1 ¼” collar on the root stock and then were put into containers.  The rest of the black walnut seedlings were saddle grafted using the Top grafter tool and put into the callusing box for several weeks to control the moisture and temperature levels for callusing to take place.  The pecan seedlings were also grafted with pecan and hickory scion wood using the Top grafter tool.

All grafting techniques require the cambium layers to match up between the root stock and the scion wood so the vascular tissues in each part are in contact.  In about three weeks, the callusing process is finished and the seedlings are put into containers for the budding process to continue.  All grafted seedlings are then put into a greenhouse environment.  The plants can then be picked up at the NeNGA Spring meeting to be taken home for planting.   

For more information, you may contact

HN’NM coop Larry Martin at lottanuts@windstream.net

NeNGA  John Knorr at joknorr@attglobal.net