Monday 31 December 2012

Grafting

My mother is notoriously difficult to buy for So this year I decided to buy her something completely different.
A grafting course.
And I couldn't let her go on it alone, that just wouldn't be right, so I booked myself a place on the course as well. We both have an interest in apple trees (well I think mine boarders on obsession) and we've always said we'd love to learn to graft our own, so I thought this course would be ideal. The only downside is we've got to wait until the 3rd of March! Still I'm sure it will soon be here.
Grafting knife
 In the meantime I decided to sharpen up my grafting knife (my mother bought this for me a few years ago as a present so hopefully I'll soon be able to use it) as there is little else I can do in this weather without fear of sinking into the mud as a permanent feature in the garden.
Water stone
I have a bit of an obsession with keeping things sharp, probably because I'm a carpenter and it makes my job much easier if every tool has an edge like a razor. But I decided to try some waters stones I bought a few years ago for this, instead of my usual oil stones.
Holding the knife at a slight angle to polish bevel onto it
 The stone worked really well, the course side altered the bevel in no time - I've kept this knife with a single bevel much like a chisel edge as I've read that's what a lot of the old time grafters used to use. Then the fine side polished a really sharp edge onto it.
Nice and sharp - cutting wood
 Once I stropped it it would cut fine shavings off a piece of wood no trouble
The cutting edge
I'm really looking forward to this course as it's something I've always wanted to learn. As a bonus it says on the course that we get to take two apple trees home with us that we've grafted, so that should add to my collection!

16 comments:

  1. A nice Christmas pressie for your Mum, and extremely useful for you too.

    I see lots of grafting been done around your place this Spring ..... in every sense of the word :-)

    Sue xx

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    1. Hi Sue. Yeah there's a bit of grafting to be done! Although it need to dry up a bit first as I'll just get stuck in the mud!

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  2. Have fun grafting is addictive. I went on one a few years ago and was surprised how simple it was, 5 of the 6 grafts i did took and are waiting to be planted in our soon to be orchard.

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    1. That sounds great, What did you graft? I know of someone who has grafted 200 types of apple on to one tree so I guess they're addicted!

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  3. That sounds interesting. No apple tree will be safe!
    Jane x
    PS Happy New Year to you,your wife, and ubercute baby.

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    1. Thanks! Not had her called ubercute before but I think she is (except when she got into my chocolates and tried to put them down the back of the sofa!).

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  4. Where is the course being held, Kev?

    Happy New Year to you and all the family :-)

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    1. The course is near church stretton. Run by a bunch of hippies I think... :-)

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  5. Great present. Wouldn't mind learning how to graft myself, so hope you pass on some of the info you learn!
    Wishing you and your family a lovely and happy new year.

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    1. I'll try and do a post about it when I've done the course (so long as my grafts don't look too messy!)

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  6. We have lots of apple trees here on the farm. Several very old ones that the beavers have damaged and I was late in protecting with wire screen. I'm hoping you will share the grafting info. as you take the course. I would like to clone some of the varieties but lack the knowledge.

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    1. I'll make sure I pass on as much knowledge as I can. at my parents farm there is one or two trees that I remember being lovely to eat from so I'll have to see if they're still about to graft from when the leaves start to come out (although I'm fairly sure my father parked a large trailer in front of one and killed it over the course of a couple of years, they were lovely apples as well!).
      Thanks for your comment

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  7. What a very cool gift to give to your Mum and I also think it is great that you are taking the course together.

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    1. Yeah I'm looking forward to it! Not sure if cool is the word, I learnt long ago (in school maybe) that nothing I do is cool!

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