Pruning young fruit trees/Graft your own tree (Glasgow)

This two part workshop will give you the skills and knowledge to make the first or formative pruning cuts on your community orchard or fruit trees at home – and then graft your own trees. Attend one or both parts.

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SATURDAY 14th March – 11am – 4pm

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11 – 1pm PRUNING WORKSHOP:

Govanhill Community Garden is a vibrant garden space hidden away in Govanhill in Glasgow’s South Side. Last year The Orchard Project worked with them to create a container orchard of 15 trees to complement the vegetable and herb beds and the wide range of decorative and wildlife friendly areas within the garden. We will be pruning the apple and pear trees to give the best shape and fruiting for the coming year.

There is a warm portacabin for the theory parts of the course.

1 – 2pm LUNCH

2 – 4pm GRAFTING WORKSHOP

Graft your own apple, pear, plum or cherry tree! We will provide rootstocks and scions plus a pot and some compost to take the tree away in. We will teach you how to safely and effectively make a graft union using a grafting knife, and how to best care for your young tree. If you have a favourite variety that you would like to propagate, bring a scion (cutting)! This ideally should be pencil thick, and once you cut it, label carefully and seal in a plastic bag to stop it drying out. If you are keeping it for any length of time before coming to the workshop, keep it in the fridge.

You will get to graft 2 trees that would cost £15- 20 from a nursery, pots and compost, plus the skills to make more! Tickets are on a Pay as you feel basis – the more generous you are, the more we can provide more of these workshops in future.

YOUR TRAINERS:

The workshop will be led by gardener Tom Watson with support from Fergus Walker, Glasgow Project Manager for The Orchard Project.

Tom is a gardener and orchardist with many years of experience working on orchards round Scotland. He runs a social enterprise tree nursery at Leith Community Croft in Edinburgh.

Fergus has been working on community orchards for the last 7 years, working alongside Scotland’s foremost orchard experts as well as attending training at RHS Wisley outside London.

Under their supervision and guidance you’ll quickly be assessing trees, making cuts, and grafting your own trees.

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Hot drinks, refreshments and lunch will be provided by Govanhill Community Garden. There will be a donations box to cover the lunch cost.

This pay-as-you-feel workshop is provided to our network of orchard leaders across Greater Glasgow and the general public. Please be generous as this continues our work of planting and restoring community orchards across the UK.

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Please wear appropriate clothing as we’ll still make progress in light rain/drizzle and/or cold.

All tools and instruction will be provided although feel free to bring a favourite pair of sharp secateurs.

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How to get there

The garden is tucked away between Coplaw Street and Butterbiggins Road – find us off Coplaw Street, in at the entrance to Govanhill Housing Association (where the old Samaritan Women’s Hospital was). Go right through the car park and the garden is at the back through the gate.

Please arrive 10.45 for 11 start.