Every year MidFEx holds two grafting workshops in the Chicagoland area.  It's where our more experienced members pass on their knowledge of grafting fruit trees, free of charge, to all comers.

 Our Spring 2007 workshops were quite a success! We had fair weather and optimal attendance. Volunteers sorted scion wood, bagged rootstock and mentored novice grafters. Attendees rubbed elbows with several hundred man-years of fruit growing experience, and acquired the resources to begin their own backyard fruit exploration. Our members and new grafters came with a wide range of gardening and fruit growing experience, but all shared an excitement and enthusiasm.

  This year's supply of rootstock was more than sufficient. At the conclusion of the workshop, the leftovers were sold to members at deep discounts. In past years some members were disappointed when we ran out of M27 and OHXF333 (pear) rootstock. Future disappointment can be avoided (and $ saved) when members order their rootstock ahead of time.

At our 2007 workshop, we had the following rootstock varieties:
  Apple: M27 and BUD-9
  Pear:  OHXF513, and Quince C (needs interstem for all asian and some european pears)
  Plum:  Krymsk 1 (reported compatible with plums, apricots, peaches, and nectarines)

Spring 2008 Grafting Workshop information is on our home page!