North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Sherlock Terry <sherlocksmith@gmail.com>]

All of the recent messages about grafting knives made me wonder about how to 
do grafting workshops with kids. I still remember someone coming to my 6th 
grade class and talking about grafting but we didn't try any. My main 
questions are about tools and what ages to try it with.

I've been helping take care of the fruit trees and berries at my daughter's 
elementary school and both the fifth and sixth grades have fruit growing as 
part of their science curriculum. They would be interested in grafting in 
class.

What are the youngest kids that people have tried grafting with?

Would using one of the squeeze grip grafting tools be safer and work better 
than knives?

Is top working easy to reach branches a possibility or do people think that 
is too difficult compared to bench grafting?

I was also thinking that it would be a possibility to let each child bench 
graft their own tree, but I wonder about the post-grafting tree care and if 
coming home with an apple tree is more of a burden than a gift. Are there any 
small plants that can be grafted? Does anyone have experience grafting 
tomatoes? I know the rootstock seed is very expensive.

Now that I'm writing this, I'm wondering if softwood or hardwood cutting 
plant propigation would be a better class activity.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

-Sherlock
Vermont