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Fruit Tree and Scion Exchange

Bayside Grange

The Humboldt Permaculture Guild invites the community to the 3rd annual Fruit Tree and Scion Exchange. The event will be held on Sat. Feb 13 at the Bayside Grange in Arcata from 11am to 2pm. Just as the Guilds annual Seed and Plant Exchange provides community members with the opportunity to obtain seeds and plants and to share their own seeds and plants, the Fruit Tree and Scion Exchange is a free public venue for the exchange of perennial fruit tree propagation material. Because this material is collected in winter while trees are dormant, the Guild has introduced this winter event to compliment the long-running springtime Seed and Plant Exchange. Both experienced fruit growers as well as the general public are invited to share quality graft wood (scion) and talk about growing fruit in Humboldt County. With the diversity of microclimates in our area, the Scion Exchange is meant to pool the extensive knowledge of professional and backyard fruit growers in the community and educate the public on which varieties do best in which areas. Sharing of all perennial fruit producing plants (eg. vines, roots, cuttings) is encouraged but not required. Successful fruit tree growers are invited to share scion wood from their best producers or exotic cultivars. Growers with trees that are unproductive or disease prone, we invite you to come collect scion wood from successful trees that can be later grafted to these existing but less successful ones. And those who are still in the planning/planting phase, are invited you to come chose a cultivar, learn how to graft it onto a new rootstock and take home a new tree! The event will feature grafting presentations by local experts and some varieties of rootstock will be available for a nominal price. Since the fresh fruit is mostly gone, participants are invited to bring fruit of any preparation (sauce, butter, juice, dried, etc.) to share the flavors of their cultivars. Photos are useful as well. For more info contact Marlon Gil at (707) 672-3102. Tips for participating in the 3rd Annual Fruit Tree and Scion Exchange Collect scion wood from established healthy trees that are disease resistant (more or less). We are looking to share varieties that are known to produce reliable crops, need little maintenance and have favorable fruit. We only want to share quality scion that are worth growing so please be selective in choosing what trees to collect from and make sure you are collecting from the target tree. Cut only tender disease free stems from last years growth into 6 to 8 inch pieces, place them in a plastic bag and place into the refrigerator until you need them. Make sure you properly label your scion before storage and make sure provide specifics of where the tree is located (e.g. Bayside, Willow Creek). Microclimate information is very crucial to sharing scion with the correct people. Try to research your varieties. If you can, show the fruit in question to local experts to find out if it is a known cultivar. If not, please take note of the fruits qualities such as sweetness, size, color, texture, storability as well as the trees size and pollination requirements (e.g. pollen sterile, self-pollinating). Attendees are encouraged to share contact information and learn from each other in years to come.

DATES/TIMES

WHERE

• Bayside Grange

PRICE

• Free