🌿 Tree & Shrub Propagation Workshop 🌿
Workshop Overview:
Join us for a hands-on, family-friendly workshop on tree propagation. Whether you're a beginner or budding green thumb, this session will equip you with practical skills to grow your own trees from scratch.
This workshop is suitable for those who want to learn about propagation of trees and shrubs. The skills learned can be used for both traditional orchards and in an agroforestry and permaculture orchard context.
We will cover:
Seed sowing and stratification techniques of trees and shrubs, including potting up mixes, seed treatments, growing conditions and tips and tricks around encouraging germination with minimal cost input (lack of heat pads). You will have the opportunity to see some seeds we've sown, and prick some nut tree seedlings out and take them home. We will discuss the pros and cons of seed sowing and seed selection from wild tree sources and the benefit of growing from seed, verse grafting.
Grafting – we will cover basic grafting techniques, in which you will be able to propagate your own heritage apple tree. Please let us know in advance if you would like standard sized apple trees or dwarfing.
Propagation by cuttings, division and layering. We will have a range of cuttings available to practice on that you can take home, and a garden available to demonstrate layering and division techniques in. We will discuss the different techniques with both hardwood and softwood cuttings, how to increase success rates, different rooting hormones, and times of the year for propagation by cuttings.
Each component will take about 1 hour to complete.
Take-home materials include your own grafted tree, seeds, seedlings and cuttings (including tithonia and elder as support species). We will also take a walk around the established Woodcote gardens and talk about different trees and growing structures, and what plants we would take cuttings from versus sow from seed or graft.
How to Prepare:
Dress appropriately for the weather (including wet weather footwear)
Bring gardening gloves
Bring pruning tools (if you have them)
Don’t forget a water bottle to stay hydrated!
For more information about the day, feel free to reach out to Hannah at heritagenurserynz@gmail.com