161. Whips and tongues . . .

. . . as in the whip-and-tongue variety (in fact I don't know any other variety).

Yesterday I went on a grafting course at Harlow Carr (Harrogate) and learnt from one of the country's experts.

And this morning I tried to become one of the country's amateurs.

Quick recap: whip and tongue grafts are used to propogate fruit trees in Spring with buds from last year's growth and which are currently dormant.



The pictures show 4 finished trees ready to be planted outside (this afternoon's job). Each one is an apple variety (these are Laxton's Superb and a wilding I really like from Reading (which I am calling 'The Big Purple')) grafted onto MM106 rootstocks. They have been sealed with beeswax (hence the old tin can in the saucepan on the stove.)



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