Dr. David Creech, Stephen F. Austin State University professor emeritus of agriculture and director of SFA Gardens, will discuss plant grafting techniques during a workshop from 9 a.m. to noon March 11 at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, located at 2900 Raguet St.
“There’s an art and a science to budding and grafting, and I learned both looking over the shoulder of an old nurseryman in Roans Prairie,” Creech said. “He was proud of his talent and said he could graft two fence posts together and make them stick. Both grafting and budding depend on the quality of the rootstock and scion, timing and the skill of the grafter. Once you do several thousand you can count yourself as skilled.”
The seminar will have a brief PowerPoint overview and then participants will get to try their hand at grafting with most of the needed supplies, including rootstocks, scions, grafting tape and rubber budding strips. Attendees should bring a small, sharp pocketknife. Participants will practice on a variety of plants and will take home their own grafted Japanese maple tree.
Register by calling (936) 468-4129 starting after 1 p.m. Feb. 6. The workshop is limited to 25 participants. The cost is $30 for SFA Gardens members and $40 for nonmembers.
