Visiting A Tree Nursery

The more I've thought about the grafting course the more I've been annoyed about it. I just didn't feel that he taught us the correct method or in a very good way, with little knowledge to back it up. My dad knew how annoyed I was so he spoke to a customer of his and arranged for me to visit a local nursery that is currently on grafting.

Three cordon apple trees

This nursery performs in the region of 300,000 - 400,000 grafts a year (plus summer budding) so they really know what they're on about.
Inside the warm grafting shed they've got a number of production lines set up. The first guy trims the roots and cuts the root stock to size (as the trees they were working on were all going to be potted up), the next guy cuts the graft and then a third man ties it and dips it in wax.

 The man making the grafts did them so perfectly each and every time and I was advised that the best way for me to practise is to go and cut some willow and use that to try out the cuts. The grafts here were much neater than the ones I saw the previous week, and as a whip and tongue graft was used, instead of just a whip, it seemed much stronger (You couldn't even spot the graft on some of them).

A seven level espalier

 I didn't take any pictures in the grafting shed or where they keep their thousands of bits of scion wood (a massive cold store) as I didn't think it was appropriate to at the time. But I did take pictures of their trained trees outside their office, all done by the head manager there! I hope my apple trees will look like this in a few years time.

A fan trained tree

 I was there for a good hour asking question after question and they didn't seem to mind at all, they just seemed pleased I was so keen. They even invited me back at anytime to see what they do next with the trees - I've told them they might regret that offer!

Trained into different shapes

Young trees being trained

An amazing way to spend a morning and I feel that I learnt so much from them. I've ordered 25 root stocks and tonight I went and cut some willow to practise on.
It was a shame that the course I went on last week was so half hearted, but I am very lucky to be able to go and speak to people who are so obviously passionate about what they do and run a thriving local business. It's also so nice to be able to speak to professionals like this who are so open with their knowledge and keen to pass it on.
Anyone local with old or interesting varieties of apple let me know so I can take a cutting, as I need some more varieties for my root stocks when they arrive!