Homestead Era Fruit Tree Grafting Workshop

Learn the clefts and whips of grafting apple, pear, apricot, and plum trees. Watch instructor Rodd Lancaster demonstrate the techniques for each species up close, and then graft your own tree under close supervision that you can take home! Rootstock and a variety of scion options provided. During the Homestead Era in Arizona (1914-16) settlers from the east were required to plant an orchard to take ownership of the land. A rare few of these century-old fruit trees still exist, tucked away in old ranches and abandoned homestead sites. We’ve collected scions from a number of these durable survivors, as well as the remaining fruit trees planted by Wally Paton at the Paton Center for Hummingbirds, and will be grafting them onto modern rootstock suitable for southern Arizona.