Grafting is an amazing skill to have. Not only can you create an exact replica of your favourite plant, you can also ensure old, heritage varieties live on for our children’s children to enjoy. Today down at the BMG Sustainability Hub, staff had the chance to be involved in a mini-grafting workshop. Mini in that time was limited as was root and scion stock. In any case, the grafted cherries will stay in the greenhouse to establish and then in winter next year, will be planted out and hopefully thrive. The varieties grafted were: a single whip and tongue graft of Sunburst, a double cleft graft of Sunburst and Napoleons (yellow) and a triple shield graft of Royal Rainier, Napoleons (yellow) and Ron’s Seedling buds. The rootstock is MM101, Colt which shouldn’t grow any taller than 3-4 meters and is a fairly vigorous and disease resistant rootstock. Hopefully they all take and create a stunning display as well as serve to teach students the practical application of their plant biology theory!