Category: fruit trees

Annual Grafting Workshop and Scion Exchange

On By durhammastergardenersIn ask a master gardener, fruit in the home garden, fruit production, Fruit tree propagation, fruit trees, gardening education, Gardening information, Grafting, plant propagation, pruning fruit trees, Scion, Scion exchange, Scions, sustainability, Uncategorized, Upcoming gardening events

By Jeff Kanters, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer

Are you interested in learning how to propagate woody plants, including your own fruit and nut trees? Come learn the art of cleft grafting with some of Durham’s Extension Master Gardener SM volunteers at our annual workshop which will be held on February 1,2025.

Grafting Class and Workshop

The workshop will teach you both how to graft and what plant combinations will be successful. Whether you are interested in preserving an heirloom family fruit tree or grafting multiple related fruits onto a single rootstock (Yes, “fruit cocktail trees” are a real thing), this workshop is the perfect opportunity to learn what works, what doesn’t and how to do it. Seats are limited and registration is required and available at the Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers site.

Scion Workshop 2023 (Image credit: Ashley Troth)

The class will offer education on unusual fruits to consider for your landscape as well as how to propagate woody plants. The grafting workshop will teach how to graft and what plant combinations will be successful and provide hands-on practice. The schedule for the workshop is:

Schedule: February 1, 2025

9:00 to 9:25 am – Unusual Fruit to Grow At Home
Interested in growing fruit but bored with the run of the mill varieties? We will show you some alternatives to grow at home.

9:30 to 10:00 am – Hardwood Cuttings
Nothing to do on a cold winter day but daydream about how you’re going to get more plants this spring? We have the answer. Making hardwood cuttings while they’re dormant is one of the easiest ways to get lots more of your favorites. Join us to learn this simple method of vegetative propagation.

10:00 to 10:50 am– Grafting demo and hands on workshop

Imagine a rose bush with different colored blossoms or a nectarine/apricot tree. Do you want to increase your inventory of shrubs and trees but have little room? Learn the grafting method commonly used to add different varieties onto an existing plant so that both varieties produce flowers and/or fruit.

Image credit: Sarah Smith

Scion Exchange

February is the perfect time for winter pruning of trees and bushes including fruit and nut trees. Instead of composting the discarded branches (scions), exchange them for others and pick up some new-to-you varieties. The Scion Exchange will be held from 11:00-12:00 on February 1, 2025 at the NC Cooperative Extension (721 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701). Registration is not needed. Just show up with your scions and tools. Bring bagged and labeled dormant scions to share with others; empty plastic bags to collect new scions; and damp paper towels. Take only what you will use. A 6-8 inch scion can supply two to three pieces for grafting.

Gardeners enjoying a previous Scion Exchange (Image credit: Triangle Fruit Growers Association)

What is a Scion?

Scions are twigs of the above ground portion of a tree representing last year’s newest growth, typically 8-18 inches in length and roughly the size of a pencil. They can come from fruit trees, grapes, kiwi, berries, or woody ornamentals. Scions are used to graft onto existing trees or new root stock, the below ground portion of a tree.

At this event, you will be bringing scions (twigs) home with you to graft onto your existing tree or rootstock. We encourage you to bring scions from your garden to share with other scion exchange participants. The more plant varieties people bring, the better the choices will be!

For detailed instructions on collecting and preparing your scion, see the Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers page: collecting and preparing scions . You can also email KatCauseyEMGV@gmail.com with any questions.

A group of scions labeled, bagged and ready to graft onto root stock. A close up of a grafted scion.

(Image credit: Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers Group.)

The History of the Scion Exchange Program in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) Area

Around 2015, Ms. Susan Emshwiller, moved to Durham, NC from California. An avid orchardist, she was surprised that, unlike California, a scion exchange program did not exist in the RTP area of North Carolina for fruit and nut orchardists. She decided to start one.

Acquiring the support of Seeds™, a non-profit, two-acre urban garden, and kitchen classroom operating in Durham, Susan initiated the Scion Exchange. This event incorporated classes on grafting along with the exchange of dormant scions for those interested in grafting different varieties on to their fruit trees.

In 2021, Susan, longing for open spaces, decided to go back west, this time to Arizona. Understanding that the scion program was in jeopardy without Susan, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer Kat Causey approached Ashley Troth, the Durham County Extension Agent, with a suggestion that the EMG program continue hosting the grafting workshop, scion exchange, and the scion exchange website.  Ashley agreed.

Kat, together with fellow member Sara Smith, visited Susan in her home to discuss this idea. They admired her many fruit trees with multiple varieties grafted on dwarf stock. Susan agreed to the transfer and relinquished her documents, website and knowledge to Kat and Sara.

In 2022, Kat and Sara, together with others on the plant propagation team, hosted the first grafting workshop and scion exchange. This time it was held at the Cooperative Extension building on Foster Street under the Master Garden SM program of Durham. It was a success. We thank Kat and Sara for their early vision and continued service to the community.

Additional Readings and Resources

Want to know more about propagation techniques and growing tree fruit and nuts in your home garden? Check out these two chapters from the North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook:
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation
https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/15-tree-fruit-and-nuts


For more information on grafting and different techniques, see NCSU Grafting and Budding Publication : https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/grafting-and-budding-nursery-crop-plants

The Missouri Extension Service also has a publication on grafting: Read Missouri Extension
publication for more in-depth information. https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6971

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Little Miss Figgy in the City

On By durhammastergardenersIn Downtown Durham, NC, Durham NC, easy to grow plants, fruit in the home garden, fruit production, fruit trees, gardening in pots, pruning fruit trees, Uncategorized, urban garden, urban gardening

By Deborah Pilkington, NC State Extension Master Gardener SM volunteer of Durham County

One of the stars in the Container Demonstration Garden at Cocoa Cinnamon in Old North Durham is Ficus carica ‘MAJOAM’ Little Miss Figgy.  It was discovered by Michael Nobles in September of 2010, growing as a naturally occurring branch mutation of Ficus Violette de Bordeaux in a container at his nursery in Ridgeville, South Carolina. Violette de Bordeaux is considered by many to be the quintessential fig, setting the standard for what all figs aspire to be. A highly stress-tolerant tree, its sweet, delectable fruit are among the most sought-after fig varieties in the world. It is low maintenance, disease and pest resistant, and highly productive once established.

On the left Little Miss Figgy is showing off her beautiful, deeply lobed leaves in her first growing season in the container. The right picture was taken in the summer of 2023, her second growing season. (Image credit: Deborah Pilkington)

Planting and Caring for Little Miss Figgy

Little Miss Figgy (Ficus carica ‘MAJOAM’) is a miniature fig with a compact, dwarf habit and deeply lobed, dark blue-green leaves. It grows just 4 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, making it suitable to grow in containers or in small gardens in warmer climates. A United States Plant Patent, PP#27,929, was awarded April 25, 2017, listing the cultivar name as ‘Little Miss Figgy.’ Though patented in the US, its original species is not native to the United States. It does best in full sun to partial shade with average to evenly moist conditions. It does not tolerate standing water. Supplemental water may be needed during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH and is able to handle environmental salt. A layer of mulch around the root zone in winter will help protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates.  In the containers at Cocoa Cinnamon, Little Miss Figgy is planted in a soil mix of 50/50 soil/compost with added perlite for drainage.  The ratio is 4 :1 (50/50 mix : perlite).  As figs are known for vigorous root growth, lifting and pruning Little Miss Figgy’s roots may be necessary in the future.  Thus, if you are considering planting one in a container, be sure to choose a container that is wider at the top than the bottom to facilitate removal and pruning.

Cocoa Cinnamon Team member Mary Knierim encouraged us to plant Little Miss Figgy, which we did in October of 2021, to serve as one of the larger anchor plants in the containers. We were concerned about how Little Miss Figgy would weather the extreme cold in the advective freeze of December of 2022, which brought nighttime temperatures near 20 degrees over 6 consecutive nights. We did not cover her nor provide any other protective measures, rather we chose to wait it out. To our great relief, she was unaffected.

One unexpected bonus of having Little Miss Figgy in the containers is she is very adept at letting us know when our irrigation system is not working.  Here was our clue in June of 2023, her second growing season.  After making the fix to the system, she responded beautifully within 3 hours.

Miss Figgy droopy and needing water and then revived after a good soaking. (Image credit: Deborah Pilkington)

Miss Figgy, as we are wont to call her, produced figs in her second growing season, the summer of 2023; beautiful deep purple figs with amber flesh.  Though not many in number, there were enough for one of our team members to make a fig-cranberry relish. 

We were concerned about how the construction of the tall building across the street might affect her in terms of getting less winter sunlight, but she has done well. In February of 2024, we gave her a prune as she was starting to grow vigorously into the seating area.  Also, since figs fruit on new branch growth, we hoped to see an increase in fruit production.

Bare branches provide architectural interest in the winter months. (Image credit: Deborah Pilkington)

In April of 2024, we started to see fruit production, with fruit starting to ripen in July. Figs are parthenocarpic, that is fruits (technically ‘pomes’) that develop without cross pollination. Little Miss Figgy’s third growing season was a banner one. By late July, the figs drooped and softened, indicating harvest time.

The figs matured over the summer and in July, when they began to droop, we knew it was time for harvest! (Image credit: Deborah Pilkington)

It was so fun to be able to pass out freshly harvested figs to the Cocoa Cinnamon baristas and to the public who happened to be in the seating area at the time. The figs have a sweet taste and fleshy texture.

The figs are ripe and ready to be eaten! They are sweet with a fleshy texture. (Image credit: Deborah Pilkington)

Little Miss Figgy is quite ornamental and is at home in a landscape or flower garden as well as a food garden. Highly tolerant of urban pollution, Little Miss Figgy will even thrive in city environments like those at Cocoa Cinnamon. Based on our experiences, we would highly recommend Ficus carica ‘MAJOAM’ or Little Miss Figgy be given a space in your container garden!

Resources and Additional Information

For more information on the characteristics and care of Ficus carica:

www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/plantfinder/plantfinderdetails.aspx?taxonid=367795

Plant mutations can affect characteristics such as the size or color of a plant or fruit. They sometimes occur when a plant is stressed or when there is an error during cell division. This link from Michigan State explores the process and outcomes of mutations. www.canr.msu.edu/news/mutation-examples-and-how-they-happen

Melinda Heigel, Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County, explains how cold and freezing weather affects plants in this previous blog post from January, 2023. https://durhammastergardeners.com/?s=advective+freeze


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