California Rare Fruit Growers – West LA Chapter
because the best things in life do grow on trees
We had a great turn-out, wonderful participation, an amazing speaker and lots of supplies (plus snacks!). Who could ask for anything more? Well, you, since you have asked for Jeff’s slide show and also his link to CRFG-member Tom Waldren’s video on air layering. So here they are. Enjoy.
Jeff notes the audio in Tom’s video is not great but it is still well worth watching. Thank you, Jeff! And thank you to all our members and potential-members for be willing to get your hands dirty.
Jeff is the chair of the Orange County Chapter of CRFG and– like many of that grand chapter’s members — is a master propagator. While we have demos of grafting once every year at our February scion exchange (and twice this year with Arnie Bernstein’s talk on citrus grafting in June) we haven’t had a discussion of Air Layering in a very long time.
Air Layering is an astonishingly easy way to produce nicely rooted specimens from otherwise impossible to propagate trees or varieties, though of course it also works on the easy-to-root-or-graft like figs. It is a technique we should all have in our fruit growing tool kits.
This will be a combination lecture and workshop so feel free to bring one of your favorite trees (in a pot of course!) and you will be able to take it home ready to produce a Mini-Me. Please also bring your own favorite knife since air layering does require a small amount of surgery. We will provide the rest of the stuff you will need to complete the job.
And hey, the fruit is ripening out there! Pick some of what you’re growing to share with the rest of us. Other snacks are also always welcome.
BTW, we are back in our beloved MultiPurpose Room, Culver City Veterans Memorial Building, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA