Extension offers apple grafting workshops

Fairbanks farmer Steve Masterman will teach apple grafting workshops May 3-4 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service district office in Fairbanks.

Apples do grow in interior Alaska (UAF Photo by Todd Paris)

Participants will find out what rootstocks work best in different locations and will graft four apple trees to take home. Extension program assistant Darcy Etcheverry said a typical apple tree will not grow in the Fairbanks area; it needs to be grafted to roots from hardy crabapple varieties.

A beginner workshop will run from 10 a.m. to noon May 3, and an intermediate workshop for those who have had previous grafting experience will run from 1 to 3 p.m. May 4.

A $30 fee covers materials. Each workshop is limited to 30 students and preregistration is required. To register, call Ronda Boswell at 474-2450. The Extension office is located at 724 27th Ave., on the south side of the Fairbanks Community Food Bank building.