🍇Grape growers, have you heard the term “bud rubbing?” Now is a great time to do it, and no special tools are needed! Bud rubbing is a simple task we complete in late spring to help direct more energy to developing fruit, instead of it being wasted on shoots that will be removed later in the season. Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Look at the trunk of your grape vine from the ground all the way up to where it splits off into cordons, arms, or the head depending how you have it trained. Do you see any tiny buds or new growth coming out of that trunk? 2️⃣ Simply rub the bud off with your finger, or bend the young shoot backwards and it should snap right off. You can also grab a pair of pruners if you see new shoots arising from the ground, and snip those off as well. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🍇 Want to learn more about caring for your grapes? Join us in the HOEC Community Orchard next Saturday and learn how to control those unruly grape vines for optimum fruit production! 🍇 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Tame the Grape Workshop Saturday, June 7 11am-1pm Sliding Scale starts at $15! https://www.homeorchardeducationcenter.org/workshop-store-page/p/spring-grape-control #growgrapes #grapevine #homeorchard (fb)

It’s time to start thinking about which workshops to sign up for at the HOEC Orchard this summer! ☀️ If you get our newsletter or browse our website, you’ve already seen what’s in store. First up: we're bringing back our popular Bud Grafting Workshop! ✂️🌱 🌿 Learn the basics of bud grafting — a simple, rewarding technique that lets you add multiple fruit varieties to a single tree. You'll also learn how to identify and harvest the right “bud wood.” 🍎 Bud grafting involves attaching a leaf bud from one tree to the rootstock or branch of another. The result? A branch that grows the fruit variety of your chosen bud! 🍐 🌳 All participants will get hands-on practice and take home their own grafted tree. 🌟TWO DATES: Saturday, June 21 & Tuesday, July 8 Sliding scale starts at $40 - fee waivers available! *Pre-registration is required and space is limited! Follow this link to hold your space: https://www.homeorchardeducationcenter.org/workshop-store-page *Fee waivers for workshops available here: https://www.homeorchardeducationcenter.org/fee-waiver-request (fb)