The Growing Season, April 26, 2025 - Celebrating Spring pt. 3

Let"s prune some edibles! Jack, Lynne and Matt McFarland continue their celebration of spring with a discussion on daffodils and their link to cancer fundraising. Matt rages against the forcing of bulbs.   How long does an apple tree live?  Is there a legendarily old apple tree?  The McFarland"s dive into the science behind grafting and link it to modern day horticultural wonder in your flower beds.   Why graft?  What"s the reason?  Grafting is akin to Frankenstein’s Monster.  Suckers, waterspouts and many other interesting words are used.  Can you graft a honey crisp to a Macintosh apple?  The trio discuss.  You can only take 10% - 20% of the trees overall leaf cover in a prune.   Jack discusses how to do it.  Root pruning is explained.  It’s a tightrope.  Covering up the exposed rootsystem’s of large deciduous trees is dissected. How much coverage is too much? A “spur” on a fruit tree is explained. Dormant oil spray and how to use it comes into focus. What is a lapet? Matt dishes a pro tip on applying dormant oil. The “Tim Burton” shrub is discussed.  Tune in. Looking to book a consult for your property?  We"d love to help.  CLICK HERE. What is a TGS Tiny Garden? CLICK HERE. Subscribe to The Growing Season podcast.  CLICK HERE.