2026 Grafting Workshop Sunday March 29

Event Description: Find out what grafting fruit trees is all about.  Learn the whys and hows with experienced grafters.  A variety of member donated scion wood will be available.  The purpose of the grafting workshop is to learn how to graft. Nonmember beginners will learn how to graft selected apple varieties on apple rootstock. 

If you’d like more information about grafting see the Grafting Page.

Date: Sunday March 29, 2026

Time:  1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. THIS SESSION IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC and the less experienced or novice grafter. Please arrive on time. Lecture begins at 1:00 sharp.

Location: 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois.  Go to the Linnaeus Room in the Regenstein Center building. Map to workshop

Parking: Parking is free for Chicago Botanic Garden members and members of gardens with reciprocal privileges. If you are not a member of the Botanic Gardens you will have to pay the parking fee.  Visit Chicago Botanic Garden’s web pages for details on parking and membership. Chicago Botanic Garden

Event Details: THE AFTERNOON EVENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, but only the individuals actually grafting fruit trees will be allowed in the grafting classroom.  Friends, spouses, and children are welcome to explore the grounds during the sessions.

Costs:  Our workshop and guidance are free. However you will need to buy rootstock if you want to take home a tree. We will have a limited quantity of dwarfing rootstock available to lecture attendees at a cost of $6 each. Grafting requires a very sharp knife with a 2-3 inch blade. Very sharp pocket knives and utility knives with replaceable blades have successfully been used for grafting. We will have grafting knives for sale to those that don’t have a knife or find that theirs is not up to the task. Other supplies will be available for purchase if you would like to continue honing your grafting skills after the workshop is over.