Fedco’s Propagation Program Grows!

At Fedco Trees, we place high value on propagating from plants we live with and know well, and from wild plants representing our local ecotype. Many of the plants we offer begin from seeds, scions and cuttings we collect from healthy local specimens and then germinate or root to be grown out using best practices on one of the small-scale regional farms we contract with.

Propagation and growing are two separate steps to get plants from their source to you, and not all growers are propagators. Many plants, shrubs in particular, can be difficult to get started. For years Western Maine Nursery had a wonderful propagator who could root anything and deliver baby plants to our local growers to raise in their nurseries for our catalog. When Western Maine Nursery shut down, they left a hole.

In response, we’ve shifted gears to put more resources toward building up our local propagation program, with the long-term goal of propagating all our plants from our own germplasm. Germplasm can be thought of as our mother plants, or stock plants, whose seeds, scions and cuttings we use to propagate our nursery crops.

To expand our local germplasm, we’ve grafted hundreds of varieties of fruits into our orchards, and planted seedlings and cultivars of many species into our gardens and landscapes. We’ve developed maps of favorite wild specimens and dooryard trees around the state and in pockets of New England, from which we collect seeds and cuttings. By maintaining and expanding our local germplasm, we get to know these plants through the seasons, learn about the pests and diseases that may plague them, and observe their hardiness.

The added benefit of this program is that it allows us to become more self-sufficient. For example, we graft our entire fruit-tree line onto excellent rootstock that comes from farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. We love these farms and they are experts at this particular crop. However, we never know when climate crisis or shipping-route disruption could cut off this supply. In recent years, we’ve had a few close calls. For this reason, we have begun to experiment with growing our own rootstock for grafted fruit trees from hardy seedlings. It’s tough work, but we’re going for it.

To support our propagation program, we are also working toward improved facilities, like mist tents and chambers for rooting cuttings, hot callus pipes for grafting finicky species, and improved cold storage for overwintering delicate seedlings.

Thanks for supporting our work. Every plant you buy furthers the cause!