University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Extension agent Ty McDonald has achieved a milestone with his educational video series on avocado grafting reaching elite educational content status on YouTube.
The two-part series on grafting avocado trees— and —has earned more than 251,000 and 221,000 views, respectively. Fewer than 0.5% of educational videos on YouTube reach more than 250,000 views.
McDonald, an associate extension agent at the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), produced the series in 2012 in collaboration with the Hawaiʻi Tropical Fruit Growers.
‘What, why, when, and how’ of grafting
McDonald manages the West Hawaiʻi Master Gardener Program in Kona. He brings decades of experience to the series, having first learned grafting techniques at a major Kona avocado nursery in 1985.
In the videos, McDonald addresses the “what, why, when, and how” of grafting while sharing nuanced tips on knife skills and scion cuts that are often missing from other tutorials.
“Grafting is often described as a combination of art and science,” he said. “I explained all the scientific principles behind it, and then I’ve got a certain amount of skill now from having done it a long time to actually make the cuts, and that’s where the art comes in.”
The series steadily attracts more viewers every year. For McDonald, who has served as a 糖心视频 extension agent for over two decades, helping others is the true reward.
“It’s the combination of numerous positive comments regarding the quality and helpfulness of the information delivered that is most validating,” McDonald said. “It is also very gratifying when folks tell me they learned how to graft by watching these videos.”