2026 Scion Exchange: A Gathering for Fruit Growers

Our popular annual scion exchange will take place on Saturday, Jan 31, 2026, and is open to CRFG members and the public. As you prune your trees this month, collect the scion wood for sharing at the exchange. If you are bringing scion, please arrive by 10:30am to get your scions placed in the appropriate fruit grouping.

There will not be a raffle, silent auction, or tasting table at this meeting, however, snacks/refreshments are welcome for those that wish to share.

It’s a great opportunity to grow more than one variety of a fruit on the same tree, to try out new types, or to root branches. A grafting workshop will take place in March to teach you how to use what you gather at this event.

How the scion exchange will work:

• 10:00 am: Setup (please join the board for setup if you are available)

• 10:30 am: Open to drop off scion

• 11:00 am: Scion donors admitted to select scion

• 11:15 am: All members and public admitted to select scion

During the exchange, please take only 1-2 scions of a variety and leave the rest for others. (After everyone has had a chance to get cuttings, we can announce when people can go back and get more from the leftovers).

Do’s and Don’t’s for those bringing scion to share:

• Do not share citrus and citrus relatives

• Do not share cuttings of patented fruit varieties that are still under patent protection. Look for a tag on your tree that says “Propagation Prohibited” or “PPAF” or do a Google Search: patented fruit tree varieties.

• Do take cuttings of dormant wood (not newly-sprouted) from clean, healthy plants. Cuttings should be of wood that is only 1-2 years old, about the size of a pencil (6”-8” long and 1/8” to 3⁄4” in diameter), and include at least 2-3 buds.

• Do make a slanted cut at the top of the scion and make a straight cut at the bottom (perpendicular to the stem). The slanted cut identifies the top so the stem can be oriented correctly during grafting.

• Do label each bundle of cuttings. Include variety name (such as “Santa Rosa plum” or “Granny Smith apple”), description, and, if possible, your name (in case someone wants to know more about the cuttings)

• Do place the cuttings into a plastic bag, wrapped in a clean, damp paper towel or damp newspaper to keep them from drying out.

• Do store bags of cuttings in the refrigerator (not the freezer) until you are ready to bring them to the scion exchange or to graft them onto one of your trees.

Here is a short video about collecting scions: How to collect scion wood

For those interested in selecting new scion to graft, please bring the following:

1. Zip-lock bags to separate and keep your scions from drying out. Moistened paper towels in each bag are also very helpful.

2. Permanent marker - to write on labels. Liquid paper pens that write in white are even better than black permanent markers.

3. Tape: masking tape, duct tape, painter’s tape or scotch tape

4. A bigger bag or box to collect all your bagged up scions or other garden treasures