2023 Scion Exchange!
January 24, 2023 at 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM PST Nordic Hall at 2006 E Vista Way (see our Events page for a map)
Taking place INSTEAD of our usual chapter meeting.
Scion donors admitted at 7:00, other members admitted at 7:15.
All are welcome (there will be limits on some items).
What is a Scion?
A scion is a detached portion of a plant that you graft to a root stock. This can be done to ensure that you get a fruit true to type, which often doesn't happen when you plant from seed. It also allows your trees to produce much more quickly, and pair strong producer varieties with strong root varieties, getting the best from both types. It can also be used to cause a tree to take on the characteristics of the root stock, such as growing a dwarf variety of citrus tree.
Why is this so exciting?
The rare fruit growers can get pretty excited about the scion exchange. Why? Because people who live nearby, in your area, have successfully grown the the trees they are cutting the scions from, so your likelihood of success is that much greater. Plus, we love to trade stuff we're growing, and pick up new things to add to our collection!
What do I do?
Collect cuttings: As you do your annual pruning, save the cuttings to donate to the exchange. Scions should be cut to include 3-4 nodes. Storage: These scions should be stored in a plastic bag in the crisper of your refrigerator until the meeting date. Label: Individual scions should be labelled with type and variety (if known) or marked “unknown”. If chill hours are known, include this on your label. It is best to include the grower’s name in case there are questions.
During the exchange, please take only 1-2 scions of a variety and leave the rest for others.
Do’s and Don’t’s for those bringing scions 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 ¾” 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.
What to bring if you want to take some scions:
Zip-lock bags to separate and keep your scions from drying out. Moistened paper towels in each bag are also very helpful.
Permanent marker - to write on labels, and also Liquid paper pens that write in white are even better than black permanent markers.
Tape: masking tape, duct tape, painter’s tape or scotch tape
A bigger bag or box to collect all your bagged up scions or other garden treasures
To see all the CRFG Scion Exchanges taking place this year, check out this page on our parent org's site.
