Silver Creek Nursery Ltd.

Golden Russet Apple Scionwood

Scionwood is not a tree, yet!

Scionwood, or scions (pronounced 'sigh-ons'), are the young, one-year shoots you graft with in order to propagate a variety. If you want to propagate a Gala apple tree, for example, you would graft with Gala scionwood!

We collect these scions from trees in our test orchards and are happy to be able to offer rare/heritage varieties!

For more information on scionwood and grafting, click HERE!

History: The origins of Golden Russet are unclear, but we know it was discovered in New York in the first half of the 1800s. It may have come from the seedling of an English russet variety and could have Ashmead's Kernel parentage. It was grown commercially for some time before falling out of favour, although it has regained some popularity recently due to its strengths in cider production.

Why We Grow It:  With both lots of sweetness and acidity, Golden Russet is one of our favourites for fresh eating. The flavourful juice from these apples is also great for making cider. The thick russetted skin discourages insect damage and it is resistant to scab, canker, and powdery mildew. Its tip-bearing habit gives these hardy trees a wispy appearance.

        $8.50

        Propagation Material:

        Out of stock

        Fruit Traits:

        Recommended Use: Fresh eating, cider

        Fruit Size: Medium

        Storage: Keeps until March when stored in cold storage

        Harvest: October - Early

        Plant Traits:

        Canadian Hardiness Zone: 4

        Flowering Time: Early

        Pollination Requirements: Requires a pollinator of a different apple variety that blooms around the same time

        Sun/Shade Requirements: Full sun (approx. 8-10 hours of sun daily)

        General Growth Habit: Tip-bearing, moderately vigorous and very hardy, heavy crops. Slightly susceptible to cedar rust but resistant to mildew, scab, and canker. Can be harvested from early to mid October.

        Shipping: Scionwood can be shipped anytime in the spring, although we generally recommend that customers receive their scionwood by mid-April at the latest to ensure it arrives dormant. We can hold it longer if customers accept the risk that the scionwood may start breaking dormancy after this time.

        Pickup: We will notify you as soon as your scionwood is ready. We recommend picking it up as soon as you are able and storing it at home.

        Click HERE for tips on storing scionwood!

        CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.

        Each scion will have at least 2-4 grafts' worth of material and ideally will be approximately 12-18" or 30cm+ long. Since we specialize in so many varieties/species, there will be natural differences in growth habit and vigour so some varieties may be shorter or thinner. We will provide the best quality we can, within natural restraints.

        If a scion is less than 6" or 15cm, it will be discounted accordingly.

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