How do I harvest scionwood?

Scionwood is best cut in late winter/early spring when it is warm enough that there is little risk of the cut suffering from freezing damage but before the trees break dormancy. You want to harvest the one year growth which is often smoother and shinier than the older growth. You should be able to see a growth collar (a small ridge around the branch) delineating the newer growth from the previous growing season. Bundle the cut scions (we use masking tape) and label immediately. Our previous head of operations, Ken, created this helpful video HERE.

Ideally, scionwood should be about pencil thickness, or the diameter of the rootstock so the cuts match up. You will want 2-3 buds per scion for grafting, or about 3", so if you have a scion that is 15" long, you should be able to get 4-5 grafts' worth of material.

If you are storing scionwood in the fridge (not the freezer), make sure it is not being stored with fruit such as apples. The fruit will release ethylene gas that will prevent the scionwood from ever breaking dormancy.