When do you take scions for grafting? (December 2015)
Grafting and budding are used as the principle methods of propagating in certain plants such as fruit trees. They are techniques used to combine one plant with another to encourage growth as a unified plant, one that is identical to the parent plant.
Factors affecting successful grafting or budding are: temperature, time of year, age of the plant parts, scion orientation, and care of grafted plants, soil moisture, and contact of stock and scion.
According to Ross Penhallegon, a horticulturist with the Oregon State University Extension service, peach, nectarines, cherry, and prune wood is best collected in late January. Apple, Asian pear and pear wood should be collected in early February. Scion wood should be cut from the whip-like growth found in the tops of superior quality trees. One year old wood is preferable to older wood and should be of average vigor and well hardened. Wood grown in sunlight is better than that grown in shade. Scion wood can range from 8 to 18”, about the thickness of a pencil, and be free of insects, diseases, and frost injury. Begin grafting whenever weather conditions cause sap to rise freely, and the buds at the top of the tree to swell.
Sources: “Grafting Ornamental Plants and Fruit Trees”, Royal Horticulture Society, www.rhs.org.uk Oregon State University Extension Services, oregonstate.edu, Carol Savon, “Propagation of Plants by Grafting and Budding”, “It’s time to gather scion wood for grafting”
