How to Collect, Store and Ship Scionwood

Scionwood is the name for the twigs used to propagate woody plants. Many woody-stemmed plants do not “root” well when propagated by cuttings, so propagators developed a number of grafting techniques to reproduce trees and shrubs. The first grafting was likely done many hundreds of years ago.

The best scions are twigs of last summer’s growth, about the thickness of a thin pencil, that are found at the tips of branches. The one-year-old growth (watersprouts) that emerges from large horizontal branches or from the trunk of the tree itself can also be used for scions.

Pruning encourages new growth. In a well-pruned orchard, trees will grow vigorously, and last year’s growth (scions) can be 3 feet or even longer. On an old tree that has not been pruned in many years, the new growth can be as short as an inch or less. 

For successful grafts, you need to ensure that the scionwood is properly cut and stored until it is time to graft.  Please follow these steps:

1.     Cut scionwood when the tree is dormant. The best time in Maine is during February and March. December, January and April are also OK.  

2.     Locate last year’s growth.  Start at any growing tip and work your way back towards the trunk.  You should be able to see where last year’s growth began and the growth from two years ago ended since there is usually a swelling and often a change in bark color or texture at that junction. 

3.     Snip off the scion of last year’s growth.  When grafting, the propagator will only use about one inch of scion per graft.  However, cut the scionwood to any convenient length, even as long as 2-3 ft. For mailing, 8-12” is good so the piece fits conveniently into an envelope.

4.     To store scionwood place it in a dry plastic bag and seal.  Store the plastic bag in a cold room, such as a shed, garage, barn or unheated basement. Ideal storage temperatures are between 34 and 45 degrees F.  Keep out of the sun. Never store in a freezer.  Scionwood can be stored for 3-4 months in a cold location.

If you store scionwood in the refrigerator or root cellar, you must take extra steps  to protect the scions from the effects of ripening fruit and vegetables. To do so, triple bag the scions. In other words, put the scions in a plastic bag, seal and put that in a second bag and that in a third bag.  Then you can store your scions in the fridge or root cellar. 

5. To mail scionwood, single bag the scions, and seal them in a box or envelope.  It’s always a good idea to give a heads up to the recipient so that the scionwood doesn’t end up sitting in the overheated post office for more than a day.