How to Take Scion Cuttings of Apples

Grafted apple trees produce quality crops.

When you sow an apple seed, the tree you get is genetically different from the one that produced the seed you planted. Thus, the best way of propagating an apple tree is by grafting a scion onto a rootstock. The scion is a twig from a tree that has characteristics you like. Graft it to another tree that provides the roots -- the rootstock. The grafted scion grows into a replica of the plant that provided the cutting. To improve my chances of a successful graft, I take scions early in the morning when the wood is full of moisture.

Things You'll Need

• Shears
• Cloth
• Alcohol
• Plastic bag
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Identify an apple tree to be the source of the scions. Choose a disease-free plant that grew vigorously the previous season. Verify that the variety is not patented. It is illegal to propagate patented trees without permission. Check with your local nursery or county cooperative extension service if you are not sure about the plant's status. The apple tree you select should also have the characteristics you are looking for in a new tree. Complete this step by the end of winter to take the scions while the buds are still dormant.

2. Clean your shears with a cloth dipped in alcohol. This prevents the transmission of pathogens to the donor tree as you cut into the wood.

3. Select a branch on the apple tree that is as wide as a branch on the rootstock. The similar diameters make it easy to fasten the two pieces of wood together. Cut a stem tip 12 to 18 inches long. The terminal section of the branch is the youngest growth on the tree and ideal for propagation. Cuttings from top branches are best because their tips have been exposed to sunlight.

4. Drop the scion in a plastic bag, seal it and store it at 32 degrees F. When you collect multiple scion cuttings at once, wrap them in wet paper towels or cloth to keep them from drying. After you finish harvesting all scions, place them in a plastic bag and keep them at the freezing point for the next 12 weeks.

5. Remove the scions from cold storage around May when the trees start growing again. Get the cuttings out one at a time to prevent them from drying out. After you complete each graft, go back for the next scion in the plastic bag.

References

• Cornell University; Apple Tree Rootstocks; Ian Merwin; Summer 1999
• "Missouri Environment & Garden"; Collecting and Handling Scion Wood for Grafting Apple and Nut Trees; Michele Warmund, et al.; February 2009