Scions are cuttings of fruit trees that serve as material for grafting on a rootstock. In order for this form of cultivation to be crowned with success, you should grab the scissors at the right moment. It is also important which branches you cut off.
Sciones should ideally be cut by the end of January at the latest
time
The optimal period for cutting extends over the low-sap resting phases of the trees. The sap flow begins in fruit trees in mid-January, when the winter was particularly mild. Apple and pear trees sprout later than damsons and plums or cherries.
With fruit bushes that sprout late, you can remove the scions by mid-February, while the other varieties should be cut by the end of January. The exact date also depends on the weather, which should be frost-free.
The right cutting technique
Make sure that the buds are not yet swollen, otherwise the scions will not last long. Use bypass shears as they cut cleaner compared to anvil shears. Remove one-year-old new shoots from the well exposed parts of the crown, which are unbranched and as thick as a pencil. They should be about 30 to 40 centimeters long and show healthy growth. Cut several sprigs from each variety. Water shoots or thin shoots and those whose tips are curved are unsuitable.
tips
Peaches and apricots make suitable mother trees for scions that are pruned in the spring. With these trees, eye grafting makes more sense in the summer months.
That is why scions are important
If you have a particularly rare variety of fruit in your garden that is showing intense signs of aging, taking cuttings can be a viable method of conservation. These provide a perfect material for a rootstock whose fruit quality is questionable.
storage
The cut shoots must be stored as cool, dark and frost-free as possible until you graft them. This varies in difficulty depending on the weather and the time of cutting, because the finishing dates are usually between March and April. The earlier you cut the wood, the longer you have to store it.
The right preparation:
- Gather scions into bundles
- tie together with a rope
- Write the variety on a plastic label with an indelible pen
Optimal conditions
It is important that the scion neither dries out nor is too wet. Wrap the shoots in slightly damp newspaper or stick them in damp sand. Moistened moss pads make an ideal cover for the plant material that you place in a box.
A storage temperature of two degrees is optimal. If there is no danger of frost, you can also store the material in the garage or shed. Be careful not to let mice get to the branches and damage the bark.
tips
Do not place the cuttings in the orchard because apples emit ethylene. This ripening gas can damage the buds of the scions.