CRFG - Santa Clara Valley Chapter

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Scion Exchange

2024 Scion Exchange

Date: Feb.3, 2024

Time: 1:30 – 4:30 pm

Location: Palo Alto Buddhist Temple Gym

Adminssion: 

  • Current SCV Chapter members —- free
  • Non-SCV Chapter members ——— $10 (1:30 – 2:30 pm); free after 2:30 pm

Everyone who will attend is encouraged to bring scions from your own gardens!! Remember, this is not intended to just be a free service, but a scion EXCHANGE. Even if you only have one or two trees, or you can only harvest a handful of sticks from a tree, please bring it in to share with your community of fruit growing enthusiasts.

Rare varieties are of course especially interesting, but there will be beginning growers there that might love to try their hand at grafting a Santa Rosa plum or Fuji apple. Don’t assume someone else will bring in a variety you have, or that something you have growing is too common. There may be someone who is looking for that one.

An exciting selection or rootstocks will be available for purchase at the event, including stone fruit, apple, pear, and cherry. Rootstock is expected to be smaller diameter this year, around 1/4″ or 5/16”, so scions around that size will be especially useful.

General Info

Our annual Scion Exchange in January-February is our chapter’s most looked forward to event! The scion exchange is open to the public, and is an excellent opportunity to learn about grafting and rooting new and different varieties of fruit. Scion exchanges allow the propagation and protection of treasured varieties which may not be commonly available. Growing an unusual variety will mean that you are protecting genetic material, that you may be able to bring to a future exchange in a few years!
 
Every year, in December and January, dormant wood is collected from a variety of orchards around the Bay Area, including from member’s trees. Wood that has been collected is cut into lengths of about pencil size, and placed into labeled bags ahead of time. For the exchange itself, these bags are then arranged on tables indicating the different general variety of tree. We share scion wood from hundreds of varieties of trees, such as apple, pear, plum, peach, apricot, and other species.
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We also typically have cuttings of fig, pomegranate, grape, mulberry, and others. These cuttings are usually rooted to make new trees, rather than grafting onto existing trees you might have. Demonstrations are held in order to teach about grafting and rooting.
 

What to Bring

    • Labels/(Masking) Tape
    • (Sharpie) Pens
    • (Ziplock) Bags
    • (Larger) Plastic bags (for rootstock or long cuttings intended for rooting)
 
When you select a piece or two of a variety, you want to be able to remember what you are taking home, and protect the pieces from drying out! There may be many varieties you want to pick up, so for example, you will want to know one apple from another!! Labeling the wood is essential!
 

Scion Exchange Etiquette

√ Do’s

  • Be courteous and considerate.
  • Bring your own pen, label & bags (see “What to Bring” above)
  • Bring your own scions to share
  • Bring cash (credit cards not accepted)

Χ Do NOT

  • Take more than one or two scions at most per variety 
  • Bring patented varieties
  • Bring citrus
  • Bring any diseased or pest-infested scions or plant material