Grafting Workshop and Scion Exchange. You Are Invited!

On By durhammastergardenersIn Learn With Us, PSA, Uncategorized

februrary 10, 2024 hosted by the Master Gardeners sm of durham. details below.

By Jeff Kanters, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer

Annual Grafting Workshop and Scion Exchange.

Are you interested in learning how to propagate woody plants, including your own fruit and nut trees? Come learn the art of cleft grafting alongside some of Durham’s Extension Master Gardener Volunteers at our annual workshop.

The Workshop:

The workshop will teach you both how to graft and what plant combinations will be successful. Whether you are interested in preserving an heirloom family fruit or grafting multiple related fruits onto a single rootstock (Yes, “fruit cocktail trees” are a real thing), the workshop is the perfect opportunity to learn what works, what doesn’t and how to do it. 

Scion Grafting Workshop 2023. Image credit Ashley Troth.

The workshop will technically consist of two different events – the Grafting Workshop and the Scion Exchange. See details below for location, timing, and registration information.

Left to right: Grafting class 2023 and Scion Exchange. Image credit Ashley Troth and The Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers Group respectively.

  • Part One: Grafting Workshop: Saturday February 10, 2024 10:00 -11:00. You must register for this part of the event. Seats are limited. Registration can be found on the Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers page: Grafting Workshop Registration
  • Part Two: Scion Exchange: Saturday February 10, 2024 11:00 – 12:00. Registration for this part of the event is not needed. Just show up with your scions and tools at 11:00.
  • Where: The NC Cooperative Extension building at 721 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701

What to bring:

  • Bagged and labeled scions for you and enough to share with others
  • Plastic bags to collect new scions
  • Sharpie marker
  • Masking tape or blue ​painter’s tape for labeling
  • Pruning shears
  • Grafting knife or sharp carving knife
  • Gloves
  • Rubber bands
  • Aluminum pie tin
  • Twist ties
Typical tools used for scion grafting. Image credit: Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers Group.

What the Heck is a Scion?

Scions are twigs representing last year’s growth, typically 12-18 inches in length and roughly the size of a pencil. They can come from fruit trees, grapes, kiwi, berries, or woody ornamentals. Scions are used to graft onto existing trees or new root stock. At this event, you will be bringing scions (twigs) home to graft onto your existing tree or rootstock. If you have any questions about taking a scion cutting, please see Collecting scions for exchange.

We encourage you to bring scions (twigs) from your garden to share with other workshop participants and later for the scion exchange. The more plant varieties people bring, the better the choices will be! 

Left to right: Many scions labeled, bagged and ready to graft onto root stock. A close up of a grafted scion. Image credit to the Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers Group.

How to Collect and Prepare Scions:

For detailed instructions on collecting and preparing your scion, see the Triangle Fruit and Nut Growers page: collecting and preparing scions . You can also email KatCauseyEMGV@gmail.com with any questions.

History of the Scion Exchange in the Research Triangle Area of NC:

Around 2015, Ms. Susan Emshwiller, moved to Durham, NC from California. An avid orchardist, she was surprised that, unlike California, a scion exchange program did not exist in the RTP area of North Carolina for fruit and nut orchardists. She decided to start one.

Acquiring the support of Seeds™, a non-profit, two-acre urban garden, and kitchen classroom operating in Durham, Susan initiated the Scion Exchange. This event incorporated classes in grafting along with the exchange of dormant scions for those interested in grafting different varieties on to their fruit trees.

In 2021, Susan, longing for open spaces, decided to go back west, this time to Arizona. Understanding that the scion program was in jeopardy without Susan, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM program (EMG) volunteer Kat Causey approached the EMG program director for Durham, Ashley Troth, with a suggestion that the EMG program continue hosting the grafting workshop, scion exchange, and the scion exchange website.  Ashley agreed.

Kat, together with fellow member Sara Smith, visited Susan in her home to discuss this idea. They admired her many fruit trees with multiple varieties grafted on dwarf stock. Susan easily agreed to the transfer and relinquished her documents, website and knowledge to Kat and Sara.

In 2022, Kat and Sara, together with others on the plant propagation team, hosted the first grafting workshop and scion exchange. This time it was held at the Cooperative Extention building on Foster Street under the Master GardenerSM program of Durham. It was a huge success. We thank Kat and Sara for their early vision and continued service to the community.

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Resources and Additional Information

Want to know more about propagation techniques and growing tree fruit and nuts in your home garden? Check out these two chapters from the North Carolina Extension Gardener Handbook.

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/13-propagation

https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/15-tree-fruit-and-nuts

For more information on grafting and different techniques, see NCSU Grafting and Budding Publication : https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/grafting-and-budding-nursery-crop-plants

The Missouri Extention Service also has a publication on grafting: Read Missouri Extension publication for more in-depth information. 

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