Storing Apple Scions in a Freezer

[PoorSand]

Well, it’s that time of year again when I will be traveling to various places to visit relatives and eyeing up apple trees along the way that I’d like to gather scions from. For years now, I have been cutting apple scions at this time of year to use for benchgrafting or topworking four or five months later. I typically didn’t check on them in the refrigerator afterwards often enough to prevent them from either drying out or getting moldy.

Given that the trees are frozen when I cut the scions at this time of year, I started simply putting the frozen scions into one of my freezers. Later on, before using them, I’ve been moving them to a refrigerator for a week to thaw out and allow their cells to acclimate to the new temperature. That’s been working just fine for me over the years.

I realize that information this flies in the face of countless internet articles and blogs, and will sound like bullsh**t to some, so I’m not planning to look at the comments I receive from this post. That’s just what has worked for me for years now. Your results may vary.

I thought since I have learned so much information from Habitat Talk that I would share with the rest of you this bit that I learned.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have had varying results. I would assume that it has to do with the cold hardiness of each individual variety. Obviously some varieties are hardy in colder climates than others. Most deep freezes maintain temperatures well below zero. I keep our scion in a fridge that is very cold, occasionally a little frost in a bag. That has never hurt anything to my knowledge.

 

[bigboreblr]

Few things I learned by reading. Commercial guys often wipe them down in a 10:! water bleach solution to combat mold. If in the fridge, put the scions in an open bag, then put a barely moist bit of paper towel in a bigger bag and seal up. Just enough to keep humidity and not condesate mositure on the wood. Sealing the cuts with wax or tree sealing compound. A bit overpriced for what it is, but I use doc farwell's heal and seal. Basically latex paint with permetherin. scions dont need the pesticide, but it help keeping isects off of tree damage repairs or big pruning spots. Can kill young bugs emerging from the wound site too.

Absolute best way is fresh off the vine. IF you have tree you want to copy, just don't rune a few spot and leave them for your rootstock order.

 

[gjs4]

New to this- and had some less than stellar results last yr to the point of where I am just ordering them (with a late winter ship) as grafting is hard enough. m also scared about my garage stored winter root stock and (potted) previous grafts.

 

[bigboreblr]

Grafting is fun and a way to get trees otherwise not commercially available. However, for the +/- 25 bucks alot of people charge for their grafted trees, I think it's worth it. They do probably an extra years water than you would, they absorb the graft failing rate, then even weed out the not so great ones too. You easily get a 2 year headstart with buying trees.

I had a tree or two I got the lasts of last year. I nibble a little off the top and grafted them and put them on rootstock. 5 minutes after it was cut off the tree, it was on a graft. Those did great.

 

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Top picture is a sundance planted April 2024 on M7. It was average sized like 3ft tall maybe gallon jug sized rootball. I even trimmer 6 to 8 inches off the top for scion material. I grafted 3 sundances. Lower picture is the sundance scion I grafted on M111 that same week. Not even knee high. It probably would of been taller If I pruned the competeing leaders. However, I wanted to try leaving the tree alone during its 1st growing season. Hoping more leaves meant more roots. Will trim them this late winter/spring.


Another nice trick you see on the top pic is the slow water method. I take a 5 gallon water jug and drill a 3/16" hole from the inside pushing out. This takes about 10 minutes for the majority of the water to come out. Makes the water go deeper, so you can do more with less water. 1/8" is ideal, but the bigger size prevent clogging with grass cuttings. Drilling from the inside out prevents the sharp exit hole edges from catching grass. Even 1/4" is way better than quick pouring. When going to camp during the summer, I have 4 of these jugs with strings tied to them. I can carry them on my back while going to planting site with water buckets in my hands. Since I do multiple trips at most sites for water, I half fill it twice and those buckets have 1/8" holes.