Redwood Empire Scion Exchange 2023
Saturday, February 25, 2023
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Santa Rosa Veterans Building [Directions]
1351 Maple Ave, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
9:00 am – Members Only (Join/Renew before our Exchange)
10:00 am–2:00 pm – Open to the Public
$5.00 for Members and Non-Members
12:00 pm – Grafting Demonstration with David Ulmer
Custom Tree Grafting Service: $5/graft
Expert grafters are available to graft a custom tree for you. Purchase your rootstock, choose your scion, and then buy a custom grafting ticket for $5.
Rootstock: $5–10 each
3 kinds of apples rootstock: $5 ea
3 kinds of pear rootstock: $5-10 ea
Myro 29C plum rootstock: $5 ea
Mariana 2624 plum rootstock: $5 ea
Small Nemaguard peach rootstock $10 and $2 for $15 depending on type
No price breaks for larger quanities.
Fresh Citrus Fruit for Sale
Enjoy variety of delicious fresh citrus fruit grown by CRFG member Ray Sheehey.
Scion Collection Starter Kit: $2
Available at entry: includes plastic bag, sharpie and tape. Or you bring your own plastic bags, tape, sharpies etc.
Vendor Inquiries: Please contact Phil Pieri at Phil_p_2001@ yahoo.com
- Select special cultivar cuttings for grafting – often over 500 varieties!
- Enjoy grafting and planting demonstrations for beginners
- Rootable cuttings also available: grapes, figs, pomegranates and more may be planted directly in the ground
- Fruit Experts available to answer questions
- Download our flyer to share
Download Your Comprehensive Guide
How to Make the Best of a CRFG Scion Exchange (pdf)
WHAT TO BRING
- Scion wish list (based on fruit tastings, research, and experienced recommendations according to the chill-hours and micro-climate of where you live)
- Gallon zip-top plastic bag to put your scions in so they stay fresh, (include your name on it in case you lay it down and forget)
- Painters or masking tape to label your scions
- Permanent Marker to write on your tape
- Notebook & pen to take notes
- A handled-tote to carry them all in
- Scions to share from your trees. (See instructions below.)
- Cash for entry for all your purchases
What NOT to Bring
- NO Citrus or relatives (plants or scions/cuttings) Find out why.
- NO Disease or Pests on infected plants
- NO Old-Wood with fruit spurs (two years or older wood)
- Bring only the most recent tip growth that grew last year
- NO Non-Edible Plants
- NO Currently Patented Plant Varieties <Cultivars in green safe to share
- Learn all about Finding Plant Patents
Scion Exchange Essential Knowledge
- Your Master Guide: Make the Best of a CRFG Scion Exchange (pdf)
- What is a Scion Exchange?
- What Should Members and Attendees Bring?
- How to Harvest Scions for a Scion Exchange (video)
- How to Collect Scionwood with photos
- Watch Videos showing how to harvest and prepare scions for an Exchange
- Print Labels for the Scion bags you bring to the Exchange
- Grafting Fruit Trees with Graham Stott (pdf)
- Fruit and Nut Harvest Dates plan a continuous harvest throughout the season
- Attend other CRFG Scion Exchanges around the state
Join Now Don't wait until the Scion Exchange to fill in forms. Join or renew your membership to CRFG and to our Chapter for early member only access to the Exchange and exclusive members only opportunities:
- Join CRFG to help us support our mission—including scion exchanges!
- Subscribe to our Redwood Chapter for exclusive orchard tours, events, grafting classes, fruit tastings, and educational opportunities
Previous Scion Exchanges
We’re looking forward to getting together again in person in 2023. See below for photos and information from previous scion exchanges.
Our most popular event is the Scion Exchange we host every January, open to the public.
This event is not to be missed for all fruit enthusiasts. We focus on sharing free scion wood from all sorts of fruit trees and vines — common favorites, heirlooms, rare and experimental varieties – usually 500+ varieties. We supply rootstocks to graft them onto at a nominal price, and expert grafters who can custom-graft fruit trees on the spot for a nominal fee.
In addition, multiple vendors supply a tremendous variety of fruiting plants you won’t find anywhere else for some incredible deals.
We offer free grafting demonstration classes for beginners, plus experts are available to answer your fruit-growing questions.
- 500 varieties of fruit available for free
- Rootstocks available at nominal charge
- Bare root fruit trees for sale
- Expert grafting services available
- Many unusual fruit varieties for sale
- A big turnout every year
- Free grafting classes
- Exciting raffle prizes!
- Free goodies from our members
Collecting and Sharing Scions
Collecting Scions at the Exchange
Bring gallon ziplock baggies, tape and a sharpie marker to label your scions. Help yourself to no more than a scion or two of each variety you will really graft this year.
Download our Scion Exchange guide (pdf).
Preparing Scions for Contribution
Please take care in the labeling of any scions you’d like to bring to the Scion Exchange. Scions should be cut from clean, one-year-old wood, about 1/4 inch in diameter and generally no more than 6 inches long so that they fit in attendees’ gallon ziplock bags. Please bring then in clearly-labelled gallon ziplock bags.
Download the Scion Label Form
Patent and Quarantine Information
Only scions from non-patented non-quarantined trees may be brought to the exchange.
VIDEO: Getting Ready for the CRFG Scion Exchange
Additional Links
- A video at YouTube on how to collect and label scions.
- A Press Democrat article about members and grafting, including Fred who has 100 varieties of apples on one tree.
- If you are donating plants to the raffle, please label them with this form.
Additional scion exchanges are held at CRFG chapters throughout California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. Click here to find the closest chapter and whom to contact for dates of events.
Collecting and Sharing Scions
Collecting Scions at the Exchange
Bring gallon ziplock baggies, tape and a sharpie marker to label your scions. Help yourself to no more than a scion or two of each variety you will really graft this year.
Download our Scion Exchange guide (pdf).
Preparing Scions for Contribution
Please take care in the labeling of any scions you’d like to bring to the Scion Exchange. Scions should be cut from clean, one-year-old wood, about 1/4 inch in diameter and generally no more than 6 inches long so that they fit in attendees’ gallon ziplock bags. Please bring then in clearly-labelled gallon ziplock bags.
Download the Scion Label Form
Patent and Quarantine Information
Only scions from non-patented non-quarantined trees may be brought to the exchange.
VIDEO: Getting Ready for the CRFG Scion Exchange
Additional Links
- A video at YouTube on how to collect and label scions.
- A Press Democrat article about members and grafting, including Fred who has 100 varieties of apples on one tree.
- If you are donating plants to the raffle, please label them with this form.
Additional scion exchanges are held at CRFG chapters throughout California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. Click here to find the closest chapter and whom to contact for dates of events.