How to Collect Chestnut Scionwood

Materials

• Pruners

• Plastic zip top bag

• Pencil

• Paper (index card or similar)

Choose branches that:

• Grew during the previous year

• Are less than 3/16 of an inch in diameter (approximately 1/8-3/16 inch is ideal)

• Are at 6-8 inches long

• Contain at least one good looking bud (larger buds are better than small ones)

• Have buds spaced out approximately 1.5 inches apart

If the tree has blight, you can likely find good sprouts below the blighted section or stump sprouts, assuming they haven’t been eaten by deer. If no branches matching the ideal characteristics are available, other branches can work, but they are more difficult to use. You can determine what grew in the previous year by looking for the terminal bud scar closest to the tip of the branch. This link has photos showing what they look like https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/welcome-my-jungle/2022-04-01-use-terminal-bud-scars-gage-growth-rate-trees

Scion Collection (must be during winter while the trees are dormant)

• Write a label with identifying information, such GPS coordinates or the name of the tree

• Collect scions and cut them into lengths that will fit in the bag

• Put your scions and the label into the bag, then roll it up to push out the air, and seal it. Do not put anything damp inside the bag as this could cause mold

• Scions from different trees should go in separate bags

• Store scions in the fridge (not the freezer) at all times. Keeping them at room temperature can cause them to break dormancy, which makes them unusable for grafting