Robert;

Immediately cut, seal and refrigerate a fistful of scions, or ‘watershoots’ from the tree – likely growing from the highest limbs. The buds should still be tight… But you haven’t got much time before they begin to ‘push.’

Gravensteins are generally vigorous, so you may find 4 to 5 foot ‘shoots’ – last year’s upright growth. Snip out 16 inch ‘sections’ of varying diameters from those shoots, that will give a grafter more opportunity to match up the scions with the rootstock -- with a preference for ‘pencil diameter’ shoots. Wet several open layers of newspaper; wrap the ‘shoots’ or scions in the paper; place a plastic grocery bag over each end, coving the middle; wrap with string, twine, or rubber bands and store them in your refrigerator for two weeks before you haul it to our:

HOS Annual Fruit Propagation Fair (Scion Exchange)
Saturday, March 7th, 2009, 10am-4pm at Alder Creek Middle School in Milwaukie, Oregon
Full details can be found on the Fruit Propagation Fair page http://www.homeorchardsociety.org/scion_exchange/

...Decide how many ‘starts’ or trees you want and how large you’d like them. Buy as many rootstocks at the Fair as trees you desire and wade your way to the grafting area. I’d be more then happy to make up your trees as I plan to be grafting that day (ask for ‘Viron’)! …Just gather that wood quick, any more questions, ask " title="Wink" />