Mild winter - When to take scion cuttings?

[hailtryfan]

It's been an extremely mild winter and while we've had a few hard frosts recently I think spring might have an early start this year. With this in mind, should I be collecting my scion wood soon, or could I leave it for another month or so?

I'm in Essex, England

[OrangePippin-Richard]

If you are going to keep your grafts in a greenhouse then perhaps now, but there is plenty of time for winter to arrive yet so if you will be planting them out I would wait a bit.

[hailtryfan]

Thanks Richard. What do you mean though when you say keep them in a greenhouse? Do you mean the tree I've grafted on to? I've got an unheated greenhouse on my allotment.....

[OrangePippin-Richard]

I meant you could keep the new grafts in a cold greenhouse until winter is definitely past.

[appledude]

should I be collecting my scion wood soon

Gett'r done now!

I have held wood from September gatherings till spring grafting and it worked fine. Also wood that was 15 months old worked too. Can't say they will all work, but that one did!

Keep slightly moist and cool in an ethylene free refrigerator.

[Chuck Rhode]

If an ice storm encounters you in early spring, you may have to do some patch-up pruning afterward, so you may want to wait, keeping your options open until later.

• 3° — Wind N 3 mph