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What you need: Sharp pruning shears Plastic bags Twine or raffia Labels Scions are lengths of year-old stems you collect from trees you wish to propagate or preserve. Many deciduous tree varieties, especially fruit trees, are propagated by grafting.

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The ideal time to collect scion wood is in mid- winter. Select 6-8 inch long shoots from the previous year's growth. Select stems with leaf buds (long and pointed) rather than flower buds (round and plump).

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Use sharp, sterile pruning shears to remove 8-10 suitable scions from the parent tree.

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Bundle the scions together with twine or raffia.

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Wrap the bundle in a moist paper towel and place in a sealable plastic bag. Label each bag with the tree variety.

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Place the bundled scions in a refrigerator so they stay dormant. The scions should be more dormant at the time of grafting than the rootstock.