Grape Cuttings


A freshly prepared cutting.


When you plant your cutting, verify that the orientation is correct.  The bud should be above the leaf scar.

Cuttings from dormant vines collected in December or January grow easily into new plants. 

The easiest source for the cutting is the discarded material coming from pruning a vine.  I use only the wood of the year.  Choose the biggest stems, and cut them in segment of 4 or 5 nodes.  (The one shown in the first picture has 4 nodes). 

The buds are visible at the nodes.  You should verify that the top bud looks allright, and has not been squashed or otherwise damaged.  The top bud is the bud that will produce the new wood.  The cutting will be planted so that it is out of the soil mixture.

The lower 3 buds are to be buried, and they are the main source for the root system.

It is extremely important to identify which end of the cutting is supposed to be up, and which side is supposed to be down.  The best way to check is to look at one of the bud.  Just below the bud is a crescent shaped scar which is where the leaf was connected when the cutting was growing (see diagram).  Plant the cutting so that the scar is below the bud.  Cuttings planted upside down are unlikely to grow.

When the cuttings are ready, they are planted, preferably, in a frost free area.  They can be planted in sand or dirt. 

Once they are planted, the soil mixture in which they are should not be allowed to dry up completely, but shouldn't be kept too soggy.

Here in Phoenix, I find it more convenient to just plant them in a protected area of  the garden, so that I don't have to move them until the following fall.  By then they have developed a sturdy root system, and they are ready to be planted at their final destination.

Grape cuttings are easy and you should expect a good percentage of success.  Have fun!


The result of a grapevine pruning operation: the perfect source for the cuttings.


The cutting after a year.  You can see that the roots have been produced mostly immediately around the nodes.

Desert Tropicals Home Page | Bulletin Board | Plant and Seeds Auction | Order the CD | Tell your friends about this page

Search this site!


powered by FreeFind

© 1998-2000 Philippe Faucon, All Rights Reserved.