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Cuttings 35–45 cm long with several buds are rooted in damp sand or pine sawdust, in warmth (about 16–27 °C depending on the method), until white rootlets up to 2.5 cm appear. Then they are planted with 10–13 cm of cane above ground (later hilled up to two nodes), watered at once and not left too long, so the rootlets do not break.
1What this gives you and what to expect
A rooted cutting is an independent plant of the same variety it was cut from. Unlike a seed (see “Growing a vine from a seed”), the variety does not change. But success is not guaranteed: university handbooks note that even with good care not all cuttings take. UC (California) gives an example: if you plant two cuttings per spot and each takes in 80% of cases, a plant appears at the spot in 96% of cases (rather than 80% for a single cutting).
This article continues two earlier ones: on collecting cuttings and on storing them in winter. Here we cover what to do with cuttings when it is time to wake them up.
2Which cuttings to take
- One-year wood of last season’s growth. NMSU (New Mexico) advises taking healthy one-year cane that is not too vigorous; the shoot tip, which has not ripened enough, is not used.
- Length. NMSU gives 36–41 cm and 3 to 7 buds. UC gives 40–46 cm for cuttings planted into the ground. So aim for roughly 35–45 cm, depending on your method.
- The right cuts. The bottom cut is straight, 6 mm below a node; the top cut is slanted at 45°, 2.5–5 cm above a node (UC). The slanted top cut also helps you not to confuse which end is up.
- Mature canes, round in cross-section, with medium internode length. UC does not recommend flat canes with long internodes: they mean fast growth and fewer reserves.
- Of known origin. UC warns: do not take wood from a vineyard of unknown origin.
3Three ways to root
1. A sand pit or box (the classic for small batches)
UC describes this method as the most common. The idea is to keep the cuttings in sand so that roots form at the lower nodes, and then plant them. This is not the same as the winter cold storage (about 1–4 °C) in the storage article: here warmth is needed to wake the cuttings and make them root.
- A pit about 45 cm deep on a well-drained spot, with no standing rainwater.
- Bundles stand upright, bases down, packed close together. Cover with 15–20 cm of sand that is not trampled or washed down.
- Minimal watering: first light moistening, then only top-ups when the top layer has dried about 2.5 cm. Wet sand is the main mistake: it has no air.
- Temperature: about 10 °C in winter, 10–18 °C in March, about 16 °C in late March to early April. Signs of roots appear from mid to late March if the cuttings have lain at least 6 weeks.
- Sun and film speed it up (clear film is more effective); shade or a damp dense cover slows it down.
2. A bag or box with pine sawdust
UC describes conditioning cuttings in damp sawdust (pine or fir only):
| Temperature | How long to keep |
|---|---|
| ≈27 °C | 10–14 days |
| ≈21 °C | 21 days |
| ≈16 °C | 4–5 weeks |
Do not put the box in the sun: the top will overheat while the middle stays cold (UC). This is a method for quickly “waking” cuttings before planting, usually after storage in the cool.
3. Planting straight into a nursery bed
NMSU describes planting cuttings directly into a prepared plot (a nursery bed) when the soil has warmed above 13 °C. Before planting, soak the cuttings in water for a few hours. In the row they are set about 10 cm apart, slanted cut up. The plot should be sunny (preferably 8–10 hours of light), well drained and free of weeds. A year later the rooted plants are moved to their permanent place.
And in a glass of water? The university handbooks we use do not describe this method. Hobbyists recommend it actively, but we have no university source showing that roots grown in water transplant well into soil. So we do not describe it here.
4Is a stimulant needed
NMSU advises against rooting regulators: they can reduce rooting. UC adds: for ordinary varieties they do little good; consider them only for hard-to-root rootstocks. If you decide to try, follow the dose on the manufacturer’s label.
5When to plant from the pit or box
UC describes the root stages by which you decide when to plant:
- “Rice”. White rootlets up to 2.5 cm. The best moment.
- “Spaghetti”. Roots longer than 5–7 cm. Undesirable: they break during planting.
- Shoots longer than 5–7 cm before planting are also undesirable.
So check the cuttings every week as planting time approaches.
If the cuttings were in the cold. UC warns: do not plant them in the ground straight from cold storage: they are completely dormant and dry out in the field. Before planting, condition them for 2–3 weeks in damp sawdust at 21–27 °C, or 3–5 weeks in a sand pit, until initial roots appear.
6How to plant rooted cuttings
- The soil must warm upUC notes: in heavy soils soil temperature matters, the guide is mid-April; on sandy and medium loams the date is less critical if the cuttings are well prepared.
- Plant into a slit or holemade with a spade or with water. Do not use a pointed steel bar: the compacted walls of the hole restrain root growth (UC).
- Leave 10–13 cm of cane above groundLater hill up so that 5–7 cm (two nodes) remain above ground.
- Firm the soil on both sidesand check after the first watering.
- Water at onceAfter that: the next watering in 3–4 weeks if the soil does not crack badly and it is not hot; then every 7–10 days on sandy soils and every 12–21 days on heavier ones (UC). Do not flood: excess water cools the soil and pushes out oxygen.
- Nitrogenis usually not needed in the first season, except on sandy soils (UC).
- Double cuttingsIf you planted two, remove the weaker one in midsummer, cutting it below ground. UC calls removing it too late a mistake: it then regrows as a sucker.
7Common mistakes
- Sand that is wet and airless: the cuttings “sour”.
- Planting cuttings straight from the cold without conditioning.
- Leaving them too long: “spaghetti” roots or long shoots break during planting.
- Sun on an open sawdust box: the top overheats.
- Too much watering in the first period after planting.
- Cuttings from an unknown source or from a vine with viruses (NMSU advises marking and not taking cuttings from diseased vines).
- Removing the second cutting in a double planting too late.
8Frequently asked questions
How many cuttings should I plant to get a result?
It is not known in advance: it depends on the variety, the vine and the care. UC gives a calculation with two cuttings per spot (from 80% to 96%) if each takes in 80% of cases. Do not rely on a single attempt if the variety is valuable to you.
How soon will roots appear?
According to UC, in a sand pit signs of roots appear from mid to late March if the cuttings have lain at least 6 weeks. In sawdust at 21 °C it is about 21 days.
Can cuttings be rooted at home, indoors?
The methods the universities describe (pit, sawdust, open-ground rooting) are meant for a yard or greenhouse. For indoor conditions we have no confirmed handbook, so we cannot say whether it will work.
When is it better to buy a ready sapling?
When you need a specific variety without risk, or almost a whole vine at once. A rooted cutting is the first year of growing; a ready sapling (see “One-year or two-year-old”) saves that year.
9Sources
- Propagation of Grape Vine Cuttings (Circular H-322), New Mexico State University: choosing the cane, cutting length, storage, planting in a nursery bed, growth regulators.
- Wood Sources for Cutting (Pub. GV5-97), UC Cooperative Extension, Tulare County: sand pit, sawdust and temperature, root stages, planting, watering, mistakes, double cuttings.
The handbooks describe American conditions and commercial practice; temperatures and timing for your variety and yard may differ. Inches and degrees Fahrenheit have been converted to metric units and rounded.
