Article contents
Cut cuttings from the previous year’s ripened cane while the vine is dormant, from leaf fall to bud break. Choose healthy cane about as thick as a pencil, cut 30–40 cm pieces with 3–5 buds and label every bundle by variety and date.
1When to collect cuttings
A cutting is a piece of one-year-old cane, that is, last season’s growth, with several buds (in Ukraine they are also called “eyes”). You can cut it while the vine is “asleep”: from leaf fall until bud break. The exact time depends on the climate and on when it suits you.
- In autumn, right after leaf fall. This is what, for example, the extension service at Clemson University (USA) advises: cut cuttings as soon as the leaves have fallen. In Ukraine they are most often collected during autumn pruning, when the cane is already ripe and there are no severe frosts yet.
- In winter. The New Mexico State University handbook says cuttings can be taken throughout the dormant period; in that climate this is December and January.
- In late winter. The extension service at Iowa State University advises taking cuttings from cane that is being pruned anyway in February or March.
For most of Ukraine it is most convenient to combine collecting with autumn pruning. If your winters can be harsh and with little snow, you can leave part of the cane until the end of winter as a reserve and collect cuttings from it later, when it becomes clear whether frost has damaged the buds.
Before cutting, check that the cane is alive. Make a test cut on a shoot: the wood should be light, greenish and moist. Brown, dry or black pith means the cane has frozen, and cuttings from it will not root.
2Which cane to choose
The mother vine matters more than any rooting “secret”. Look for cane with these features:
- A healthy vine. Take cuttings from a vine that grows and fruits well with no noticeable disease. Cuttings from a diseased vine will pass the diseases on to the new plant.
- Last year’s growth. The cane must be one-year-old, that is, from a shoot that grew this summer.
- Well ripened. The bark is brown and evenly colored, the wood is dense. Cut off the green, soft tip of the shoot (the unripe part) and do not use it.
- About as thick as a pencil. Texas A&M advises the diameter of an ordinary pencil or slightly more (roughly 8–10 mm). Very thin, weak canes root worse. “Water shoots” that are too thick and have long internodes are also best avoided.
- The middle part of the shoot. The base of a shoot has small weak buds, and the tip is usually unripe.
- A known variety. Take cane from a vine whose variety you know for certain: a mixed-up variety cannot be fixed later.
3How long and how to cut
Different sources give different lengths and numbers of buds, so we give a range. New Mexico State University advises pieces of 35–40 cm (14–16 inches) with at least three buds and no more than six or seven; Texas A&M gives 30–40 cm (12–16 inches) with two to six buds. A practical choice for most gardeners: 30–40 cm and 3–5 buds.
The cuts:
- According to university handbooks, the bottom cut is made straight (across the cane) and the top one slanted.
- Leave the top cut with a small margin above the top bud, about 3–5 cm; make the bottom one just below the bottom bud. This is how the Iowa State University handbook describes it.
- In domestic practice the opposite scheme of slanted and straight cuts is also found. The main thing is one scheme for all cuttings: you must always know which end is up and which is down, because an upside-down cutting does not root.
- Remove tendrils and side shoots. The pruning shears must be sharp and clean, the cut smooth, with no split wood.
4Step by step
- Choose a vineHealthy, fruitful, with a known variety name. Inspect the cane: it should have no spots, coating or damage.
- Check the caneMake a test cut: the wood is alive, light and moist. Walk around the vine and pick the best shoots.
- Cut the shootsCut the cane a little longer than you need: it is easier to cut it into cuttings at home, at a table.
- Cut the cuttingsRemove the unripe tip, tendrils and side shoots. Cut pieces of 30–40 cm with 3–5 buds, shaping the cuts by the scheme you chose.
- Label themTie cuttings of one variety into a bundle and attach a tag with the name and date.
- Set them aside for storageThe cuttings must be kept until spring: the article “Storing grape cuttings in winter” explains how.
If the vine had diseases but you still need the cuttings, use a preparation according to the manufacturer’s instructions: we do not give dosages here.
5How to label and not mix up varieties
Mixing up varieties is the most common problem in home propagation: over the winter a tag gets lost, and the cuttings of all varieties look alike.
- Make two tags per bundle: one inside, the other tied on the outside. Write with a waterproof marker or a pencil.
- Give the variety name, the date and the vine the cane was taken from.
- Do not mix varieties in one bag, even if there are few cuttings.
- Photograph the bundles with their tags: if the writing rubs off, you can restore it.
6How many to collect
Rooting depends on the variety, the storage conditions and care in spring, so not all cuttings will take. Collect with a reserve, especially if the variety is valuable to you. A surplus is not a problem: extra cuttings can be given to friends or used to replace those that did not root.
7If you need a quick and certain result
Cuttings are a great route for those who have time and want to experiment. If you need a specific variety quickly and without risk, it is simpler to take a ready sapling: our catalog has one-year and two-year saplings from the nursery, with a known variety and developed roots. Your own cuttings and buying saplings complement each other well.
8Frequently asked questions
Can I collect cuttings in spring?
Yes, before bud break. But the later it is, the greater the risk that the buds have already “woken up” and the cuttings will keep worse. The most reliable time to cut them is when the vine is fully dormant, from November to the end of winter.
How many buds should a cutting have?
Three to five are enough for most varieties. The New Mexico State University handbook advises no more than six or seven: longer cuttings are awkward to store and plant, and with fewer buds there is less chance that at least one will produce a developed shoot.
Can I take cuttings from a young vine?
Yes, if the vine is healthy and has already made normal growth. But it is better not to cut from a first-year sapling: it needs all of its cane to develop roots and get stronger.
Can any variety be propagated?
For your own garden, usually yes. However, some varieties, especially new ones, are protected by a patent or plant variety rights, and selling their cuttings or saplings without the rights holder’s permission may be restricted by law. We are not lawyers, so if you plan to sell what you grow, check the terms for the specific variety.
What if the cuttings are already cut but there is nowhere to store them yet?
Keep them in a cool place, do not let them dry out and do not put off setting them up for winter storage. How and where is described in the article on storing cuttings.
9Sources
- Propagation of Grape Vine Cuttings: A Practical Guide (H-322), New Mexico State University: timing, length, number of buds, cuts.
- Propagating Grapevines (EHT-116), Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: choosing cane, cutting length, cuts.
- How can I propagate a grapevine? Iowa State University Extension: collecting in late winter, placement of the cuts.
- Hardwood cuttings material, Clemson Cooperative Extension (HGIC): collecting in autumn, right after leaf fall.
- Take care in autumn to plant in spring: when and how to collect grape cuttings correctly, Vikna (in Ukrainian): practical advice in Ukrainian, used as a guide for timing.
The figures in the article are guidelines from the sources above; in your region and for your variety the result may differ.
