Growing Grapes in WV - West Virginia Department of Agriculture

Hardwood CuttingsHardwood cuttings are themost common method of propagation.Cuttings can be made atany time after leaf drop in the falluntil the sap starts to flow in thespring. If the cuttings are preparedin fall or early winter, there is abetter chance of obtaining goodcallus formation that is critical torapid root formation in the spring.However, good results are sometimesobtained by making cuttingsa week or two before the sap risesin the spring and setting them outimmediately.Straight, vigorous, wellmatured,one-year-old canes withwell-developed buds should bechosen for cuttings. The best cuttingsare made from canes aboutpencil-size or slightly larger withfour buds 2-3 inches apart. Thismakes an ideal completed cutting8 or 12 inches long.In making the cuttings, aslanting cut should be madejust below the lowest bud, and astraight cut should be made aboutone inch above the top bud sothat the top can be easily identifiedand the bud will not dry out.Rooting takes place more readilynear buds than on other parts ofthe cane. Usually about 50 percentof the cutting will root so takemore than are required.The completed cuttingsshould be grouped according tolength and tied in bundles of 50with the butt ends together. A fungicidedip is not essential but maybe used to prevent mold during-5-storage. They should be clearlylabeled, buried in trenches in awell-drained spot, butt ends up,and covered with 3 to 6 inches ofsoil. Inverting the cuttings inducescallusing of the butt end whilethe top remains dormant. Afterthe ground freezes, a coveringof straw or manure will preventalternate freezing and thawingwith changes in temperature. Thecovering should be removed assoon as the weather warms inthe spring.As soon as the ground hasbecome warm in the spring andthere is no danger of frost, thesoil should be prepared carefullyto a depth of 8-12 inchesand the cuttings set about 5-6inches apart in the row and deepenough so that only the top budprotrudes above ground. Thesoil should then be firmed wellaround the cutting. Weeds shouldbe controlled by hand, with herbicideor black plastic. Irrigationis useful and required in mostyears. If plastic is used, preparethe soil in ridges, cover with plasticand plant the cuttings throughthe plastic. Rooted cuttings canbe dug in the fall, graded andstored either by setting the rootsin a trench in well drained soil orstoring under moist conditions ato34 F.Layering &GraftingLayering and graftingare sometimes used in grapepropagation. Layering is usedfor certain varieties that do notroot readily from cuttings and