Cuttings for new plants

In order to genetically create an identical grapevine plant from a vineyard a person doesn't use seeds. Seeds will be pollinated with maybe a different clones or different grapevine varieties. So we use pruning cuttings from a grapevine to make an identical plant. I was helping a new vineyard owner named Vicki Prugh and her vineyard named Racho Caliente (Hot Ranch) is located in Sutter Creek, CA.. She has Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Petit Sirah, Primitivo, Mourvedre, and Barbera planted. Her vineyard is on second leaf and has about 300 vines. She is head training the vines and I have created various diagrams to assist her in the pruning and training of head trained vines. She will either use a goblet training or with a little trimming, free hanging head trained vines. Here is picture of Vicki's with the tallest vine and picture of a Sangiovese vine:






Anyway, in return for my help, Vicki sent me cuttings of Zinfandel and Sangiovese. Both of these varieties I don't grow here in KC area since they are a little winter tender. I would love to do the Italian thing and plant Sangiovese or Nebbiolo vines. However, most people think I am crazy for Cab Franc, Malbec, Mourvedre etc.

So when you want to get a cutting to root, you first take a cutting from your pruning pile that is about a pencil in diameter as you can see here:



As you notice this length is a little longer than a pruner and has about 6-8 buds on it. You then cut on a slight angle just below a bud and it should look nice and green. As you see here:


Next you take the freshly cut end and dip it into a rooting hormone. You can buy this at many nurseries or places that sell plants and trees. This will assist in the cutting to throw out roots or begin to callus on the end.



Next, put the end with the hormone powder on it in the ground about 3 to 4 inches. In about 3-5 weeks the cutting will callus and put out a root. Some of the buds sticking out of the ground will throw a shoot and then you can transplant to a spot in the vineyard or your garden. I have many cutting going from what Vicki sent me and I will give you a progress report in a month.