Some of the branches from our concord grape broke off in the wind. They are woody. Can we use them to propagate grapes? -Ana http://www.gardennut.com
The short answer is maybe. Dormant cuttings are most ususlly started, though green cuttings can also be used. You are probably somewhere in the middle, a bit late for dormant, a bit early for green, and the techniques used are different for each. I suggest trying it as a dormant cutting: cut about 1/2" below the bottom bud and cut off that bud. Three buds per cuttung on a 15 - 18" cane is usual. Put it in a 50:50 peat:perlite mix 6 - 8" deep and give it bottom heat if you can. Ideally the bottom will be warm (26C) and the top cool (10-15C) to help the rooting take hold before the top growth out-runs it and overloads the root's ability to take up moisture (and later nutrients). The issues are actually very similar in green cutting starts, they are often tented with plastic to raise the humidity for the foliage. Misting also helps. Keep the soil mix damp: if you stick in a finger, bits of the mix should stick. My personal test is when I squeeze the mix, I can hear it squishing but I really have to squint and even stick my tongue out to make it drip. Rooting hormone either works or doesn't work on grapes, depending on who you ask. Ralph
