Hi.
I followed one of Ron's recommended procedures for starting grapes from cuttings - had them inverted in sand over the winter, hydrated about 10 days ago, placed in perlite/moss medium w/ bottom heat. It doesn't look like the cuttings have calloused yet, but the buds have already broken on most of them. Should I:
1) pinch off all the top growth to conserve rooting energy, or
2) move them to pots w/ potting soil & hope for the best, or
3) something else?
Thanks.
I would probably opt for 2) move them to pots w/ potting soil & hope for the best. Put one node above soil line and the rest of the nodes under ground. You can insert your cuttings at an angle to have shallower pan/pot of soil. Keep them out of direct sunlight if outside, I put potted cuttings under the shade of a bench so they get a lot of air and reflected/indirect light. If the cuttings start to leaf out and grow vines it is a good indication you have roots forming.
My grapes always get leaves before they get roots. I just leave the leaves alone and the plant grows roots just fine.
I wait until there are roots and then carefully dig them up and pot them. But I have also started them initially in gallon pots and let them root there. Both ways work fine.
I've never had great luck rooting cuttings and even I can root grape cuttings and get 100% to root. Grapes have got to be the easiest plants in the world to grow from cuttings.