First, a huge thank you for organizing such an amazing event. I have gone to the exchange the last 4 or 5 years and have 30+ different apple varieties either planted or ready to plant (That does not include the 30 grafts I did this year )

I also checked out the Home Orchard Society Aboretum today and even in the cold March rain, the caretaker, (Monica I think?) was very helpful in answering my questions and giving me ideas on how to space my developing orchard.

My question...
I picked up some grape cuttings from the scion exchange. This year, I was very careful to make note of the orientation of the cuttings. Last year I had no idea which end was up so I ended up cutting each vine in half and planting one up and the other down, figuring that at least half had a chance.

This year when I looked at the varieties i picked out, they seem to be straight cut along he bottom and slanted cut along the top.

My father was with me this year and he also picked up some cuttings. He was less careful about which way was up. (I forgot to remind him). I now have his Venus, Vanessa, and Interlaken which he would like me to root for him. In this area, is flat cut on bottom and slanted on top the "normal way" or do some do it opposite? I researched online and found proponents for each method.

Or

Is there some way with careful observation that one can tell which end is up on grape vines?

Thank you!

For traditional orientation the buds go above the leaf scar. http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Article ... tting.html (scroll down and see the diagram on the left for what to look for).

Alternatively, Plumfan recommends orienting the cutting horizontally shallowly below the surface.

Don't go by flat or slanted cuts unless you did the cuts yourself and you knew what you were doing and trust yourself.

yes, each bud can be turned into a seperate plant if you are crazy enough!

The bottom bud of those HOS grapes at the exchange could use a week of 1 inch cold water soak. They were pretty dry, but not inviable.

I have one cultivar that will root about 1 per 40 cuttings, simply cut from the mother plant and put into dirt.
Same cuttings, soaked for a month or two during winter (bottom knuckle only) yields 40 rooted plants. That is what a difference soaking can make.

Sideways planting works very well for figs as well. Sometimes a 10 inch cutting under an inch of soil will yeild two trees. Warmth and moisture are the main controlling factors.

Thank you very much for the advice.
Plumfan, I will continue to soak them a bit longer, and that diagram from desert-tropicals was just what I was looking for jafarj.
What a great forum!

Thanks!