I wish to take some rose cuttings as well as camellia cuttings to my native India. There will be a gap of a week to 10 days from the time of gathering the cuttings and potting them in India so they can grow roots and be replanted after the southwest monsoon.

I would like your advice as to how to keep these cuttings alive until they are potted for rooting. Is there anything I can apply to the cuts so the sap in the cuttings will not dry up? Can I keep the cuttings in the freezer or refrigerate them in plastic, sealed airtight, so they will not dry up but will remain fresh until they are potted?

Is there anything I can apply to the cutting at the time of potting so the roots will grow and the cuttings will survive for planting at a later date?

– Mani, Sacramento

Because of the potential problem of transporting pests to a foreign country, please check with the agricultural commissioner to determine if there are any restrictions you should be aware of. The number is (916) 875-6246.

To keep your cuttings fresh on their passage to India (or any other long-distance home), place them into thoroughly saturated Oasis, the foamlike material florists use in arrangements, suggests UC master gardener Bill Pierce. They will absorb water as needed.

Most nurseries sell rooting powder that will aid in the production of roots. You should be aware that commercial nurseries have only about 50 percent success with camellia cuttings, so take several of the varieties you want. Roses are successfully rooted in the Oasis product, provided the material does not dry out; camellias may root as well. Using Oasis will allow you to take rose cuttings that are in leaf, as the moist conditions will keep the foliage of the roses from wilting.

Your camellia cuttings must be taken from hard wood, usually from the shoots that grew the previous season.

The conventional soil mix for rooting cuttings is half peat moss and half perlite. Be sure to take your cuttings as carry-on luggage; if they are in the cargo area, it could become cold enough to freeze and kill your materials.

I would like to know how to girdle table-grape vines. We have about 12 vines that are about 3 years old, and they produce a lot of foliage and very small grapes. We would like larger grapes.

I have read on the Internet that you need to thin out the bunches and maybe snip off the end of the bunch and also girdle the trunk. I have read all kinds of different things about how to grow grapes, and it seems very involved.

I would like to girdle the vines, but I don't quite understand it. I have looked online and can't find a picture of this anywhere. Would you be able to direct me to a Web site or book detailing how to girdle a grapevine?

– Inge, Galt

According to Chuck Ingels of the Sacramento County Cooperative Extension, girdling removes the inner and outer bark from around the trunk. The inner bark, or phloem, is where carbohydrates produced by photosynthesizing leaves move to other parts of the plant, including fruit and roots. This is usually done in April or May.

Removing a strip of bark prevents carbohydrates from flowing down to the root system, thus making more available for fruit growth until the girdle heals in about four weeks. Girdling can make grapes about 30 percent larger if done correctly. It is particularly effective on seedless varieties.

Here's how to girdle a grapevine:

Remove a strip of bark 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch wide down to the wood. (A double-bladed girdling knife, available at nurseries, makes the job easier.) It is essential that all the phloem tissue is removed, so press fairly hard.

Check for completeness about 20 minutes after the girdle is made. A proper girdle will have the appearance of an all-white, fibrous ring of wood (that's the xylem). Remove any brown portions of the ring; if there is even 1/8 inch of phloem tissue left, the girdle's benefits are lost. Be sure not to cut so deep as to damage the water-conducting xylem and weaken the vine. With a proper cut, the ring should just pop off.

To learn more, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope to EHN 30, UC Cooperative Extension, 4145 Branch Center Drive, Sacramento, CA 95827. This publication includes illustrations that may help explain the process.

The Master Gardeners hold workshops during the year on a variety of horticulture issues, including grapes, Pierce says. These are held at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center. The schedule for 2010 will be available at http://cesacramento.ucdavis.edu in early December.