Thicker cuttings can be hard to handle and thinner wood may not be mature, though thinner wood may be acceptable if the variety has naturally small shoots. Avoid wood that is soft and spongy and has a large pith. Best wood is dense and light green inside with relatively small pith. B. Good cutting, having at least 3 nodes. C. Fair cutting, having only 2 nodes, though suitable if cutting is otherwise healthy.
Some growers make the diagonal cut on the bottom.
Either way works. A. Cross-section of poor cutting showing large, spongy pith, flattened cane, and poorly matured, yellowish wood. Rooting occurs best at the nodes, hence the advantage in having several nodes per cutting. Try to observe the vine in bearing to be sure it is healthy - some virus diseases can reduce crop, allowing the vine to grow more, so it looks big and vigorous when dormant, but is unfruitful. Vines grown from cuttings of a virus-infected vine will also have the virus.