How long will cuttings keep?

[DBJohnson]

I hadn't really thought about this until recently. Last summer, generous forum member sent me a package of dormant cuttings in July. These were from the previous season and since I was a newbie, it gave me something to play around with. Some were starting to bud out after the trip through the postal system, so I chose to root those and put the rest away in the fridge. I had a pretty good success rate considering I had never done this before and most of the ones I lost were because I loved them far too much (at the time, "love" = "water"...lesson learned).

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago when I was getting ready to start my cuttings. I pulled all the packages out of the fridge crisper and find the package of cutting sent back in July. No mold, most looked in good shape. After soaking them, most showed green when scored. As of this morning, Maltese Falcon (which was a bit withered/dehydrated when I took it from the fridge), Green Ischia, and Carini are swelling buds. (Methods: Maltese Falcon is 3-cupped, Green Iscia and Carini are both direct potted.)

So thus the question: How long will a cutting last before it is no longer viable assuming proper storage?

[Kelby]

Plenty of people have said a year as long as they are kept well and don't mold. Wouldn't be surprised if they can last longer!

[WillsC]

If you vacuum seal them they will last a lot longer.

[efletche]

I vacuum sealed my cuttings but after a few weeks, the packages were no longer tightly sealed. They all had air/gas pockets inside them so the cuttings were now loose in the package. Is this normal for cuttings or possibly a chemical reaction due to the cuttings being freshly cut?

[Iowafig]

My vac sealed and waxed cuttings did the same. Just recently opened them and cut the bottom waxed ends off and stuck in water. Noticed a stream of bubbles coming from some of the cutting for quite a while.