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From The Grapevine

Grow Yourself a Grapevine!

Gardening Tips from Mike McGroarty’s Gardening Newsletter

Most grapes are really easy to propagate, and middle of the winter is an ideal to do it.

1. Cut some vines from the parent plant. You can cut these vines as long as you want, I’ve worked with vines 12′ long.

2. Cut the vines into cuttings. Start at the thick end of the vine. (the bottom or butt end). Notice the bumps on the vine. Those are bud unions, and on grapes they can be as far apart as 6 inches. Make a cut right below, but not into a bud union. Then skip a bud union, then make a cut right above the next bud union. The second cut can be as much as one inch above the top bud union. Each cutting should have three buds. Top, bottom and middle.

3. Remove any side branches (curly cues) from your cutting.

4. Take your finished cuttings out to the garden, dig a trench about 8 inches deep and place your cuttings in the trench, leaving the top bud sticking out of the ground about 2″. Pack loose soil around your cuttings.

5. That’s it you’re done! If you have some rooting compound for hardwood cuttings you can dip the cuttings in rooting compound before placing them in the trench, but you really don’t need it. They’ll root without it.

6. Water them as needed when it’s dry, but don’t keep them soaking wet.

7. Some grapes are typically grafted, but you can still try rooting them this way, it might work. Concord, Niagara and Catawba for sure can be rooted this way.

A signed copy of Mike’s book makes an excellent Christmas gift!
http://www.freeplants.com/easy-plant-propagation.htm

grape vines gardening tips mike mcGroarty

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