Grow Yourself a Grapevine!

Here is another great how-to article from my good friend Mike McGroarty on grapevines.
Grow Yourself a Grapevine!

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.


(more personal stuff about Mike and Pam)
www.freeplants.com/stuff.htm
Have a great week!
-Mike McGroarty

P.S. The message board is here:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/519353/