Starting grape vines from cuttings is a great way to preserve old varieties of grapes and is simple with the right tools. This spring I wanted to get some grape vines started for The Living Farm Café. They use my concord grapes for their “made from scratch” jams and juices. It was time for the Café to have their own grapes so I could enjoy mine! Watch the training video below to find out how easy starting grape vines from cuttings can be!
Starting Grape Vines from Cuttings
The best time for starting grape vines from cuttings is in the spring of the year. The later in the season you start your cuttings the less likely you will be to achieve rooting. From a healthy grape vine that preferably has it’s original root stock go along the top and select a healthy new vine. You will be able to tell it is new growth because the wood will be reddish compared with the old growth that is gray. Make your cut straight with the plant, this will be important to do so you can know which side points up! If you plant your cuttings upside down they will not root.
On your branch there will be small nodes. Every 3 nodes cut at an angle (this way you know which side should be planted in the soil)! Before you make your next cutting make sure to square the cut at the bottom and repeat. Once you have your cuttings soak them, planting side down, in a bucket of water for 12-24 hours. The process of soaking boosts your rooting rate from 20-30% to 80-90%.
Once your cuttings have soaked plant them, flat end down, into a good potting soil mix. You can get the secret family recipe in our Starting Seedlings training video. Now a cutting needs 75-80 degrees F so that the end the roots will grow from can callous. This callousing process takes 2-3 weeks and requires a constant level of heat. On top of your fridge or a heat pad will work for keeping your cuttings warm! By the end of this time period your cutting will begin to root and leaves will come out of the nodes.
Allow for 4 more weeks so the roots can ball in the pot. Then your pot will be ready to be planted out! Be extremely careful about freezing your new grape vines. They are highly susceptible at this age.
Starting grape vines from cuttings can be highly rewarding. Enjoying those grape jellies and juice can be one of the best harvests you will make in your garden. Ask one of your grape growing friends if you can take some cuttings in the spring and experiment! I cannot wait to hear about how it goes for you.
Do you know anyone who is struggling with their garden? Invite them to this free High Performance Garden Community. My mission is to teach the gardening skills so that anyone can have a high performance garden in their backyard. Today is the day to begin to garden in a easy, fun, productive and always organic garden. Will you help someone else to have the garden of their dreams?
I look forward to seeing you in the next high performance garden training video. Until then, may your garden be easy, fun, productive and always organic!
Lynn Gillespie
Email me any questions you have about grape cuttings or planting any unique plant. Increasing the variety and quantity of your harvest is my mission.
hydroponics
Cut a long shoot from from a healthy, dormant vine before new growth emerges in late winter or early spring.
In this way, they can select healthy vines for making cuttings, also saving them money.
Early in the year I took a cutting from my outdoor grapevine to put in the greenhouse. It’s grown vigorously, now over 8 feet long and with fantastic foliage but not one single grape! What did I do wrong? Regards.
It could be the that the vine you chose was too old. Or it could be that you need to wait till next year for production.
Very good
I took a Concord grape cutting and put it in water, it now has a 2 inch root. Do I plant it in a small pot of dirt now and keep it growing until Spring? How big does it have to be before I put it in the garden?
Yes, plant it in a small pot of dirt for now. It will become dormant when you put it outside over the winter but make sure it doesn’t dry out or it will die. You can plant it once it in the ground once it is a foot long.
I accidentally cut a dried shoot that has new growth foliage. I has 1 node, I trimmed it to the node and it has a small hole in the shoot. I have it in water now. Should I trim the lower leaves to give it more of a chance to grow roots??
My husband accidentally cut my grapevine when he was cutting out the Indian Hawthorne bushes that froze in the big freeze here in Texas about 3 weeks ago. I managed to save a couple of the vines and have had them in water. I am encouraged by seeing new growth, however l have not seen evidence of roots yet. I ha e them outside since it is warm enough for them. Should l go ahead and put the cuttings into soil or leave them in the water. I put in fresh water daily so it doesn’t become stagnant. I appreciate any tips or advice you can give me. The grapevine itself is only 2 years old and hasn’t produced yet. I was hoping it would this year – but the accident changed that. Thank you for any help!
You want to wait until you see roots before planting.