Grapes, small ones not you lot

**esrikandan** · 16-02-2008, 10:02 AM

I've done a little experimenting with Vine cuttings this year. So far it seems quite easy. I've taken a decent piece (between 45 and 60 cms) of dormant growth, somewhere between the thickness of a pencil and 2 cms think. I then leave the bottom end in some water, and after 2 or 3 weeks it starts to form callus and then roots. After a further week or 2, the buds will break (mine are indoors in a warm room).

Rooting powder had little or no effect, although I had some success with cuttings wrapped in wet paper and wrapped in a big in the airing cupboard.

Hope this helps!

P.S. I don't know about when you plant it in the ground. I'm guessing once the weather is warm enough and the cutting has some decent growth.

**bobleponge** · 16-02-2008, 10:18 AM

Thanks for the reply Esrikandan. I wonder if I take the course of action you have tried, and all goes well, will it be substantial enough to go into the ground this year or will I have to wait another year?

**esrikandan** · 16-02-2008, 10:34 AM

From what I understand, vines are pretty robust - when I was researching this, people have been known to just stick the cuttings in the ground and leave them to it.

I have even tried (successfully) to get a cutting from last years pruning to root. If I recall what some of the vines look like in the garden centers, there can be very thin and spindly, so I think this way has no reason not be decent.

My ones will be going into the ground in spring, once the temps are bit more reasonable and the exisitng vine springs into life.

Cheers,

Eric

**smallblueplanet** · 16-02-2008, 10:52 AM

Originally posted by bobleponge

...I have a vine on a south facing wall of my house which produces loads of grapes every year.
I am in the process of putting up a greenhouse and would like to take a cutting from this vine, and train it up from outside to inside my greenhouse...

I'm only being nosey, but why do you want to grow a vine inside your greenhouse?

**bobleponge** · 16-02-2008, 11:29 AM

SBP,
The boss has told me that rather than stay in our finished house with dozens of different fruiting trees and a veg plot thats now coming to how I would like it to be, we would in fact like to move to another house that needs loads doing to it, with precious few trees and no veg plot at all.
She is the boss, ergo move we shall. However one benefit for me of said move is that I will have an acre garden all to myself to do with as I wish. Thus I am in the process of taking as many cuttings as I can from all our trees and soft fruits and getting them up and running. (The moving process here could take well over a year) and the best start for grapes (I reckon) will be in the greenhouse.
If we do move then, once its established, it will again go onto a south facing wall. If not, then I shall try and keep it manageable in the greenhouse, or buy a second one for veg and try a tropical fruit greenhouse with all the free horse manure I get.

**bluemoon** · 16-02-2008, 12:05 PM

I'd be a little wary about transporting cuttings from one site to another as the original vine could well be diseased - many don't show any initial symptoms - so I'd be tempted to simply buy new guaranteed disease free stock. A virus, for example, which has had little ill effect on the parent vine could easily romp away on a younger cutting, especially if that cutting is to be kept under glass. I'm not saying don't do it, but it's something to think about.

**bobleponge** · 16-02-2008, 01:25 PM

Hmmm
Bluemoon, I have so far taken cuttings for black,red and white currants, gooseberries, comfrey, rhubarb and my kiwi tree, preparing for our move.
Would you not take anything and just buy new and start again?

**esrikandan** · 16-02-2008, 01:51 PM

I'd say there's nothing lost in taking stuff - if they're no good you can always get new later. At least you've tried.

**wayne** · 22-02-2008, 11:27 AM

i'v had a vine in my greenhouse for five years, i take cuttings from a vigarous part of the plant about 10 inches long when its growing fast ( about may i reckon) and then simply take off a few leaves and then stick it into the ground in the greenhouse and water with 100% success.
hey smallblueplanet, i find my grapes are much earlier, larger and sweeter than the ones outside the greenhouse and more productive
hope this helps
oh almost forgot if you can plant the roots of the vine outside the greenhouse and then the vine entering into greenhouse this really does help.

**SueA** · 22-02-2008, 01:47 PM

If you're going to take a cutting do it now before the sap starts to rise or the vine will bleed. I've taken cuttings that are pencil thick & about 8 ins long in the past & just shoved then in a pot to root. They root fairly quickly but I'd keep it in a pot for about a year.

**Snadger** · 22-02-2008, 09:06 PM

I took five softwood cuttings off a friends vine last year and all five rooted!

I just dibbled them into a six inch pot of coir based potting compost, no rooting hormone, and put a polythene bag over the top to conserve moisture, with an elastic band around the top of the pot.

They had very gentle heat at the bottom from a very basic paraffin heater.

I have kept two and the others I gave away.

**BarleySugar** · 23-02-2008, 03:00 AM

I had a vine 10 years ago, and took cuttings when I moved, just sticking pencil thick prunings into a pot over the winter. I established new vines in two more gardens, before finally moving here 3 and a half years ago.The new cutting managed 3 bunches of grapes last year, so there doesn't seem to be any disease problems carrying through so far.
Ann

**jimd** · 23-02-2008, 07:39 AM

I've just bought 2 small grape vines, about 5" tall, and wish to plant them at a south facing wall, any tips before they go in the ground regards soil preperation, feeding, etc? Thanks.

**wayne** · 25-02-2008, 01:37 PM

just something to consider...

hi jim, im not really a pro vine grower but i do know they dont like acidic soil and not really sure about the exact ph? also they love to spread there roots iv read upto 10 meters long, thats why the roots on the vine i got in the greenhouse are set outside with the vine coming in underneath.do you know what type of grape you got?

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