Cuttings
Propagate cuttings in the Winter for planting in the Spring.
When possible, I purchase bare root grape vines for early spring planting. This is the easiest way to go. However, some varieties are not available as bare root vines and only available as cuttings. These purchased cuttings must first be "rooted" before they can be planted. If you plant these rooted cuttings, a year later they are equivalent to "bare root" vines.
If there is no licensing on the vine, you can also propagate your own vines by this method. Cuttings are canes cut to four buds. Cut them in January after they have been exposed to a few freezes and begin rooting them so they are ready for Spring planting.
Grape vines are always propagated with cuttings (called "cloning").
If you propagate by seeds, the plant will significantly differ from the parents in random ways and will not be the same cultivar (variety). In fact, new varieties are obtained by selecting parents, pollinating, getting their seeds, then planting thousand of seeds and hoping for one good new variety.
Traditionally, cuttings are "rooted" (made to grow roots) by first "callusing" the cuttings by keeping them covered with moist paper towels over a seedling heating pad until a white "callus" forms on the buds of the cane. Then these canes are planted in a mix of Perlite, peat moss and potting soil to grow, then later transplanted into the ground or into a growing pot.
There are hydroponic methods that are used to clone plants. The plant is suspended in air and hit with a shower of water - 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. With the suggestions by a friend, I have adapted this to work with grape cuttings to start their root development. See the photos below. This method yields fast, vigorous, and healthy growth and is a good alternative to the traditional method, often giving much better results.
All parts shown below can be purchased inexpensively at your local hydroponics shop and they can help you get started.
When possible, I purchase bare root grape vines for early spring planting. This is the easiest way to go. However, some varieties are not available as bare root vines and only available as cuttings. These purchased cuttings must first be "rooted" before they can be planted. If you plant these rooted cuttings, a year later they are equivalent to "bare root" vines.
If there is no licensing on the vine, you can also propagate your own vines by this method. Cuttings are canes cut to four buds. Cut them in January after they have been exposed to a few freezes and begin rooting them so they are ready for Spring planting.
Grape vines are always propagated with cuttings (called "cloning").
If you propagate by seeds, the plant will significantly differ from the parents in random ways and will not be the same cultivar (variety). In fact, new varieties are obtained by selecting parents, pollinating, getting their seeds, then planting thousand of seeds and hoping for one good new variety.
Traditionally, cuttings are "rooted" (made to grow roots) by first "callusing" the cuttings by keeping them covered with moist paper towels over a seedling heating pad until a white "callus" forms on the buds of the cane. Then these canes are planted in a mix of Perlite, peat moss and potting soil to grow, then later transplanted into the ground or into a growing pot.
There are hydroponic methods that are used to clone plants. The plant is suspended in air and hit with a shower of water - 15 minutes on and 15 minutes off. With the suggestions by a friend, I have adapted this to work with grape cuttings to start their root development. See the photos below. This method yields fast, vigorous, and healthy growth and is a good alternative to the traditional method, often giving much better results.
All parts shown below can be purchased inexpensively at your local hydroponics shop and they can help you get started.
|
This is what it looks like with the cutting in the buckets.
|
|
Here is a 5 gallon bucket with water pump and shower heads to spray the cuttings.
|
Here is the result of a cutting sitting in the water spray for 4 weeks. Note the vigorous root and upper growth.
|
|
|
This is what the cuttings look like after 4 weeks when rooted hydroponically. These are ready to be transferred into pots or directly into the ground.
|
|
|
Note how much better the cuttings on the left are (done hydroponically) compared with those above (done traditionally). Both are 4 weeks old. The difference is striking.
Air Layering Propagation
Another method of propagation is Air Layering in the Spring or Summer. This is done with a cane while it is still attached to the main trunk. Basically, you cover part of this cane with soil or Sphagnum moss and allow it to root - which takes about one month, then you transplant it. This method allows you to root quickly and transplant all in the same season.
In this plastic bag method, you wrap some plastic material filled with Sphagnum moss or soil around a growing cane, then a month later, once roots have grown, cut it off and transplant it.
Here is a video by Agribuzz on YouTube and here is a link to an article on Instructables.
I have tried this method and it works well.
|
Here is another method of Air Layering. These photos are from our site. Place one green cane in a fabric planter partially filled with soil, then cover this cane section with soil, let it sit for a month for the roots to form, then transplant to your desired location.
This method also works. |
Green Cuttings
With this method, you cut some growing canes off in the Spring or Summer, let the leaves stay in place, and get them to root. It is important to keep the leaves covered so they do not dry out. This method also allows you to root and plant all in the same season.
|
This method works, but takes too long to root, then it is too late to transplant before Fall.
The Air Layering method is faster since it utilizes a strong growing cane that is already supported by a root structure while it is forming new roots for the transplant.. |
|
This method uses green cuttings placed in coconut coir inside plastic buckets and covered with a lid to prevent dehydration. I have not tried this, but the author shows they root within a few weeks and can be transplanted in the same season. Here is his YouTube video.
|
|
In this jar method, I placed some green cuttings in water, with weak nutrient added, placed a large plastic bag over the cuttings so they would not dehydrate, and placed it under a grow light. Withing 2 months one of the 3 cuttings rooted. I transplanted it into a pot with soil and within 2 months had a very healthy vine for transplanted the following year.
Had I transplanted the rooted cane directly outside in mid-August, it may have survived but that would be a possible test for the future. Mid-August may perhaps be too late to form a root structure that would survive the Winter. |
Conclusions
Dormant bare root vines would be the first choice, if available, for the cultivar of interest.
Potted plants would be next, if available.
Rooting from dormant canes is sometimes your only option if a cultivar you want to acquire is available in no other form. The hydroponic method of rooting seems to work better than the traditional method. Be aware though that some cultivars root very easily from dormant canes, while others do not.
If you wish to propagate vines you already have, first make sure they are not licensed. When you purchased it and were required to sign a licensing form that means they are licensed and you cannot propagate them. Make sure you respect this so those involve in developing this cultivar get compensated for all the work they did. This will encourage others to do the work to create other new cultivars with better qualities than are presently available.
If the particular vine is older and no longer licensed, you can then propagate them yourself if you want to. If the vine you want to propagate is available as a dormant bare root vine from a supplier, you may still want to buy from them to save yourself the time it takes to propagate them yourself. We are all short on time and bare root vines are not that expensive vs the cost of your time.
If you decide for whatever reasons you would like to propagate them yourself, the air layering method appears to be the fastest and most dependable method. Though that bucket method from green cuttings seems promising - I will have to try it.
Potted plants would be next, if available.
Rooting from dormant canes is sometimes your only option if a cultivar you want to acquire is available in no other form. The hydroponic method of rooting seems to work better than the traditional method. Be aware though that some cultivars root very easily from dormant canes, while others do not.
If you wish to propagate vines you already have, first make sure they are not licensed. When you purchased it and were required to sign a licensing form that means they are licensed and you cannot propagate them. Make sure you respect this so those involve in developing this cultivar get compensated for all the work they did. This will encourage others to do the work to create other new cultivars with better qualities than are presently available.
If the particular vine is older and no longer licensed, you can then propagate them yourself if you want to. If the vine you want to propagate is available as a dormant bare root vine from a supplier, you may still want to buy from them to save yourself the time it takes to propagate them yourself. We are all short on time and bare root vines are not that expensive vs the cost of your time.
If you decide for whatever reasons you would like to propagate them yourself, the air layering method appears to be the fastest and most dependable method. Though that bucket method from green cuttings seems promising - I will have to try it.