Grape Vine Question

Discussion in 'Grapes and Grape Vines' started by Melissa, Mar 6, 2005.

  1. Melissa

    Melissa Member

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    Location:
    southwestern virginia,usa
    Hello there, last year I placed a few tendrels of grape vine from an old established vine into a pot to see if I could get a viable start as the old vine is destroying the house and needs to be removed. Well,it looks as though they may actually live. All of that for these questions... When Do I cut the starts off of the parent plant? Will they bleed out? Any ideas? Your help and suggestions would be most graciously received!
     
  2. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    Melissa, do you mean you did cuttings form the old vine or layered the growing shoots? It sounds like you layered, but I wanted to be sure. Layering is like the natural process where the vine will root where it comes into contact with the ground, while in rooting a cutting you cut a piece off and stick it into the ground (or a pot, etc).
    The possible problems of cuting off a rooting layered start is that it will be still getting nutrients from the main plant, and when you cut that off, the foliage beyond the roots will have to rely on the new roots only. It is usually a good idea to cut the start back to just a few leaves (3-5).
    If you are past your last frost, then from now to June would be good timing. Take as much dirt with it as you can manage to minimize root disturbance. By the way, now would also be a good time to take and root some cuttings (insurance).

    Now, having said all that as if I knew what I was talking about, I've never layered a grape, so anybody else out there: don't be shy about amplifying or correcting my comments. Experience counts more than book learnin' IMHO.
    Ralph
     
  3. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Hi Melissa,

    Ralph did a great job! Just a few things here for some background. Since you live in SW Virginia, your hardiness zone is probably 5 or 6. You might even be on the edge of 7 if you are east enough. Knowing this will help with your last expected frost date. Here's a zip code zone finder.
    http://www.garden.org/zipzone/

    Since you are in Virginia, you are fortunate to have a good extension service. I found this on grapes, recommending that the vines be planted 3 or 4 weeks before the last expected frost. From this page about growing grapes in Va. Lots more info here.
    http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-840/426-840.html#3

    "Planting. Grape vines are usually set in early spring, about three or four weeks before the average date of the last frost. Vigorous, 1-year-old plants are preferred. Allow plenty of room between plants, at least 8 feet for the American bunch varieties and 10 feet or more for the vigorous-growing muscadine type. Trim the roots to about 6 inches in length to encourage formation of feeder roots near the trunk. Where the vines are to be set, dig the holes large enough so the roots can be spread without crowding and the plants can be set at about the same depth they grew in the nursery. Prune to a single cane, and head it back to two buds."

    Also read the 'Monthly Tips'.
    http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/getcat?cat=ir-fv-frh-gt

    Lots of helpful info here from your extension service.
    http://www.ext.vt.edu/resources/

    To find your last expected frost date you can contact your local office.
    http://www.ext.vt.edu/

    or look here and find a hardiness zone or city near you. Maybe Parkersberg, WV if you are zone 6.
    http://www.almanac.com/garden/frostus.php

    As far as cutting your starts off the parent plant, I'd say to do this when they should be set out. Give them a couple of weeks to harden off the cut ends. Layering is usually done in summer and the new starts are severed in the fall.

    Hope this helps,
    Newt
     
  4. mumabear

    mumabear Member

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    Help I Am Hopeless

    Hi Mellisa, Newt.

    I Read All Of Your Tips On Grape Vines, But I Still Do Not Know How To
    Transplant My Huge Mother Vine. Every Other Vine As Well As The Mother, Produces Big Sweet Blue And Green Grapes. I Do Not Want To Lose This, But We Have Moved And I Would Like To Dig It Up And Bring It With Me. Please Don't All Yell Noooooooo All At Once. I Am Good At Keeping It Alive, Water, And Berry Fertilizer Etc. But Now I Am Faced With Leaving It In My Old Yard Or Carting It Down To My New House. Right Now It Is Growing Madly Behind A Backdrop Of 3 Apple Trees. I Have Also Trained The Vines To Growing Up And Over A Canopy I Made. They All Hang Down So Nice There, Anyway, They Are In The Shade There, And There Is Full Hot Sun Where I Want To Put The Mother Plant.

    Please Help If You Can With My Dilema. I Live In The Interior Of British Columbia.

    Thanks For Your Time In Advance


    Jan
     
  5. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
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    Hi Jan,

    The bad news is that from what I'm reading, old vines don't transplant well and are just about impossible to dig up. I would say to take cuttings - several for safety's sake, and go from there. In my search for your answer I also found this site about cuttings.
    http://www.tandjenterprises.com/growing_grapes_from_cuttings.htm

    From this site about 1/3 down the page:
    http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/hortiscope/fruitveg/grpevine.htm

    "Q: I'm not a plant expert, but want to do a favor for my in laws. They want to move a 30-year-old grapevine so they can take it with them this fall. Is there a way to transplant it or part of it from rootstock? Should they use cuttings and try to root them? (E-mail reference)

    A: You would need dynamite to get it out of the ground so save your back and take cuttings. They root easily and your in laws can then have several plants to harvest. Perhaps they will share the bounty with you, their favorite son in law!"

    Wish I could offer more! Good luck in your new home.
    Newt
     
  6. Hi:
    My name is Eric. This morning I trimmed my grape vine. After I made the cut, a type of clear liquid started to come out from the cut. Until this moment, it's still doing so. My question is: will it die from bleeding? how do I stop it from bleeding?
    Thank you.
    Eric
     
  7. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Location:
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    Hi Eric,

    You aren't registered so I don't know if you'll get this message, but from this site:
    http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06090.htm

    "Grapes should be pruned during the dormant season, late November to March. Since winter injury of fruiting canes will occur to some extent, late winter pruning generally is preferred. If pruning is delayed until near bud swell, the cuts commonly ooze sap abundantly. Though not desirable, "bleeding" seems to be of minor importance."

    Newt
     
  8. kgblack

    kgblack Member

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    I have several different varieties of grape vines planted in a straight line. All of them seem to be doing very well except for this one spot where i planted muscadine vines. Both times i tried a new vine there, it seems to have died. I dug the current one up and there are still roots but am not sure it is still alive. While digging it up, I noticed ants boiling out of the hole. Could the ants be causing the problem with this area since the other 7 areas are doing fine?

    Thanks,
    kgblack
     
  9. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    Hi KG,

    I want to say that yes, the ants could be the cause of the problem. I had a large clump of daffodils that bloomed beautifully for about 3 years. Then a colony of ants moved in and the daffs quickly began to decline in their bloom. This lasted for about 3 years. Then suddenly last year the ants disappeared. This year the daffs bloomed much more abundently.

    Newt
     
  10. kgblack

    kgblack Member

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    Newt,

    Thank you for your reply and help, I have put the vines that I dug up in a bucket of water not knowing if they are still alive or not. Should I treat the area for the ants before i replace any vines in that spot, or go ahead and replant them?

    Thanks
    kgblack
     
  11. Newt

    Newt Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    KG, you are very welcome! I'm not one to just kill insects for no reason, but I'd say that you will need to get rid of the ants before you plant.

    Newt
     
  12. kgblack

    kgblack Member

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    Newt,

    Thanks again for the advise...will let you know the progress..if any..lol..

    kgblack
     
  13. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
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    In a rural setting, ants and other beasts large and small will always be there to cooperate and sometimes compete with us. My "policy" is they can have the woods, but not the house or the garden, at least not completely. Ants can be particularly destructive to structures and plants, mostly IMHO because of their high concentrations in nesting areas.

    I think it's important to lessen our frustration potential by entering any conflict with the sure knowledge that we will not ever "win", but sometimes we can tip the scales a bit or even a lot in our favor, and if we know that say one in five plants will fail, then plant six. If it's four out of five, then it's time for a change in strategy.

    Ants have particular preferrences, on our farm if I dig up a nest, I often find a large chunk of old root that they will have selected as a home, so when I dig, I look for such an inviting object and remove it as well.

    Good luck, Ralph
     

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