Hi all, I randomly received a number of grape vine cuttings, allegedly black cotton candy grapes? I know nothing about them except that I have them and so far they look healthy.
Don’t mind the scribbles, I’m too aware of google maps hunting and figure I don’t want my neighborhood ID’d
Anyway, they don’t have roots yet, but my source informed me that I just needed to keep them in deep water, and/or put them in deep soil, exposing only two or three upper buds. Then water in the morning and evening, and keep them in part sun part shade since they’re still tender.
I feel like I’m missing information. Do I wait for roots to form in the water? Do I just trust they’ll root in soil? Do I need anything extra? In fact, what am I even doing??? All advice accepted!
Keep in mind: These might not work given the buds have already started opening but it’s worth trying.
I have not used water, I tend to not watch them close enough and the cuttings grow slime… and then sometimes rot.
Each of the “knuckles” are what is called a node and you want one or two of those in soil, I usually trim just below a node so there’s not too much bare stem below the bottom node. You also likely want to keep them in shade and somewhat moist for a while, especially given they’re not fully dormant.
Not all grapes will root in water. You should also keep the rooting zone dark. Grape cuttings are normally callused for ~3 weeks while fully dormant in a dark warm area and then stuck in soil to root. If they do root in water, you want to move them into soil while the roots are just emerging and keep a humidity dome over them and gradually let in drier air as they harden off. Going straight from water to soil really shocks them and they will likely die without extra care.
Once you get them rooted (and I also have used water as well as in-soil rooting with rooting hormones), nurse them through their first winter or two. That, for me, has been the bigger hurdle, although it may reflect more differences in hardiness of different varieties than anything else.
I have used dormant cuttings planted directly into a pot of soil in February and allowed the pot to remain outdoors till they wake up naturally in April. I’ve never tried cuttings that close to waking up. I would probably burry all or all but one of the buds and try to root in a place that is warm, dark, and humid until the leaves are formed and you have to put in sunlight. Rooting hormone has helped for me. You might consider scraping a small area at some of the buried nodes and applying hormone to try to encourage a second locus of rooting. All of my cuttings nearly always for a ton of roots at the bottom long before forming the first root at any other node. Eventually all buried nodes will root, but you are fighting time with these cuttings.
THAT IS SO COOL!!! I don’t have an established vine but now I have even more reason to want to. Does the graft retain its original…what, breed, species, what’s it called? I imagine it does, why else would one graft it…
It’s a very similar process to what can be done with a scion and a rootstock. Essentially, one “branch” is whatever your bud species is while the rootstock remains the same. So the fruit you get will be from the Bud’s species. There are many reasons to do this, for example, if the rootstock has certain health or vigor or fold hardiness properties but the bud has your desired flavor. Or if perhaps you don’t have enough space for all the varieties you want, you can make a multi graft.
So hypothetically in the future if the vines you have do root and grow, but perhaps you’d like a different variety, you can graft over some buds and not need to grow another grape vine if you don’t have the space
I’ve tried a few methods but this what I’m doing this year and it’s working well:
3 nodes. Cut bottom 1/2” from bottom node. Cap top end with wax. Use sharp knife to cut off sides of bottom node buds. Dip in hormone powder. Place in a big jar with only 1-1.5” water, covering the cut bottom node. Change water regularly to keep it from growing things. Plant cuttings in soil once they have roots.
I’ve had mixed success rooting in deeper water or just sticking it in soil. I am also experimenting this year with a method I read about from someone who worked for T.V. Munson- bury bundles of 100 cuttings at time of pruning, then exhume them in March and stick them in the soil where you want them. Looking mostly successful so far!
I bought cuttings of Marechal Foch, New York Muscat and Vanessa, stood them in water longer than needful, filled two buckets with potting soil, punched holes nearly to the bottom of the soil with a finger, sprinkled mycorrhizal inoculant in the holes and put the cuttings in each hole. Firmed up the soil, watered lightly (soil already had moisture) and placed on a heat mat turned on. Kept in the basement where temps are still under 50°F several weeks. Today I tugged on the cuttings and find all but one resisting the pull. I’ll put them where they get morning sun to begin leafing out and see about planting them in a few weeks.
First try at grapes.
I hadn’t thought of bud grafting grapes. It works with apples and plums, early spring and late summer, I suppose spring would be the time to try chip buds on a younger stock. If the folks whose land I will plant these grapes want something retrofitted, I might give that a try next year.
There was some difference in the vigor of the 3 grapes I started. Vanessa was far and away better at getting started than either Marechal Foch or NY Muscat. They were in the ground ahead of cooler weather for about 10 days, so I hope they can hack temperatures above 90°F coming up.
Vanessa is a seedless grape, which I hope to enjoy both fresh and as raisins. The other two are for wine; another new venture. If I get a gallon or two of each most years, that sounds worthwhile.
Of my 80 concord cutting (from my vine) only a few are rooting, the rest are rotten …. I think it’s due to the unusual mild spring temperatures in this part of Kentucky. Last year I had %90 success rate with super warm spring temperatures.
