Length of time to air layer a muscadine

If you have never air layered a muscadine in a 2 liter drink bottle this information might be of interest. This is the results from only one occurrence so yours or other might be different for a variety of reasons. Today was the first sighting of roots on the inside of the container. The layer was started 33 days ago from today. I have done many similar air layers but this is the first time to keep a close record. My guess is that the time varies but this can be a rough guide. Best wishes to all you that are rooting vines.

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I didn’t mention it above but the vine obviously is not ready to separate from the host vine.

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I air layered some Black Spanish in about a month one time.

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My experience is that it takes 2.5 months to get a well rooted muscadine with either air layering or with in-ground rooting. It is important to select the vine as new green growth does not root as fast as older parts of the vine that have developed gray bark

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Good to know. I thought I’d try some air layering on some Kiwi and some blueberry here shortly …unless ill-advised (?)

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I haven’t layered either of these two but I bet they will root easily especially the kiwi.

Followup muscadine air layer dates from above post. I was hoping for more roots but I think there is enough. After potting I placed the new vine in a heavy shade and I plan to let it stay for about three days and gradually move into a sunny position. The detached vine is 43" high and I don’t intend to head it back unless needed.

Air layer in bottle until visible roots 33 days
Air layer in bottle until detached and potted 48 days

I see no benefit to quickly cutting off the vine with minimal new roots from the mama vine that could continue to help it grow at maximum speed while still attached. Vine rooting in a pot bigger than a 2 liter container and leaving it attached for a whole growing season will likely give you the biggest plant in the quickest time frame. Size + time matters. And while in the pot the baby roots can be watered and fertilized as needed.

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Your right in my opinion although I don’t know of any comparisons test for verification. I was more interested in seeing the minimum time that it took to get a rooted vine safely in a pot and it survive.

If speed was the goal, then it would be beneficial for the mama plant to be on a fertilization schedule starting well before the soil mix was installed. Also, have a consistent moisture level from pre-dirt to clip- off time. Also, it would be beneficial to pick a vine with as much leafy length as possible downstream from the dirt, so more photosynthesizing could feed the emerging roots.Also, it would be good to stretch this vine on top of any others so that all of it’s leaves are in full Sun rather than in shade beneath other vine leaves. Also, it would help to have lots of decaying mulch over the whole area to suppress weed thievery and help maintain consistent moisture. Also, it would help to use a razor and carefully slice a bark-deep girdle on the mama plant side of the node that will be covered in dirt. As the chemical goodies from the leafy end travel backwards toward the mama plant core they will be interrupted by the girdled bark blockade and be used to feed the roots that came out of that node. If you must use a closed-up 2 liter bottle, it’s soil will dry out and thus not accommodate tiny roots that would grow out in moist/fertile soil mix, but have no love for dried out dirt. It would be good to slice open a top slot in the bottle every so often to slowly add water with some soluble fertilizer added. Borrowing from the old commercial “You only have to floss the teeth that you intend to keep”, you only have to nourish the roots that you intend to grow bountifully…If speed is the goal.

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Thanks

After detaching the vine I potted it for a few days and then planted it in its permanent location. Surprisingly it kept growing and the only pause was for 10 days when it was tipped. Both sides reached the 5.5’ wire today. It should be established and ready to grow fast next year.

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