| My grandmother has a Concord grape vine that is over 50 years old. I would like to take some cuttings but don't know how to do this, or the best time. What do you suggest? |
| The easiest way to start a grape vine is by tip layering. Bend a vine a foot or so from the end so that it breaks, but not completely in two. Scoop out a shovel full of dirt from beneath the vine, place the broken "elbow bent" section of the vine in the hole and cover with soil. Water it in and keep it moist by periodic watering. In a few weeks the vine will start to root at the broken spot. You can later cut it from the "mother plant", dig it and replant in another location. If you want to root grape cuttings, take cuttings about 8" long in winter. Wrap them in a moist, not soggy, paper towel and seal in a plastic bag. Place them in the refrigerator for a month. Then remove them and plant in containers filled with rich soil or potting soil. Water as needed to keep them moist. Keep them covered with a clear glass or plastic covering and out of direct sun until they have shoots about 4 inches long. Then you can plant them out into their new location. |
