[grapeman]

I am beginning a new thread to sort of document planting a new vineyard from beginning forward. The methods I use here are not standard issue, but are using methods I have gleaned from my 45 years of farming, ag college and working in research trials, including my own. Don't expect it to begin all inclusive, but it will build upon itself as time goes on.

[grapeman]

Starting off the vineyard, I have some land lined up for the vineyard and I will get into that in more detail with time as I prepare to plant.

For now, I need vines. Over time and experience I have decided what vines I want to include in this vineyard expansion. Next step is getting the vines. One of the quickest and easiest methods for that is to purchase them as I have always done in the past, although not exclusively. Some good sources in the eastern US are Double A Vineyards, Grafted Grapevine, and Northeastern Vine Supply. There are many more around the country, but these are the three main sources I have used.

Since I am doing this expansion on the cheap, I am going for a way to get quick vines, easily planted and the method I use will minimize time to maintain them. To that end I am starting my own vine fron 2 bud cuttings, not the normal 3 or 4. I have experimented with this process before and it works well to provide short compact vines quickly. Normally you cut a piece of the vine you want from last years growth using cuttings about a quarter inch or a bit less in size with 3 or 4 good buds on it. Make your bottom cut just below the bud flat, and make the upper cut an inch or so above the 3rd or 4th bud on a slant. That allows you to easily tell what is up and down as that is very important. The bottom cut sort of splits the bark just a bit around the bud and encourages callousing.

Here is a picture of a normal cutting. And a 2 bud cutting

[grapeman]

Next up I have to callous the cuttings. I put them in some sort of container and fill with a few inches of moist soil mix. I place that on a heat mat to provide constant heat to the bottom and place it in a cool room. You want the heat to form the callous but not enough heat in the room to break dormancy too quickly. 80 degrees on the bottom and about 55-60 on top is good. I sometimes use a grape lug as it works well for a couple hundred at a time.

Here is a heat mat and the grape lug with cuttings in it. Note here they are 2 bud cuttings since that is what I will be using.

[grapeman]

It takes about a week or two for the callouses to form. The roots form from those callous sites. Here are a couple pictures showing a callous (white bumpy area near the bottom bud) and then a shot of newly forming roots.

[grapeman]

Next I take the plug trays and fill them with the same potting mix. I then shove the calloused cuttings in them to fill. I am using a standard flat size that holds 38 cuttings. These are a bit over 2 inches deep and form a root plug.
First an empty tray and then a row of filled trays without any buds pushing yet.

[grapeman]

Next time I will post some of the cuttings beginning to open buds. Hope you guys find this informational and entertaining. Feel free to post comments and questions and this can become a tutorial thread as such. In a few years it will have a finished vineyard site of almost 4 acres.

[TJsBasement]

Thanks, this will be a super informative thread.
Will you be growing rootstock or self root.

[ibglowin]

Fantastic start to an informative thread! Can't wait to see this thing develop.

Were the cuttings dipped in a rooting hormone of sorts prior to being placed in the soil?

[grapeman]

Originally Posted by TJsBasement

Thanks, this will be a super informative thread.
Will you be growing rootstock or self root.

They are all self rooted. Grafting would be another possibility for showing at a later date.

[grapeman]

Originally Posted by ibglowin

Fantastic start to an informative thread! Can't wait to see this thing develop.

Were the cuttings dipped in a rooting hormone of sorts prior to being placed in the soil?

I have tried it with and without rooting hormone and see no real difference. Hormone doesn't hurt, but I'm not convinced it helps much.