Grape vines are highly responsive to vegetative propagation, allowing home growers to easily multiply their favorite varieties. Growing grapes from seed is generally avoided because the resulting vine will not be genetically identical to the parent plant. To ensure new vines possess the same desirable characteristics as the mother, two primary techniques are employed: taking dormant hardwood cuttings and simple layering. This process is the most reliable way to expand a home vineyard.
Propagating Vining Material Through Hardwood Cuttings
The most common and efficient method for creating new grape plants is by utilizing hardwood cuttings collected during the dormant season, typically in late winter or early spring before bud break. The best material consists of healthy, one-year-old canes about the thickness of a pencil (one-quarter to three-eighths of an inch in diameter). These canes should be free of disease or damage and retain a healthy green color when the outer bark is scraped lightly.
Each cutting should be 10 to 16 inches long, containing at least three to four nodes. Nodes are the raised areas where buds or leaves were previously attached. Make a flat cut just below a node at the base to mark the end that goes into the soil, and an angled cut above a node at the top. Dipping the basal end into a rooting hormone powder can significantly accelerate root development and improve the success rate.
The cuttings are inserted into a well-draining rooting medium, such as peat moss and perlite or sand, with at least two nodes buried beneath the surface. Burying the bottom nodes encourages the formation of callus tissue, from which new roots will emerge. The medium must be kept consistently moist but never waterlogged and maintained in a warm environment to stimulate root growth before the top buds sprout leaves.
Propagating Vining Material Through Layering
Another successful technique, particularly useful for filling an empty spot in an existing row, is simple layering. This method is advantageous because the new plant remains attached to the established mother vine until it develops a robust root system. Layering is initiated in the early spring, using a vigorous, one-year-old cane that can be bent down to reach the soil.
Dig a trench about 12 inches deep near the mother vine. The chosen cane is gently bent into a U-shape, with the bottom of the curve resting in the trench. The tip of the cane is brought back up out of the soil, ensuring at least three buds remain exposed above the ground. To encourage rooting, the bark on the underside of the buried section can be slightly wounded or “nicked” before the trench is backfilled.
The buried cane will concentrate rooting hormones at the wound site, leading to the formation of new roots over the growing season. The newly rooted layer should remain attached to the parent vine for one to two years, allowing it to develop a substantial root mass and gain strength. Once the new vine is well-established, the connecting cane can be severed from the mother vine, creating an independent plant.
Establishing New Vines in the Ground
Once a cutting has developed a healthy root ball or a layered cane has been separated, the young vine is ready for its permanent location. Before planting, the rooted material should be gradually acclimated to outdoor conditions over several days (hardening off). The planting site must offer full sun exposure for at least six to eight hours daily and possess deep, well-drained soil to prevent root rot.
Grapevines require ample space, so plants are spaced 6 to 10 feet apart, depending on the variety and training system. Dig a planting hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the entire root system without crowding the roots. Set the vine into the hole, spread the roots out, and ensure the crown is at or slightly above the surrounding soil level.
After backfilling the hole, gently tamp the soil down to remove air pockets, and thoroughly water the vine. During the first year, consistent moisture is paramount, often requiring approximately five gallons of water per plant per week, depending on local rainfall. Prune the newly planted vine back to only the strongest cane, leaving just two or three buds to focus the plant’s energy on root and trunk development.