How to Replant Grapes
Grape vines bring an elegant touch to your edible garden. The wide leaves add a bold texture to spring and summer arbors, and the twining vines add visual interest during the winter months. Grape vines are remarkably tough and resilient, however, despite their lush appeal. Don't hesitate to take a cutting from an existing grape, move a dormant vine or plant that bare-root twig; replanting a grape is straightforward. With a few tips, you'll soon be snacking on backyard grapes--if the birds don't get them first.
Transplant fully dormant bare-root plants from January through February for both coastal and inland gardens. Replant container-grown grapes anytime throughout the growing season.
Select a site in full sun. Ensure the site has proper air circulation; mildew attacks crowded vines, particularly in foggy, cool-summer gardens. If you have average or poor soil, cover the planting area with 2 inches of compost. Use a shovel or rototiller to work the compost into the site. Incorporate compost to a depth of 24 inches to relieve particularly compacted soils.
Dig a hole large enough to contain the grape's spread root system. Ensure the hole is as deep or deeper than the original planting depth; grapes won't produce well with a shallow root system. Untangle the root system, prune any damaged roots and set the grape in the planting hole. Backfill firmly with the original soil.
Choose the strongest vertical cane of both bare-root or container-grown vines. This cane is the vine's future trunk. For bare-root grapes, prune all other growth away and prune the trunk to only two buds. Container-grown grapes require less drastic pruning; tie the chosen trunk loosely to a stake or trellis, prune a strong secondary vine to roughly 1 foot to 1/2 foot long and remove all other growth. The secondary vine serves as a trunk if the original is damaged.
Water the new grape vine consistently through the first year. The generous, wide leaves often demand more water than the emerging roots can supply. Never allow standing water or boggy soil, however, or your new grape vine may succumb to root rot. Mounded earth at the base of the vine allows water to drain away from the trunk.
- Sunset Western Garden Book: Kathleen N. Brenzel, ed.
- University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources: Growing Table Grapes in Your Garden
- The California Garden Web: How Do I Plant and Care for Young Vines?
- Some nurseries produce grafted grape vines. The grafting bud--the site where the selected vine connects to the root stock--must remain above ground. Don't plant grafted vines deeply. Instead, plant them at the same level as the soil in the nursery container. Check your grape's label for grafting information.
- If mice or other gnawing pests are a problem in your garden, cut the top and bottom from a milk carton and slip it over the replanted vine. While not foolproof, it will offer some protection from curious rodents.
- Busy nurseries often neglect bare-root plants, even moving them indoors where warm temperatures trigger new growth. Avoid bare-root grapes with tempting green leaves; these plants have no root system to support the new growth.
- Don't add fertilizer to the planting hole. The fertilizer may burn or damage tender new roots.
Kimberly Richardson has been writing since 1995. She has written successful grants for local schools as well as articles for various websites, specializing in garden-related topics. Richardson holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and is enrolled in her local Master Gardener program.