Grapevines (Vitis vinifera) produce delicious fruit and grow profusely along a fence, trellis, arbor or other support system. Grapes grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, and grow well in temperate climates. The best time to plant grapevines depends upon the type of plant and propagation method. Prepare the soil long before you plant the grapevine.
Planting Bare-Root Grapes
During the winter dormant season, garden stores in warm climates begin to sell bare-root grapevines. The California Garden Web, a service of University of California, recommends planting bare-root vines in January or February. Most bare-root vines are not grafted, and non-grafted vines should be planted deeply with the roots spread out and completely covered by soil. Plant grafted vines, which nurseries usually label, a little bit higher so their graft union sits above the surface of the soil and so their roots are just barely covered by soil. Space the vines 6 to 8 feet apart within rows.
Planting Potted Vines
As temperatures warm in spring and summer, many nurseries sell grapevines in pots. You can plant potted grapevines later in the season than bare-root vines -- generally in spring or summer. When you remove potted vines from their pots, make sure to unkink the roots before putting them in the ground. Plant them at around the same level as they were planted in their pots, with the graft union on grafted vines sitting above the soil's surface.
If you wish to save money by propagating vines from cuttings of existing vines, take cuttings when the vines are being pruned after becoming dormant in winter. Take hardwood cuttings about 1 foot long and about pencil-width in diameter. Each cutting should have five to six buds. You can then store the cuttings in moist peat moss, plastic bags or wood shavings throughout winter. They require cool temperatures, so place them in a shaded spot in the yard or in the refrigerator.
In late winter or early spring, you can remove cuttings from storage and plant them. They might not begin to develop roots until soil temperatures warm in spring, so they will not be ready to transplant for at least several months. To plant cuttings, put them in the ground so they stand up vertically. Place them so the top one or two buds sit above the surface of the soil, and prune away buds that will be underground. The cuttings will need to be kept moist during dry weather in spring and summer. Not all of the cuttings will root, but at least half should. During spring of the following year, transplant the rooted cuttings to their growing site.
- National Gardening Association: Grape Essentials
- Clemson Cooperative Extension: Soil Testing
- University of California, The California Garden Web: How Do I Plant and Care for Young Vines?
- University of California, The California Garden Web: How Do I Plant Bare-Root Vines?
- University of California, The California Garden Web: How Do I Plant Potted Vines?
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Planting Grapes
- North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension: Vines: Vitis Vinifera
- New Mexico State University College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences: Vineyard Propagation From Cuttings
- University of California, The California Garden Web: How Do I Propagate New Vines?
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