IC96 



Rural School Leaflet 



GROWING GRAPEVINES FROM CUTTINGS 



C. E. HUNN 



All grapevines that are used for vineyard purposes are grown from 

 cuttings, and it is only to obtain new varieties that vines are grown from 

 seed. The reason for growing the vines from cuttings is that by this 

 method one is sure to have the identical variety wanted, while in growing 

 vines from seed one cannot tell whether the resultant vine will have good 

 or poor fruit. It will be what is called a " seedling," or " natural fruit." 



Grape cuttings are usually made late in the fall 

 after the leaves have dropped from the vines and after 

 the summer's growth of wood has become firm and well 

 ripened. Always use wood of the last summer's grovi1:h, 

 and select the best developed portions. It is better to 

 discard the ends of the shoots, for they are usually 

 only partly ripened. The cutting should have three 

 joints, or nodes. Make the lower cut just below the 

 lower node, and leave a short piece of the cane pro- 

 jecting above the upper node in order to protect the 

 bud. These cuttings should be set in the groimd in 

 the fall, having the two lower nodes in the soil and the 

 upper one above. A little straw or manure should be 

 placed over the cutting during the winter and taken 

 off in the spring. The cuttings will produce roots and 

 grow the following summer, and the second year they 

 may be planted where the vines are to remain per- 

 manently. 



If the vines are grown on a trellis, they should be 

 planted nine or ten feet apart; but if they are to 

 cover an arbor, they should be planted closer — about 

 six feet apart on both sides of the arbor. One should be able to 

 obtain grape cuttings from persons near who have growing vines, for the 

 wood used for cuttings is usually cut from the vines in the annual pruning 

 and thrown away. 



Start with a few of the best-known and strong-growing- varieties, such 

 as Concord, Worden, Niagara, or Catawba. Afterwards choicer varieties 

 may be added. 



Grapevines thrive best in a gravelly loam soil, but they will grow well 

 on heavy soil if there is good water drainage under the roots. 



Grapevine cuttings 



