North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

Title: Re: [NAFEX] rooting grapes

Roots form from undifferentiated phloem cells (callus tissue) that comes from the cambium.  It's not unusual to see a line of roots like that on a cutting, but it's not usually due to injury.  More likely it's following a line of phloem cells, which are also food conductors for the plant.  There is a set of instructions for rooting grapes on my website, and a much more extensive description of propagation in The Grape Grower.
> -Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com
Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003 

> Every spring, when I prune my grapes, I take a handful of prunings and 
> put them in a couple of vases over the kitchen sink.  They sprout a 
> little before the outdoor vine, and provide some cheer in the kitchen.  
> They usually root, too, although I've never planted them.   (I have 
> given them away, but haven't followed up to see how they've done.)
>
> This year the vases are translucent, and I noticed that one stem has 
> half a dozen roots coming from one line along the stem - there is one 
> long crack in the "bark" from which they all emerge.  The other stems 
> haven't set roots at all yet.  It led me to wonder about what factors 
> lead to root formation.  I know this isn't an important practical 
> question, as grapes are easy to root - even just in a vase, but more so 
> if you are more careful.  But I wondered if maybe the one had been a 
> little crushed or something, and the roots emerged from the area of a 
> healing wound.  I know maceration of the stems helps in rooting some 
> trees.  Any one know?
>
> Thanks,
> Ginda