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nafex - [NAFEX] starting grapes from cuttings

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  • From: Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>
  • To: NAFEX Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] starting grapes from cuttings
  • Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2010 20:32:09 -0400

I have a grape vine that doesn't thrive for mysterious reasons, and the one
year I got grapes they were unexciting, so I decided to replace it and see if
some other variety might do better in the spot. I decided I wanted to try
either NY Muscat or Jupiter. I have had NY Muscat and like it, and seedless
grapes appeal to me. Not being able to decide between them, nor finding a
convenient source for plants, I bought cuttings of both from Lon Rombough.
(Thanks, Lon). He gave instructions for preparing the soil to root them in
situ.

So I bought rooting hormone, ordered the grapes, and tucked the grapes in the
fridge until the season turned warm enough to "plant" them. Then I got busy
with non-gardening things and forgot about the grape twigs.

Sometime in early August (I think) it occurred to me that I was never going
to get around to properly preparing the soil, but if I put the twigs in the
soil they might grow, and if I left them in the fridge they surely wouldn't.
So I pulled out all the obvious weeds from the spot where I wanted them,
dipped the bottoms of the cuttings in hormone mix, and buried a few inches in
the soil, planting 3-4 each of Jupiter and NY Muscat. It was really hot
(which seemed good for rooting) and I made a point of watering the twigs from
time to time. Then I forgot about them again.

Today I notice that two of the twigs have clearly sprouted. A Jupiter has a
full-sized leaf, and a NY Muscat has a bit of stem growing out of two
different nodes. Some of the others seem to have swollen buds, and only one
looks like it has dried up. Tough buggers.

So . . . what are the odds that any of these will make it through the winter?

Happy gardening,
Ginda
eastern MA, zone 6, where we just caught the edge of Earl. We needed that
rain!



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