Three Simple Steps Explaining How To Propagate Grapes

Propagating Grapes is such an easy way to start your own little vineyard. After visiting a local winery and learning all the basics from the masters I took everything I learned and tried it on my own.

Haak Winery is right down the road from me. They, along with many other vineyards, open their doors to the public to let them come in and participate in picking grapes and/or pruning back the vines.

This can be such a fun family event AND if you are blessed – they will a lot of the time let you take home the vines to play around with and try to grow your own. This is how I ended up with my first few grapevines.

Of course, you don’t have to visit a winery to get grapes. If you have a friend or neighbor – even better! It’s always fun to share the experience with friends.

There are a few different ways to propagate grapes. Different varieties do better with different methods. But most grapes can be done using this method.

For this method, cuttings are taken during the winter while the grapes are dormant.

You will want to ensure that the cutting is at least a pencil-thick, has green inside the stem once cut to ensure it is alive, and you will want 3 nodules on the cutting.

A little tip here is – your cuttings are going to have cuts on both ends of the vine to designate a direction to show which way is up and which is down. It is as easy as cutting all the bottoms straight and all the tops at a diagonal. This way when you go to plant them you know what end goes in the dirt.

Not all cuttings were used. Only the thicker parts.

Now that you have all your clippings you will need the following items:

Propagating Grapes Getting the Pots ready

Bucket of water
Rooting hormone
Soil
Pots – 1 for each cutting
Tarps
Water
Cardboard or tarp to protect floor from water (I ended up using cardboard and a yoga mat haha)

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So I know I said I would make this simple so here it is…The three steps to propigating grapes!

STEP 1 – SOAK

Fill a bucket or a pot with enough water to soak your cuttings. If it’s been a little bit since you clipped your cuttings recut the ends slightly following the rule of keeping the ends cut depending on if they going the dirt or not. Soak the cuttings overnight in the water.

STEP 2 – PLANT

Fill your Pots up with potting soil. Water the soil thoroughly yet be sure it drains well. Dip the end of the vine to go in the dirt in rooting hormone. Press the end into the dirt up to the second nodule. Place the pots in a warm area and cover with a tarp. Leave for 7 days. Be sure the soil stays moist (not drenched) during this stage.

STEP 3 – GROW

Remove the tarp to give the plants sunlight. This can be from a grow light or setting them by a window. Bring them outdoors a little at a time to get them aclimated to the weather before planting them.

Propagating grapes can be so rewarding. They take some care and a lot of patience… but when they start to grow it is so exciting! Be patient though. They can grow at different rates and sometimes some will not grow, but that is ok. Just chalk it up to the best grapes win.

And if you’re lucky like me you will have sweet little helpers that get just as excited as you do with it all! We started these grapes in 2017 and both my girls have helped me through the process. ❤️ It took a few years fort hem to start really producing. But it has been such a fun learning experience for us all.