How Do I Start a Grapevine?

Cut an 18-inch-long healthy cane from a nonpatented grapevine.

Place the cutting inside a plastic bag and add a little water to keep the environment moist.

Seal the bag and store it in the refrigerator until early March.

Fill the container with potting soil. The container should be deep enough to accommodate almost the entire length of the cutting. Only the section between the tip and the first bud will be above the surface.

Take the cutting out of the refrigerator in early March.

Dip the cane's cut end in rooting hormone. If you use a powder form, first moisten the end of the cutting in water so the powder will stick to it.

Insert the cutting into the soil, leaving the tip and one bud exposed.

Irrigate the soil and place a clear plastic cover over the pot to retain the moisture. Two cover options are a plastic cup taller than the cutting and a plastic bag over the pot. Keep the bag from collapsing by inserting a stake taller than the cutting into the soil to hold the bag up. Don't allow the soil to dry out during this propagation process.

Remove the plastic cover when the exposed bud sprouts a leaf.

Transfer the grapevine seedling to a bigger pot with potting mix when the new shoot reaches about 9 inches in length.

Transplant the grapevine to its permanent outdoor location the following spring, when the plant is 1 year old. In the meantime, keep it in a sunny location and water it regularly.