How to Buy Vines for a Vineyard

Buying vines for a small, personal vineyard is easy as long as you know what to look out for. A visit to a local vineyard or garden nursery should be able to provide you with the vine cuttings you need, but you need to be able to recognize the different qualities that make a vine viable for planting. Once you know what to look for, buying vines for your vineyard can be a fairly easy task. If you are hoping to grow organically or if you have other concerns, ask your growers about their processes.

Instructions

- 1
  Inspect the potential vines for graft unions, the points where buds have been grafted to the vines. The graft should be flush against the vine. Gently bend the the graft to test its strength; if it breaks or shows a gap, it's not healthy.
- 2
  Check the roots. Don't buy vines with withered, damaged, or discolored roots. Choose plants with the healthiest, fullest roots.
- 3
  Check the bark on each vine. Don't buy vines with bark that is black, soft, or spongy. Black bark is a sign that the vine has a fungal infection.
- 4
  Check the size of the vines. Buy vines that are around 1 to 1 and 1/2 feet long with at least six buds and have a width equal to that of a pencil.

What Are the Duties of a Vinedresser?

Taking Care of Grape Vines

Growing Grapes