How to Move a Muscadine Plant

Move the muscadine grapevine in early spring after the weather warms but before new growth appears. Transplanting during dormancy causes less disruption to the plant.

Prune the grapevine ahead of time encouraging new growth and facilitating the transplant. Prune each individual vine down to five to seven buds for the move.

Choose a new site for the muscadine grapevine. Put the plant in a spot with at least eight hours of bright sunshine, quick site drainage and good air flow. Give each grapevine 10 to 20 feet of growing space with a fence, wall or trellis available. South-facing slops provide suitable growing situations.

Amend a 2-foot-square site for the grapevine to a depth of 2 feet. Turn 1 foot of organic compost into the soil, loosening it for root growth. Grapevines grow most successfully with deep, loose soil for root expansion.

Dig into the soil 2 feet from the grapevine's base and dig under and inward, locating the root ball. Pull out as much of the established root ball as possible.

Quickly moving the grapevine to the new site avoids root drying. Plant the grapevine in a hole deep and wide enough for the root system. Packing amended soil around the root ball secures it and fills any air holes.

Watering the grapevine with 1/2 to 1 gallon of water establishes the planting. Spreading 2 inches of organic mulch in a 2-foot circle around the vine conserves soil moisture. A regular irrigation schedule of 2 inches of water a week keeps it from drying out.