Can I Transplant My Established Grapes Into Planters?

Transplanting Time

• Transplant grapevines in early spring, before any new growth appears. A dormant transplant limits damage to the vines themselves and encourages quick new growth in the new location.

Planters

• Prepare your planters ahead of time to keep the transplant process quick. Grapevine roots may dry out and die if you keep them out of the soil for too long. Use large 20-gallon planters with drainage holes to give the grapevines room for root growth, balance and drainage. Fill the planters with a combination of half organic compost and half potting soil for good nutrition and moisture retention.

Transplanting

• Transplant the grapevines one by one. Prune them down to four or five buds per cane before transplanting so you can work with smaller plants. Use a shovel to dig the entire root ball of each grapevine out and move the vines quickly to the new planters. Re-plant each grapevine at its original depth, and give each grapevine a stake, fence or trellis for growing.