Hi Guys, I had a special order from a lady who wanted 125 small grape vines this last May. She contacted me last Nov. and told me that no one else would grow them for her, so I accepted the order. Last Dec. I took about 400 cuttings, dipped them in Dip-N-Grow and filled a bunch of 1 gal containers with composted hard wood mulch. I stuck 25 cuttings per pot and then dug several trenches in one of my raised beds. Then I placed the pots in the trenches each one touching . I covered them with soil and left them alone all winter. In the beginning of April I dug them up and potted them having about a 99% success. A month later the lady picked them up, all 125 at an easy $4.00 per plant profit. I still had a bunch more small vines to sell. We were both happy!!! Here is a link that might be useful: Muscadines And More

I think the best time to prune in areas with freeze danger is in spring just before or as growth begins. I think this is too early in zone 7. I'd take cuttings for rooting 2-4 weeks before growth begins. Then they may need to be buried or stored in a cool place until rooting. It depends on whether you can control temperature or are reliant on nature, they need warmth to root rapidly. I'm not an expert on rooting grapes but have done it many times. Usually by just planting them where I wanted a vine, covering until spring, and then uncovering the top bud. This works but there are ways that result in much higher % takes. The key to rooting them is getting callus formation first. This works best at warm temperature, just the right moisture level, and rooting hormone. The cutting needs to be fully turgid but not wet. Some experts callus them in moist sand. This months Good Fruit Grower has an article on rooting grape cuttings. I've never used rooting hormone so that's not essential.

Hi Everyone, Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments. It's been a couple months now since I posted, so I wanted to let you know how it went. Basically, I have had about a 30% success rate with the grape cuttings. I think more of them would have survived except that a couple got cut down by "helpful" friends who were doing some weed-wacking. Also, we had a long spell of hot weather (95 degrees +) before I had set up the irrigation system, and I did not have time to hand water them as much as needed. So, given those factors, I think 30% success is not too bad. Next time around I would definitely wait longer to transplant them, knowing that leaves are not necessarily an indication of roots. I also really like the suggestion of planting cuttings in clear containers, so I can see what's going on with the roots. In answer to "Rhizo" and "Gardener Guy," the cuttings were a gift, so I do not know the details of how they were originally planted.

For me the best time to plant somethings is in the fall. It give the plant months to take root before spring. Make sure to mulch the plant good to protect it from the cold.