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Grape Vine Removal and Replanting

17 years ago

I have 10 Chambourcin vines about 8 years old that I want to remove and replant with another variety. What is the best way to remove them? They are woody, about 1-1.5 inches in diameter. They are vigorous but do not have the time to follow the proper spray regimen. As a result in all but 2 years black rot has claimed the crop before harvest. I would like to replant with U of MN winter hardy table and seedlees grapes. Should I just cut them a few inches above the ground then use a stump killer? If so, is it too late now that they are dropping leaves and going dormant? If chemical is the way to go and it should be a spring application painted on the stump, can I replant next to it? I am sure root system removal is not possible and even with chemical treatment they may continue to sprout for a while. Is there another way?

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Comments (5)

makalu_gw
17 years ago
I've never actually removed a grape vine, roots and all. I'd think that cutting followed by stump killer in spring when the vine is starting growth or cutting higher up and trying to pull out with some chain and a pickup truck could work. You might want to cross post this to the Fruits and Orchards forum since they have many more growers over there and maybe they have a better way.
interior_d
17 years ago
I may be a bit late but what about grafting another varietal on the existing trunks?
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I think either way will work. What zone are you in, and are you sure the permanent location is permanent? If you really want to move it now, I would dig as large of a root ball as possible and haul it over to the new location. If you just put it in, there shouldn't be too many new roots, and it should be no problem. As far as training grape vines, that's an entirely different big topic of its own. For your vine, there's no problem in just letting everything grow, and choosing what to keep in the winter. Grapes are generally pretty tough, and it's not a big deal to reshape them down the line. Transplanting an established plant in the middle of summer is generally a bad idea, but in your case it would be like moving a potted plant, which is usually no problem.
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sandy0225
17 years ago
we moved some of ours with a trenching bucket on the skid loader, and relocated them last year to another place in the yard. They didn't come up at all in the old place again.
But they did actually produce a very small amount of grapes in the new location last summer. They were about 7 years old and very woody. So I'd suggest dig or pull them up with a tractor or truck.
Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
17 years ago
That movie "A walk in the Clouds," is about a vineyard that catches fire. The family is devastated because they brought the old stock from Italy, and it got destroyed. One scene, our hero pulls and pushes and gets the burnt stump out of the ground. The old grandpa takes a knife, and peels away the bark, and the inside is green! They all rejoice!!

I think if you could graft another varietal (like Interior D suggested) onto the root stock it may be easier and get you what you want.

Good luck!
jimla
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the grafting suggestion. I have a seeded concord that does well so I could do my pruning and save some for the grafts. I would also like to try other varieties particularly those like Marquette or Jupiter which are more reistance to cold and disease. Any suggestions where I could get cuttings to graft? I can buy 2 year rooted plants but do the nurserys like AA sell just cuttings? Could I buy a rooted plant and use just the top in the graft?
Thanks

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