# Can I transfer mature vines



## Thig (Dec 26, 2012)

My dad died 6 years ago and there are about 4 grape vines at my mother's house that he had planted. They are not being tended to very well and I was thinking of moving them to my house. They are at least 10years old and the trunk on a couple of them is about 3 inches thick.

Two questions, can they be moved with success and if so how do I go about doing it?


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## grapeman (Dec 26, 2012)

Since these vines have sentimental attachment to you they could be worth the effort to salvage them. You could take some cuttings from the coppery barked area of the shoots and root those. We could give more information on that later if wanted.

Another way to move them as a whole vine exists, but you need to treat it like a freshly planted vine. When the vine is dormant, prune the vine back to a trunk and 2 or 3 canes coming off that to make arms. Cut them about 6-12 inches long being sure they have swollen nodes (areas buds arise from later). Then take a spade showel and cut around the vine 8-10 inches away from the trunk. That will make a root ball 15-24 inches across. Dig the ball out retaining what soil you can and wrap in burlap to transport. When at the new location, digt a hole a bit bigger than the root ball. Ammend some of the soil you dig out with peat or better yet compost. Place a bit in the bottom of the hole Place the root ball in leaving the trunk about the same height out of the ground as it was in the original location. Backfill the hole with the ammended soil mix and tamp it in lightly leaving a slight depression of the hole. Water well. 

If the ground has frozen already you may have to wait until spring to move it.

Good luck and cheers to a sucessful move!


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## Thig (Dec 26, 2012)

Thanks, the ground here is far from fozen (middle Georgia). Question, why cut the canes back to 6-12 inches, they are probably a good 8 feet long now going in both directions from the trunk. I am not questioning your knowledge at all, just trying to understand why if I have a well established vine do I have to cut it back so much. Will it take years to get back to where it was?

I think I misunderstood what canes were, I was thinking the cordon ( I believe that is right), the large main vine running in both directions.


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## grapeman (Dec 26, 2012)

Vines like all plants develop root structures in balance with the top growth. Unless you can dig the complete vine up with tap roots intact, you need to prune the top back to balance the top with the remaining roots. By the way a vine that age has roots going 8-12 feet in all directions or about 15-25 feet across and several feet deep. The vine will not behave like a well established vine so it will take a couple years to be bearing agin. Sorry, this is just the way it is. It isn't like putting a cat in a cage, moving across town with the cat. Taking the cat out of the cage and having a complete cat as it had left your previous home.


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## Thig (Dec 26, 2012)

Thanks, I believe I was misunderstanding what I was suppose to cut back, that is funny about the cat. I can see getting across town and looking at the cat and saying where did his tail go.


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## garymc (Dec 30, 2012)

One thing I would add is that the less time it's out of the ground, the better. You might dig holes at your house first. You won't know exactly what size, but you know you're going to need holes. That will also force you to make sure you have your site picked out. You have considered that? What kind of trellis or arbor. You didn't say what kind of grapes. Being in Georgia, are they muscadines? If so, cuttings are very difficult to root. You'd be better off pinning (layering) them to propagate if you didn't want to risk losing them during the transplant. Either kind of grape will likely survive the transplant of the vine as long as you don't wait till it gets too close to hot weather.


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## fivebk (Dec 30, 2012)

If I could add my 2 cents here I would say..... I would try starting some cuttings and start the vines from scratch. My reasoning behind this is...... In transfering the big vines you may never know if a good root system will ever develop. If you start from cuttings and give them the proper amount of time to grow they will develop the root system you will need. If for some reason the big vines don't take in the transfer and die then you have lost the everything. Maybe start some cuttings get them in the ground and started good and then see if you could move the big vines. Just my suggestion for what it's worth.

BOB


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## bob1 (Dec 30, 2012)

Agree with bob just do the cuttings it will still be the same vine.


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## Thig (Dec 30, 2012)

OK, think I will make sure I have a few cuttings rooted before I dig them up just to be sure I don't lose it all. Thanks for the input guys.


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## garymc (Dec 31, 2012)

Do you know what kind of grapes they are?
Once again, if they are muscadines you are probably wasting your time taking cuttings.


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