# Rooted Vine (or live Vine) vs. Bare Root Vine



## RedSun (Nov 30, 2014)

Grape vines are normally sold as bare root vines, mostly one year. Some places sell rooted cuttings (or live vine, or potted vine, whatever they say). In terms of timing, how much behind is the live vine vs. the bare root vine? 

The bare root vine has larger root system, but the roots were dug and stressed. The potted vine has small root system, but all the roots are kept. Can the potted vine catch up the bare root vine?


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## grapeman (Dec 1, 2014)

I assume when you say potted vine, that you mean a small green vine in a special planting sleeve since you are asking if they will catch up.
This would be as opposed to a potted vine such as say Home Depot or Lowes would carry where it is in a gallon sized pot.

The small ones are often started using a special process of multiplying vines in short supply rapidly using green tissue although sometimes with dormant cuttings also. The green tissue vines take a year or so to catch up if conditions aren't perfect. Under great growing conditions they catch up quickly. Given the choice between the two types of vines, I would go with dormant cuttings for small quantities.
Another option for a start would be something along the lines of how I started my latest vineyard 3 years ago. Those vines grew as large as bareroot vines the first season and have begun bearing.
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f25/vineyard-beginning-grapeman-30613/


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## RedSun (Dec 1, 2014)

Some nurseries do not have bare root vines. The potted vines are in 4" containers. So I assume they are from cuttings, either green cuttings from this past season, or the dormant cuttings.

For the vines you originally rooted. If you rooted them over the winter, do you think the new vines can catch up to the new 1-year bare root vines the same season? I would think so since it is the root that matters. We have to cut down the bare root vines to 2-3 buds anyway.


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## RedSun (Dec 1, 2014)

Rich, I read the thread you forwarded. Great thread!

Did you start the rooting in April 2012? Or earlier in winter? Do you think the cuttings catch up the "bare root vines" you would have purchased?


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## GreginND (Dec 1, 2014)

Good question. I presume you started callousing them some time in March and then it looks like you planted early June. More details on how long from cutting to planting would be nice. Thanks.


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## RedSun (Dec 1, 2014)

Rich posted a few pictures on April 1. So I figure it took a few weeks for the cuttings to grow roots. When they were out in greenhouse, they can grow a lot.


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## grapeman (Dec 2, 2014)

I am handicapped right now for responses as I am in Florida for a week. Check the dates the pictures were posted and that is close. I beliee I put the cuttings on the heat mat in mid march and moved into the little greenhouse in April They were planted out in the vineyard eitheer late May or early June. Most of them had grown 4 to 7 feet by the end of the first summer.


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## RedSun (Dec 2, 2014)

Yes, this makes sense. Rich started posting on 4/1/2012. The cuttings already had some roots by them. So the cuttings were started a couple of weeks before that.


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