Why graft a grapes vineyard?
Why are we grafting a grapes vineyard? We graft a grapes vine to change its variety. We take advantage of the fact that the rootstock (old vine) has an established and healthy root system.
Personally, I searched for this information on grapes vine grafting because I wanted to get rid of a grape variety that is very susceptible to powdery mildew.
I wanted to replace it with another variety of edible grapes that is not affected by powdery mildew at all.
How to graft a grapes vine?
Briefly, the steps are as follows:
- Cut the old vine’s trunk half a foot above the soil.
- Clean the vine’s trunk from the outer old layers.
- Prepare the scion with buds from the grapes vine we want to reproduce.
- Make 2 T-cuts in the trunk of the vine.
- Place the 2 buds on the vine.
- Tie tightly the buds so they have a good contact.
- Make a few cuts in the bottom of the vine to get rid of excess sap and keep the buds from being rejected.
What is the right time to graft a grapes vine?
The right time to graft a grapes vine is a few weeks before the buds open. Usually that is, end of February to beginning of March.
Videos about grafting a grapes vine and vineyard
These are some very helpful videos that describe in detail various techniques for grafting a grapes vine.
