Transplanting 1 year plants

Discussion in 'Grapes and Grape Vines' started by mikelso2, Jan 19, 2010.

  1. mikelso2

    mikelso2 Member

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    Does anyone have any knowledge and/or experience with digging up rooted plants (1 year old) and transplanting them?

    I started about 600 plants from sticks in a "nursery plot" (i.e. garden in my yard in TN). Anyway, we are transplanting them to a vineyard we are creating, and we are trying to figure out the timing of everything. I would like to be able to dig up the plants over a period of a few weeks and hold them under my house (e.g. in 3 mil bags, tightly sealed with shredded newspaper) until we are ready to plant. That will probably be sometime in late Feb / early March. The vines were pretty vigorous in their first year of growth, and I have not pruned them yet. I would appreciate any advice or experience you can share with digging, storing, and/or transplanting.
     
  2. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    For rooted plants the less time between digging and planting the better. Why not "store" them where they are now, and when the vineyard is ready dig what you can plant in a few hours, then plant them. Repeat after lunch etc. etc. till you are finished. Prune ASAP (as in right now!) but leave a few extra buds to allow for some transplanting/digging/storage damage:
    http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=G6090
    and scroll down to "second year". Google your variety for any special pruning or trellising advice.

    If you must store them, 3 mil bags are agood choice (not "kitchen" bags as they often have built-in deodorant chemicals I'm told) and dampened shavings, peat or perlite mix. Moist but not wet, cool and dark like under the house should be fine. Get them in the ground as soon as you can.

    Ralph
     
  3. mikelso2

    mikelso2 Member

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    Thanks Ralph. I am actually pruning today, so timely advice. My rationale for starting to dig is just that I have a day job and 2 small children, so my time for working on the vineyard can be limited. Can I transplant the vines in February, or will there be issues with transplanting in the cold? I have heard that the plant roots can be damaged if you transplant when there is danger of still having a hard freeze (a possibility in TN in Feb, although less so with global climate change). If I can prolong the time that I can transplant, then I can probably complete the process without having to store the plants for long. Which do you think is more risky, storing the plants after digging them up or transplanting in the cold? Thanks again for your advice and assistance.
     
  4. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    Freezing is the issue, not storing or transplanting, so you would have to judge whether they are more likely to freeze under the house or in the ground. For significant freezing into the ground the cold would have to be somewhat long lasting as well as substantially below the freezing point. You could consider insulating the dug plants with straw or sawdust heaped over the bags. Sorry I can't give you a definite answer.

    Ralph
     
  5. mikelso2

    mikelso2 Member

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    Makes sense. Thanks again. A couple more quick questions if you don't mind. Everything I have read (on this site and others) is about transplanting older plants. The advice for digging says to make a 2' root ball. Is that still valid for younger plants? Is there a rule of thumb as to how much roots typically grow in the first year?

    Also, we were planning on washing off the dirt and planting bare root plants, as that is how we had received the few rooted plants that we have purchased so far. Since we have to transport the plants about 45 minutes away to plant in the vineyard, this would make it much easier and quicker to move all the plants (i.e. cut down the number of pick up loads). Any advice you can offer on bare root vs. root ball?
     
  6. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    "Bare root" plants from a commercial source will have been grown in a sandy or other friable (easily broken up) soil. Washing usually will consist of a dip into standing water with very gentle agitation. If you dig at 1 foot from the stem this would technically give you a 2' root ball, but with the soil "washed" off you'll have approximately a 12" mop of roots. Dig a 2' hole and fan out the roots (some recommend a bump or a cone inside the hole and draping the roots down the slope of the cone before backfilling).

    If these are "own rooted" the depth of the planting is less critical but if there is a graft union it should be 6" above the ground and never buried in the future.

    Ralph
     
  7. mikelso2

    mikelso2 Member

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    Thanks again. Great information. I really appreciate your help.
     

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