How many years does it generally take for a grape cutting to bear fruit?

Grapes are one of the oldest fruit tree species in the world. With the development of modern agricultural science and technology, most grapevines are now propagated by cuttings. So, how many years does a grape cutting take to bear fruit?

1. How many years does a grape cutting take to bear fruit?

A grape cutting can bear fruit in 2 years, and from the 3rd year it enters the full fruiting period. Grapevines are usually propagated by cuttings between June and July. When taking cuttings, use lignified new shoots as cuttings, cut off the leaves on them, cut the lower end into a slanted cut, insert into the soil, press down lightly after inserting, and water thoroughly; roots will form in about half a month.

2. Grape propagation methods

(1) Propagation by cuttings

This method is the simplest and most commonly used method of grape propagation. Grape stem segments root easily. Cut mature one-year-old branches into stem segments with 1 to 4 buds, insert them into the soil, and under suitable temperature conditions they will root and sprout, growing into cutting seedlings. Because cutting seedlings are own-rooted seedlings, they perform only average in terms of cold resistance and disease resistance.

(2) Propagation by grafting

This is also a commonly used method of grape propagation. This method involves grafting a superior variety onto a highly resistant rootstock, combining the two to form a new plant, called a grafted seedling. Because grafted seedlings use rootstocks with strong resistance such as disease or cold resistance, the seedlings have strong resistance and strong adaptability, and are suitable for use in areas infected by grape phylloxera and in severe cold areas, and are sometimes also used for variety renewal. However, the propagation technique is more difficult than cuttings and is also more labor-intensive.

(3) Propagation by layering

This is generally mostly used for some varieties that are difficult to root from cuttings. The method is to press vigorously growing branches that are not detached from the mother plant under the soil, prompting each bud on the branch to sprout and root, forming a new plant. This method also propagates relatively quickly and is often used for the renovation of old vineyards.

(4) Tissue culture

This is a method of rapid asexual propagation, and is extremely effective for expanding propagation and promotion of newly bred or newly introduced varieties. This method uses grape shoot tips or stem segments, inoculated under sterile conditions onto an artificially prepared culture medium, to develop into small seedlings, called test-tube plantlets. With this method the propagation speed is fast; one shoot tip or stem segment can propagate tens of thousands of plantlets in a year. However, this method is highly technical and requires certain equipment.

Grape varieties cannot be propagated by seed, because propagation by seed will produce wide variation in the offspring and cannot maintain the superior characteristics of the original variety.