Ever want more grape vines or Blackberry vines but didnt want to pay 9 to 15 dollars for them. Here is a way to make your own and recycle containers at the same time. Get you some empty two liter plastic bottles such as coke or Mountain dew. Also potting soil, a cup to scoop the soil with and a knife/razor/scissors to do some cutting with. Be careful with the sharp thingys as you can injure yourself.
Cut a hole in the side of the bottle as shown. 3 inches wide and six inches long is big enough. No caps on the bottle
Insert the end of the vine though the bottle neck and out to the end of the bottle. I cut another slit and rounded a hole at the end of the bottle so the vine would settle in he hole at the fat end of the bottle. By doing this I allowed for more of the vine to be exposed to the potting soil. You want to use a young fresh looking vine/tendril as these are the ones to grow fast. The one in the picture is old and may not work
Another view. I have cut a smaller slit at the bottom of the bottle so the vine can go into it so more vine is exposed to the soil. If you can make a small hole at the end of the slit and slide the vine down into it. This way as the vine expands you wont "choke" it off and possibly kill it.
After pulling the vine in I "pack it" in tightly and then fill the rest of the bottle up with potting soil. Pack it tight so that way it doesnt settle badley when it rains.
Here you can see I packed the necks. But I forgot to cut the slits with holes at the end. Luckily it isnt hard with a pair of scissors or a pocket knife. And do be careful when using the knife or scissors.
The end with the slit and hole made into it.
OK these bottles are ready and laid out. The holes are up to catch rain water and they wont overfill as there is not cap at the end so extra water can pour out. These bottles can sit for a year or until you see roots in them. Then you cut the vine off at the bottleneck and cut the fat end off the bottle
Pull vine and rootball out and there you have another grapevine.
Ok you can do Blackberry vines the same way. Make sure you have the space for this. Try to keep them in the shade so the sun doesnt dry out the soil. Just think of the money you have saved. I got about forty Jumbo black grape vines made up like this. Ten large white and nine blackberry vines (thornless) Navahoe blackberries. Hope the Chicken Whisperer is ready to learn home jarring and canning. And a thanks to her for helping me with this post.
Thanks and right on.... 
54570 Category:(Discussion) Created:(1/20/2013 4:17:00 PM)