Transplanting Vines: Do's & Don'ts

Nick Thompson from the UK has an interesting story about transplanting vines at his property in France. My own experience up to now is two-fold: the first is transplanting cuttings which I had in pots. This worked well, as the vines moved from pot to field (or the fence) and took root as we were able to water them with irrigation during the summer. In the 2nd case, I dug up a first-year vine along the fence from under a large apricot tree where it couldn't get enough sun. I was surprised at how much effort it took to dig up, after being in the ground only a few months. After transplanting to a sunnier spot by the house, it began wilting, and stopped growing upwards. It is still alive, but it has not been happy. My assumption is that it will rest over the winter, get strong, and come back strong in the Spring.

Nick, tell us what happened to you. (These photos accompany Nick's story.)