fertilizer????

[mickey328]

Our winters are usually fairly mild; of course, I grew up in central Canada, so comparatively speaking, almost anything is "milder" LOL As a rule, we don't get a lot of snow, and it's unusual for what we do get to last more than a day or two. At our altitude (5000 ft) the sun is so strong that it melts off pretty quickly, particularly on the south side, which is where our grape is. We don't get a lot of days below freezing either. But, it does vary wildly! It'll be 30 degrees one day and 65 or more the next. All that being said, we're in the foothills, so you just never know...it literally changes in 15 minutes. Still, the plant's growing gangbusters, so I reckon it can handle our "usual" weather. I'm thinking January might be a good time for pruning here. Most of the really cold weather has usually passed by then but the growing season won't have started.

Here's another question (you've been so very helpful!) Do you think I could put in another one now, or should I wait till spring? That's assuming the nursery has any left, of course. I'm thinking if we put 2 or 3 in that corner, we can have our shade and eat our grapes too Thanks to you, I can start the new ones properly, LOL

 

[WillsC]

Had no idea your winters were that mild. Try to keep them spaced out 8 feet apart, crowded won't help production. You would be probably better off to plant them in late winter/early spring but that being said I planted my vines in November and they were fine. How long until your first frost?

 

[Oregon Blues]

You can try fall planting.

I plant fruit and grapes bare root in the spring so they have a full season to get roots down deep enough to be past freezing.

If you are going to buy more grapes, I suggest that you get a different variety for each new vine. Each variety tastes different and ripens at a slightly different time, spreading out your harvest.

Seedless grapes are more sensitive, but there are varieties that survive cold weather down to 20 below. Grapes with seeds tend to be more durable.

Canadice is a seedless that survives cold and has a delicious grape. The grape is listed as "red" but for me they are a pretty pink.

My very best tasting grape is a variety called "Muscat Ottonel" . Wow, is it good. Muscats are not supposed to survive cold, but it grows and fruits for me. As does my Golden Muscat, which is another outstanding flavored grape. Both those muscats have seeds, but still well worth growing.

 

[mickey328]

Wills, our first frost could actually come any time. We typically have a gorgeous Indian Summer here. We'll get a frost or two, then a month or more of perfect weather It might be kind of dicey putting in a new one now...one just never knows here!

OB, I'd have to order a bare root online; none of our nurseries carry much of any bare root stock of any kind. Do you make anything with the other varieties or just eat them as is?

We don't eat a lot of grapes; the main reason I even planted the Concord is because IMO it makes the very best jam, and I can never find the in the stores here! I'll be perfectly happy if I can get enough to make a batch or two each year. I make jam out of all kinds of fruit, and we can only eat so much, LOL...so I don't need scads

 

[WillsC]

Mickey,

If it was me I would wait till late winter and put in bareroots. If you had a month before frost I would say go now but it is just safer to wait.

 

[mickey328]

That's what I'm thinking, Wills, thanks! Here's a photo of the base of our plant. Guess we should take the bamboo pyramid out now, eh?

 

[WillsC]

It is probably safe to take it out now lol You do have a bit of a tangle. First job come prune time is pick the best ONE of those shoots and remove the rest. If you want to save money you can shorten a couple of those shoots coming out of the base down to a couple feet and bend them down and cover the middles with soil and they will root. Once rooted sever from the mother and replant them where you want to. Grapes root very easy.

 

[mickey328]

Really? Who'd a thunk? Reckon I should have...most vines are like that; where there's a node or bud, roots will grow if they can. Suppose I could get a couple going now? Get them started and sever and plant in the spring? LOL, guess I've got enough that if it doesn't work it's not a big deal, huh?

But...seriously? Only leave ONE??

 

[WillsC]

Generally they root best when growing actively but if your frost holds off it might. Lol yes just leave one I have never seen an arbor or pergola where they were multi stemmed from the ground though I'm sure some are but it would be a mistake. One of the visually appealing things about grapes is that big thick gnarly trunk they develop but the single trunk is not just for looks. Grapes have such a large top and grow so vigorously that you have to limit them. Multiple trunks just makes the process more difficult bordering on impossible to manage and to prune and will hurt production greatly. You want to concentrate the growth and fruiting, that is why unpruned grapes produce next to nothing. But I do have an idea for you......you never pinched your plant to get a Y branch to form your cordons but that can be fixed sort of. Once you prune out all those other shoots to the ground and remove them just follow up your, well....we will call it the trunk now and find a healthy robust shoot coming from the trunk. That shoot can be as far from the ground as you want it to be.....1 foot or 3 feet it is up to you. That shoot we will just now call the second cordon. Just like that you now have a perfectly formed vine, well almost Prune the two now designated cordons and you are on your way. Grape pruning is very easy.