Grape - VITIS VINIFERA

[Kadebe]

Seems like a rescue day.
My wife came home with two grape plants. They weren't sold and they wanted to throw them away... typical.


The only info I have is from Harry Tomlinson's book... and that's not much.



Someone who can help me with these plants? The soil is still draining well, so I don't think I need to repot it now.
I suppose the bunch of grapes will have to be removed. Is there's still pruning to be done now, and how much? Is it still wise to fertilise?
This winter I will protect them from frost.

 

[sorce]

I'd keep em for the grapes!

Sorce

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Keep everything for now and do nothing to it.
Our grapes get a fall cut, we select runners that'll yield huge bundles of grapes next year and cut away the rest. Stop any bleeding by jamming a potato on the wound, it just works.
Then after spring we do a cut back of shoots we don't want.

Let them run free, hack back, repeat.
I repot them in spring or the start of summer.


That's my adult-sized hand, central/northen Europe.
Our vine is roughly 30 years old, never protected from frost.

 

[just.wing.it]

Walter has a really amazing Grape Bonsai.

 

[Kadebe]

Keep everything for now and do nothing to it.
Our grapes get a fall cut, we select runners that'll yield huge bundles of grapes next year and cut away the rest. Stop any bleeding by jamming a potato on the wound, it just works.
Then after spring we do a cut back of shoots we don't want.

Let them run free, hack back, repeat.
I repot them in spring or the start of summer.


That's my adult-sized hand, central/northen Europe.
Our vine is roughly 30 years old, never protected from frost.

Thanks a lot.. nice grapes btw
How I can see which runner will produce huge bundles of grapes? Not that I'm hoping that'll be the case next year
I'll decide next year if I'll try to transform them as bonsai or not. But for sure I want to keep them for the

 

[Kadebe]

Walter has a really amazing Grape Bonsai.

Thanks.... wil search pictures of them

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

Thanks a lot.. nice grapes btw
How I can see which runner will produce huge bundles of grapes? Not that I'm hoping that'll be the case next year
I'll decide next year if I'll try to transform them as bonsai or not. But for sure I want to keep them for the

Pick the fattest one with the highest amount of nodes. Usually there are 3-6 that are similarly sized runners, all the rest can go anyways and pick one or two of those 3-6 to use for next years' crop.

On a small vine like that, you can expect some, but not buckets full of grapes.
Ours is (combined) 15 meters in length, roughly 50 foot. It produces three to four buckets of grapes every year. If we would fertilize and water, we would probably get more out of it, but seriously.. After the first bucket you're kind of done with them already.

 

[Kadebe]

Pick the fattest one with the highest amount of nodes. Usually there are 3-6 that are similarly sized runners, all the rest can go anyways and pick one or two of those 3-6 to use for next years' crop.

On a small vine like that, you can expect some, but not buckets full of grapes.
Ours is (combined) 15 meters in length, roughly 50 foot. It produces three to four buckets of grapes every year. If we would fertilize and water, we would probably get more out of it, but seriously.. After the first bucket you're kind of done with them already.

Thanks

 

[Starfox]

These need to grow so I agree with just enjoying them as grapes for a few years and once they start to bulk up then maybe make a choice to bonsai them or not.
I spent years in the Barossa Valley in Australia working grapes which is certainly different from bonsai culture or most backyard growers but a few general horticultural tips should apply.
Wait for winter when they are dormant to do things like repotting or large cut backs. I would do my structural pruning and wiring then and then just try and stay on top of the growth when it´s warmer. I´d want to get yours in larger pots at the least because they grow like wild when let go and that will help for sure. Unless you really want long runners to train over a trellace or something then you probably need to cut the runners back in late spring and maybe again over summer if you are trying to keep it compact.
As long as you have a free draining potting mix and keep the ferts and water up from spring into summer you should get grapes if that is your end game. Google 2 bud spur pruning for best practice for a crop.

All that said just let em grow for now, probably no need to do anything at the moment, up pot them in winter and let it grow again for a season and see where you are at.

 

[Kadebe]

These need to grow so I agree with just enjoying them as grapes for a few years and once they start to bulk up then maybe make a choice to bonsai them or not.
I spent years in the Barossa Valley in Australia working grapes which is certainly different from bonsai culture or most backyard growers but a few general horticultural tips should apply.
Wait for winter when they are dormant to do things like repotting or large cut backs. I would do my structural pruning and wiring then and then just try and stay on top of the growth when it´s warmer. I´d want to get yours in larger pots at the least because they grow like wild when let go and that will help for sure. Unless you really want long runners to train over a trellace or something then you probably need to cut the runners back in late spring and maybe again over summer if you are trying to keep it compact.
As long as you have a free draining potting mix and keep the ferts and water up from spring into summer you should get grapes if that is your end game. Google 2 bud spur pruning for best practice for a crop.

All that said just let em grow for now, probably no need to do anything at the moment, up pot them in winter and let it grow again for a season and see where you are at.

Thanks a lot.
Well, I' ll repot them by the end of this winter and let them grow. If I could transform them in a bonsai, I definitely choose that option.

I guess I'll use this thread to follow up, or should I make a new one in the appropiate tree forum? I can't see an option to change the directory of this thread

 

[just.wing.it]

Thanks.... wil search pictures of them

Bam!

Grape Vine #1

It already has a couple of small blossoms. I look forward to hopefully have grapes on this in three months.

www.bonsainut.com

Killer little tree imho.

 

[HorseloverFat]

There are, in addition to Walter’s, a few other REEEEALLY striking Vitis specimens in the ol archives.. I know I’ve seen ‘em.

I think @Starfox and @AZbonsai have some grapes... there are more good ones, too.

 

[Kadebe]

There are, in addition to Walter’s, a few other REEEEALLY striking Vitis specimens in the ol archives.. I know I’ve seen ‘em.

I think @Starfox and @AZbonsai have some grapes... there are more good ones, too.

Thanks,.. yup, found some of them

Vitis Vinefera

Well this is bigger than it looked in the pictures but still very cool. It's got some lovely twists on the trunk and some nice hollows and deadwood that can probably have something done to it. All in all a nice score I'd say. 500ml beer can for scale. I know lots of the in's and out's...

www.bonsainut.com

Vitis / Grape Bonsai

I picked up 4 beautiful old Vitis Vinifera vines today after seeing Harry Harrington's recent post about carving one. The plan is to keep 2 and sell 2 on. Pictures to follow if it ever stops raining, it's been raining pretty much constantly for the last 12 days. My allotment is flooded and...

www.bonsainut.com