Grapes are often ignored in home gardens, and yet are one of the most widely produced fruit in the world—as well as beautifully ornamental plants. We have plenty of tips for growing grapes in your own backyard.
Grape vines not only produce sweet and versatile fruits, they add an element of drama to a garden or landscape. They are vigorous growers, and with the proper pruning, they will produce fruit with ease and can last longer than 30 years.
There are three different types of grapes: American (V. labrusca), European (V. viniferia), and North American native Muscadine (V. rotundifolia). American grapes are the most cold-hardy, while European grapes, usually more for wine than the table, do well in warm, dry, Mediterranean type zones. Hybrids are available. Thick skinned Muscadines thrive in the South.
Make sure you purchase grape vines from a reputable nursery. Vigorous, 1-year-old plants are best. Smaller, sometimes weaker, 1-year-old plants are often held over by the nursery to grow another year and are then sold as 2-year-old stock. Obtain certified virus-free stock when possible.
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Wilting of Leaves of Grape Cuttings
I have planted grapevine cuttings at my home nursery in month of mid-February 2018.
After 3 weeks buds are appearing and turns into leaves which after 3-4 days they start wilting and the whole bud dries and falls.
Can anybody advise me to overcome the situation?
Grapevine Cuttings
Make sure the cuttings are getting enough water. Keep them out of direct afternoon sunlight if possible, as it may be too hot for young plants that are just getting started.
Grape cuttings
Hey, I have been doing grape cuttings for awhile now. I have had my best luck when I take the cutting, soak in water for an hour, dip the cutting in rooting hormone, place the cutting in a plastic bag containing moist peat moss or a similar medium. I close the plastic bag and place it somewhere dark and warm. In about one month, the cutting will have callused and have roots developing and likely buds forming. When you have the roots and buds forming then plant in a pot in indirect sunlight. Let it grow a little longer before moving outside, when the weather allows it. The callusing part has been critical for my success.
Helpful Post
Hello,
Thank you for this post! it is timely.My name is Eyaalada,I am from Nigeria.
I am considering starting a grape farm but I am not sure if it will work for me since my continent wasn't mentioned. Kindly furnish me with the necessary info.
Best Regards,
Eyaalada Akari
Grape cultivation
Hello,
I am planning to cultivate grapes in 5 acres of my farm in Bijapur, Karnataka (India). Actually its very dry and very very hot, with very less water. Need your advice for the following:
1. What fertilizer should I apply while planting dog ridge.
2. How much water should I apply (it would be good if you give me age-wise chart of water application in ltrs)
3. What are main virus and its remedies.
Right now only these questions. If and when I have more queries I would write to you.
Thanks
Partho
Grapes
I have 1 single grape planted in our back yard. It has been there for more than 20 years and was there when we purchased the home in San Diego Ca. This last year we had a ton of grapes and harvested them in late September or early October 2017. I have since then pruned back for my next growing season. Now in the end of November I have clusters of grapes sprouting. Is this normal? I have never experienced this. They normally start in the summer. Thanks.
comment
this website is very useful.
i am looking forward to learn more
Using tree stumps as supports?
I know this is a completely off the wall idea and perhaps you'll tell me I'm nuts but I have to ask: I recently cut down 3 birch trees that died due to drought, but left the stumps tall (6-8') with the idea of creating visual interest with a climbing plant(s). This is in my front yard so visual appeal is important. I dug a circular hole between the trees and chopped away tree roots down about 1'. The soil is loose even down around the tree roots, not hard pack. Do you think I could train a single Concord grape vine to grow up the trunks? Perhaps using chicken wire or similar as support? Thanks.
grape supports
Interesting idea! If you train one plant up a tall stump, then it will need something for the tendrils to cling to and support the weight. Chicken wire wrapped around the trunk can help, or a series, perhaps, of eyebolts top to bottom along a trunk, where vertical wires are threaded to which you can tie the stem as it is trained to grow upward. Are these locations in areas with enough sunlight? Are the 3 birches remaining in the ground, and if so, are they close together enough to tie horizontal support wires between 2 or 3 to act as training for lateral branches of the grapevine? Horizontal wires may help with training if you are interested in higher yields, but for just a decorative accent, it is worth a try to have the vine simply grow up the trunk (with support). Good luck!
10 year old grape vines
my grapes this year have produced a hugh amount of beautiful grapes,,now half of them have stopped ripening,,i made lots and lots of jelly from them but they just stopped turning color,,,what is my problem....thanks ht
Grapes not Ripening
Do the unripe grapes occur within the same clusters as the ripe ones? This phenomenon is called “uneven ripening” and is most commonly caused by “overcropping,” which is when the vine has produced more grape clusters than it can possibly ripen in one season. In other words, your grape vine may have already reached its physical limit for grape production this year! To prevent overcropping, it’s recommended to prune excess buds in the late winter. A grape vine may start out with 200+ buds, so cutting that back to around 100 buds would be best. This will result in fewer grapes overall, but when done correctly, it will produce better quality grapes.
Additional planting and training advice
I live in northern Utah (zone 6/7ish) and am looking at adding grapes to my current small orchard of apple, pears, plums, etc... I am looking at ordering Muscat grapes and maybe another variety or two. The nursery I order from sells them in a "bundle of three. My first question (and my assumption is) they are 3 separate plants that are to be planted individually, not in a grouping as is with melons?
My second question is: is there a preferred, better, or best trellis or support system for the vines. I see posts with wire, I've seen hog wire used, fancy wood trellises, etc... is there a particular one that is better for maintaining and harvesting.
Thanks
Planting and training
Ryan, you will find detailed info on spacing the vines above and be sure to click on the Trellis or Arbor link for details on the differences.
Grapes
I have a mature 8 year old vineyard section in the house that I got in Middleburg, VA. It has grapes on it however the leaves are yellowing, and it was overgrown until I got here. I took out the weeds that were growing between the vines however I'm trying my hardest to save it. Any tips on daily or monthly care to make sure that they survive?
Grapes
Hi Caitlyn,
There are a number of reasons the leaves are turning yellow, but all are from deficiencies of different nutrients or minerals. Go to your local cooperative extension to get a soil test and see what you’re missing: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services. Also, a bag of compost spread around the root bases never hurt!
Thanks
Thank you
Yellowing of leaves
Not sure what to do for my grapvines.i like in Southeastern Washington, wine country! They are 2 years old and in a large wood bottomless box below our pergola with sufficient drainage into the ground underneath. They've been fine these last 2 years until today. There's a good handful of leaves that are yellowing in a speckled pattern and some of the veins are not green. I recently used Miracle grow to fertilize but it was just once and 2 weeks ago. I'm worried I'll lose them. Please advise. Thanks so much!
yellowing leaves
If the yellowing is sporadic and nonuniform, then it may be an iron or magnesium deficiency. However, there are many reasons for vine leaves to yellow. If plants begin to fail, have your soil tested for nutrient deficiencies by your area cooperative extension (find it here: http://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services). Fertilizer is good if it contains what the plant needs; soil quality is paramount.
We hope this helps.
Bark breaking down
3 summers ago I planted some seeds from grapes I purchased and ate. Never expecting anything. The following summer I noticed growth in the area and realized one of the grape seeds actually began to grow. Reached a foot and half and made it through our harsh winter in Chicago. Year 2. It's growing at a rapid pace and up to almost 3 foot. Yesterday I noticed that the bark at the root system was breaking down and about a foot and a half the bark is like beginning to peel can't find any info out there and grown attached to this vine. Please advise.
Bark Peeling off Grape Vine
In mature grape vines, it’s normal for the outer layer of bark to sometimes crack or peel off, which is a sign that the vine is growing and “bursting at the seams,” so to speak. Another cause of bark-peeling is frost damage, but because the problem is occurring now, mid-summer, this seems unlikely. A third possibility could be that your vine is getting too much moisture. Does your vine have a lot of mulch or soil around it’s base? If so, try pushing it back from the stem to allow the base to get more air and less moisture.
Concord Grapes, don't appear to be fruiting, overgrown
Hi, I was not home to prune my grapes last year or this spring thus they are overgrown, and do not appear to be fruiting. There are some clusters that appear to be flowers. Should I prune back now or wait til fall or early spring. I don't wish to damage the vines. Three years ago the vines had very nice grapes on them. The vine is about five years old. I live in southern British Columbia-Okanagan Similkameen.
Pruning Grapes
It would be best to wait to prune until late spring (March or April). At that time, vines will still be mostly dormant, but you will be able to tell which canes are alive from emerging leaf buds. Just let them grow and gather energy this year, then prune in the spring and hope for grapes in the summer!
growing vines
Thanks for the information but can these vines grow in Uganda? I could like to try.
Growing Grapes in Uganda
We are based in North America, so we can’t be sure about gardening outside of our region. However, Uganda seems to have relatively even temperatures throughout the year, which means grapes shouldn’t have trouble growing there. Try to find a local gardener to ask about the best varieties for your area.
zone 8 b
I planted 3 different varieties of grapes (2 of each) all in different areas. They all died and I followed the pruning schedule. In zone 8 B, I understand there are only certain grapes to grow and do well. You list many varieties but don't say which ones are good in zone 8B and zone 9.
grapes for zones 8B and 9
Sorry to hear that the grapes died; it’s always wise to consider zone hardiness. Yo have a point about our not noting the zones for the varieties named and we’ll look into that; be assured that there are far more varieties than are named here—and that can be named here. For that reason, we advise you to consult a cooperative extension for more local guidance; find your state here and make contact with the nearest extension service as directed.
It may be more than the variety/zone hardiness that is at issue. Often soil quality, moisture, and disease are involved, too.
We hope this helps.
Growing vine up existing tree as support
I have wine grapevine cuttings from a mature (decades old) plant growing in the backyard. Recent changes in the garden layout mean I have to start a new vine someplace else in the yard. There's this young avo tree (~3m tall, sturdy stem) growing in a prime position with ample soil around it.
So my question is, do you think it would be a good idea to grow the vine at the base of the avo tree and train it up the tree as a support?
Extra info
Forgot to mention, I live in Cape Town, South Africa.
grape support
Although it sounds like an interesting idea, probably both vine and tree would be better off if the grape was supported by a manmade support system. Concerns include competition for light and nutrients; weight of the grape vine on the young tree; and access to the vine for training, pruning etc.
Planting of grapes
Got very useful information. Will like to embark on grapes farming in Nigeria , and will need guidance into it. How do you get the roots or stem to plants. Need information on planting of grapes, peaches, apples and other fruits that are not common in Nigeria. I have acquired some plots of land but need the technical know how and the materials to plant. Thanks
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