Crash course on growing grapes

[TJsBasement]

I guess I'll use this as my vineyard thread. I got the nine table grapes in the ground, so project Yankee Vino Winery is underway. More pictures will be up soon as I mow the lawn/weeds, the yard is all fill put in at the end of last year so its more small weeds then grass right now.

This is a Concord about 12"

 

[TJsBasement]

Poor little guys are gonna freeze tonight. Will the bags help at all, weather channel has a "hard freeze" warning tonight, 3 hours in the 20's.

This photo is looking south and all the bushes are coming out or getting some serious love with a sawz all. My other spot is better, full sun dawn to dusk but the hill is a slight slope to the west.

 

[ibglowin]

Good luck, I tried that last year on my vines. Looked very much like yours with trash bags and all. We ended up dropping to 22 last year on April 9th IIRC. All the vines were toast.

We got yet another freeze in late April last year as well but they had not budded back from that so no extra damage. They bounced back fine and grew for the most part like weeds the rest of last Summer.

I think trash bags may work for a few degrees below freezing but probably not much below ~28 degrees or so. For colder than that perhaps get all the towels out of the house for extra added insulation!

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

alot too is how warm the ground is, the heat will rise into the bags to help keep from freezing. I agree with Ib, grab the towells and sheets to insulate.

 

[TJsBasement]

I was going to cover with them silver emergency blankets but I just didnt find the time and used materials at hand.

I got some LED grow lights to start them cuttings in a controlled environment, now I just need some hormone and a warming mat.

 

[TJsBasement]

Yep they got frostbite, do I clip off everything that's smushy. Hey the good news all the thistles are perfect.

 

[Randoneur]

I would not cut anything off, leave them alone and be very patient.
IMO the seller should have timed the shipment to you after your frost free date.

 

[TJsBasement]

It was my fault, got um at wally. Them days in the 80's tricked me. These 9 was an impulse buy and they are table grapes so I don't feel so bad about it.

I'll be using more protection for wine varieties and they are cuttings so by the time I root then pot then plant we will be well past the cold, I hope, then I'll learn what's next on the OH sh!t list.

 

[grapeman]

They should push a secondary bud alright. Don't worry too much at this point.

 

[Runningwolf]

We were warned NOT to use plastic but use sheets for frost protection.

 

[ibglowin]

Thats not what they taught us in High School!

We were warned NOT to use plastic but use sheets for protection.

 

[TJsBasement]

I'm hacking them bushes down and found some grape vines, frost didn't hurt them. Looks like little bunches of grapes all over it.

 

[grapeman]

Vitis Riparia or wild grape vines native to many areas of the US. They are very cold hardy and that is why they are used for hybrids to develop cold hardiness in vines. They aren't bothered as much by frosts and freezes. Those have really pushed quickly. The small things you see are embryonic flower clusters which will eventually become the clusters of grapes. Don't propagate them as they are very acidic. You can make wine from them but it isn't all that good.

 

[TJsBasement]

Too late, I have at least try and get some roots, a partial dry run if you will. Not sure if it can be identified from this tiny leaf but Im looking now. The leafs are covered in a tiny cobweb lookin stuff and the stems have a pealing waxy something on um.

 

[TJsBasement]

I found another book about growing grapes, it goes a bit deeper into the why not only what. It's "The Grape Grower" by Lon Rombough. I gave it a quick buzz over and just starting to really read it now. I punched his name in and loads of stuff come up so I figure he knows whats up.

I got a few cuttings started, the concord must have gotten too warm in shipping or something because I got bud break on all 11 sticks but no callus, in the cool basement I have them in a heavy perlite topsoil mix in 4" x 12" pvc pipe and reptile heat wire wrapped all around the outside of the PVC. I have also started a bunch of the wild vine cuttings, maybe play around with grafting.

 

[grapeman]

Good luck with them. Interesting method for heating them.

Lon had a lot of information and much of it is good for you. Unfortunately he passed away a few months ago. He will be missed in the vineyard community.

 

[TJsBasement]

I looked for heating mats local but the only thing I could find was small ones at the hydro store for like 40 bucks a piece and I would need a bunch so the heat wire is working for the moment but needs replaced with something like you have. I didn't plan to start this yet but with the buds breaking and a few other types look to have some swelling going on I'm being forced to do it right now. The Catawba look like they are only a day or two from popping.

 

[TJsBasement]

Yep I completely lost my mind, ordered 20 raspberry plants kiwi gold, cumberland black and latham red, 4 types of strawberry plants and I'm looking for something else, maybe some tall nut or fruit trees.

My grape cuttings look to be doing great, the cold basement just about stopped the bud break and I pulled one out and it had about 1" of what I could only guess was root. Maybe another week and I'll start shining some led light on um, the raspberries love the LEDs, the first set of leaves that grew sense I received them are just about laying on the old ones.

Can you believe I cant find a small chipper anywhere local, had to order one for the skid steer.

 

[grapeman]

I think you are just coming to your senses now ordering all those plants. With some property, you need to grow something on it- might as well be winemaking and piemaking supplies, right?

 

[TJsBasement]

All this is going on at my house, right around 1 acre total with a large house on that one acre, jammin an crammin , the strawberries are going on a really hard to mow bank and I plan to put the raspberry in the not perfect sun spots. I ordered a couple books on sustainable food farming on very small plots and indoor/green house, so maybe they have some good tips about maximizing space.

All of a sudden I feel a need to grow fruits and stuff not even for wine but just to do it. Must be all the beautiful stuff I see you guys growing.

Quick stop at Double A and I now also have Anne yellow raspberry and all 3 color currant on order. Of all these plant some have to grow right.