Grapes from potted vines

[Poolboy888]

Hi All,

I understand that grapes will not be produced from vines in pots.

Question to the experienced Viticulture professionals, or somebody who knows!

How long can you establish vines in a pot to develop them before they need to be planted and then they can produce grapes.

For example if vines were grown in pots for 2 or 3 years and then transplanted will they produce grapes. If they will transfer does having them in pots for a few years effect the yield from each vine.

Cheers

 

[grapeman]

I wouldn't say they will never produce, but production will certainly be limited. A lot of how long you can grow them in containers depends on the size. Are they one gallon pots or 5 bushel pots? Makes a huge difference. They will transplant fine, but will not be regular soil grown vines for a while after planting in the soil. It might be possible to begin fruiting the first year of planting, but I would limit the production long enough for the roots to establish themselves well to provide more nutrition to the vines.

 

[salcoco]

field planted vines can have roots of 8ft in diameter and 8ft in depth. takes a few years to get tothis condition. I would think pot grown vines would be very limited in production.

 

[blumentopferde]

I've seen vines in pots that carried grapes. So it definitely is possible. The pots had about the size of the vines but I guess the production limits are more a matter of fertilization than of pot size...

 

[peaches9324]

I had dug up a vine last year cuz the year before I planted in the wrong place so I thought well I'll just transplant it MAN O MAN the roots went on forever! 6 and 7 feet this and that way! I got most of them and decided to cut at the roots if I loose this one vine... chalk it up to experience! But it's been doing fine so far and it's a good thing I blanketed them heavily with straw this past fall!

 

[ColemanM]

I grew two chards and two Riesling in clay planters about 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 by 2 1/2. Boy were they a pain to bring in to my basement when winter in Minnesota hit!! Snow hit hard and early two years ago and my first seasons growth off one year bare root vines did well so I brought them into the basement cause I could being them up a hill and around to the garage to cold store them for the winter. They started bleeding in January and budded in feb an I got about 1/3 gallon of juice out of the four. Hand pollinated them. Tossed them outside for the summer and brought them inside this winter again hoping for the same if not better crop. No dice!! The problem with pots is I forgot which cane got the sunshine and which didn't. The sun drenched canes produce the most fruit. To make a long story short "too late!" They will grow but you need to be very precise about pruning! Or you will waste an entire year waiting for your next crop.


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[ColemanM]

P.s. just re read your post. Man!! If I pulled the vines out of the pots, after three years there wouldn't be any soil!! Just roots. Why not just propagate more vines from your potted plant instead of transplanting it? Unless you cut it back to two buds on the trunk and retrain it, I really see no benefit.


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