Help! With Grapes

[GrapeEater]

I planted my first 2 grape plants this spring. I am guessing it's called a cane but it was just a woody stem with no leaves and some roots. I read up on how to plant them and just follow the directions. We clay soil so I added some peat moss in the hole and around the roots. And gave the roots ample space in the hole I planted them in.

Things started out great and after a week or 2 they both started buds and grew 2-3 leaves. After a week of having a stem they both turned brown and died............ I kept them watered every other day and kept weeds back from around the stem. They are planted in full sun around the base of my wood arbor. I even started them with a little bit of fertilizer that I researched was good for planting grapes.

I have 2 questions:

Are my grape plants now dead? and do I have to start over?

What do you think went wrong? and what do I have to do to correct this so it doesn't happen again?

My stems are both bare no leaves no buds at the moment...


Thanks for the help!

Ben

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Grapes like well drained soil, clay is not that way. You may have over watered them. Take your fingernail or a knife and scrape just a bit (about 1/4") of stem and see if it is green underneith, if it is hold back on the water. If not, go ahead and dig it up and check the roots, if they are soft and full re plant it. it not its dead.
I planted about 100 plants last year and lost almost all if them from not watering, this year we are again very low on rain, I only water them ( the new plants) once a week ( sandy soil) and they are doing great.
Good luck

BTW, welcome to the forum!

 

[grapeman]

What variety of vines were they. Chances are they were bareroot vines. If they were just a twig and had no roots, they can start to grow and then die because the roots never formed. A good bareroot vine will have roots 18-36 inches long. How long were yours. You could have also burned the vines with the fertilizer. How much and what type of fertilizer was it?

 

[bigdrums2]

Ditto to the above. Your vines are more than likely dead as grapes will not grow new bids.

 

[tatud4life]

I too have clay soil and have no problem with mine. I didn't put any peat moss or fertilizer in the hole. Mine were bare root and had a good root system already established. I agree with grapeman. Check for green and that should let you know what your next course of action should be. Good luck to you buddy! Although clay soil does not drain well, it does have good ph which grapes love. At least mine did any way.

 

[GrapeEater]

I forgot what type of grapes I planted.... one was a regular purple grape and the other was a green grape... I just scratched the surface and it was green underneath... The type I planted had roots already. I do not remember off hand the analysis of the fertilizer something like 8-2-4 or something. I did not use much of it at all. So since it was green in the center I am guessing it is still alive? I will only water once a week from this point on. I hope they will sprout new buds... or does this not happen?

 

[bigdrums2]

If you have no buds produce, then your grapes are done for....however you can bury them in light soil and sand mix and perhaps get lucky. Grapes will not produce new buds. Also do make sure your secondary buds are not used up. Sometimes they will come through.

 

[tatud4life]

The only fertilizer that I use is triple 10. I will also use calcium nitrate once a month. Mine seem to love it! I lucked up with my land. Although it is clay, I am on a slope so whatever won't drain through the rest usually runs down the slope.

 

[GrapeEater]

Well I didn't really want to but I guess I am going back to the store and buying 2 more plants... along with some sand and compost... hope I have better luck the 2nd time around. Any other advice for me would really be appreciated! I plan on going to the store tomorrow!

thanks,

Ben

 

[bigdrums2]

Where do you love? It could be that whatever store you go to sells the completely wrong variety. I am continually amazed at places like home depot and lowes that sell vines that wouldn't last a season down where I live (deep south) some do better in certain areas. Plus, are you wanting to make wine or fresh eating-different grapes are used for that. There are probably some people on this forum (or the winepress.com/forum is a good one) that live close to you and can say what works for them. That to me is the first battle - the right variety.

 

[tatud4life]

Bigdrums, I can't tell you where I love. That is too personal! Lmao!!!! I have to agree with you though. I stopped by a local nursery and they didn't even know what kind of raspberry plants they had. It amazes me how some people stay in business.

Grapeeater, there are some very good resources to check and see which variety is cold hardy for your area. Ison's is a good one for muscadines. This would be a good place to get info on other varieties. Just google cold hardiness charts for grapes.

Bigdrums, how far in the deep south do you live? I live in northeast Tennessee.

 

[bigdrums2]

I live in central Mississippi. I used to love in sw Virginia- good wine country. You have a good bit of options. Red grape vines like norton and chambourcin would probably be great. White maybe traminette, Cayuga, Vidal blanc might work. Of course if you are just doing a handful of vines, try anything, but if you are putting up good money go with some of these which are better in disease resistance. Also Virginia tech has developed some grapes - alwood and rougeon are two so you might could check with them. I tried to grow Zinfandel in Mississippi last year and even with spraying it was a complete failure. Now I've got other vines doing great.

 

[tatud4life]

Thanks!!! Have you gotten much rain this year? We are not getting any. We have been staying around 90 degrees for almost a month now and everything is turning brown. Except for my vines and berry bushes. I make sure they get watered daily. About 4 years ago, my wife and I stumbled upon muscadines at a local produce stand. We fell in love with them. I started growing them the next year. I only have 3 vines right now, but hopefully the guy that lives behind me will let me use his land to plant some more. He doesn't use it for anything. Hopefully, I can plant at least 3 rows of 20 vines. Maybe some more blackberries and raspberries.

 

[GrapeEater]

I live in Michigan. I want to grow table grapes but I also want to try to make wine eventually. More so just for the experience than for making excellent wine. I am going to get 2 more plants today and get them in the ground. I hope it's not to late in the season to plant. I hope the store still has them for sale... I will find out after church.

I am assuming I killed them by over watering. I just barely scratched the surface of the woody stem and it was really really green. I didn't realize this would kill the plant... (live and learn)

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

I am assuming I killed them by over watering. I just barely scratched the surface of the woody stem and it was really really green. I didn't realize this would kill the plant... (live and learn)

If you only scratch off about 1/4 of an inch, it won't hurt the plants. If that was the case all mine would be dead.

Over watering is most likely the problem, with them sitll being green, hold back on the water and see if they come back. I had a few plants from last year I thought were dead and they came back this spring.

 

[GrapeEater]

How long should I wait to see new buds? I want to make sure I have some growing this season. I have a pretty big wood arbor I was just going to plat 2 plants on but maybe I will do 4. Leave the 2 that I think are dead and plant 2 new ones... worst case I have 4 on the same arbor.

Also a side question. My wood arbor is 6 feet tall and then I have posts going across the top. Will the main grape vine go that high and then branch out across the top?

 

[GrapeEater]

Well no more grape plants for sale at the store.... guess I am stuck hoping that these ones sprout new buds... if not I have to start over next year.

 

[bigdrums2]

Thanks!!! Have you gotten much rain this year? We are not getting any. We have been staying around 90 degrees for almost a month now and everything is turning brown. Except for my vines and berry bushes. I make sure they get watered daily. About 4 years ago, my wife and I stumbled upon muscadines at a local produce stand. We fell in love with them. I started growing them the next year. I only have 3 vines right now, but hopefully the guy that lives behind me will let me use his land to plant some more. He doesn't use it for anything. Hopefully, I can plant at least 3 rows of 20 vines. Maybe some more blackberries and raspberries.

We have been fairly dry but then we get torrential downpours like crazy. I guess that comes from being close to the gulf. The good thing is that once the vines and bushes have been established for a year then you shouldn't have to water them too much. Check out double a nursery - they might have some vines still in stock to send plus plenty of information. Oh and grape vines will have no problem covering a 6 foot arbor- they will go 30 feet if they have something to climb on!

 

[bigdrums2]

Muscadine is great though, especially for the south. I have four and they don't need spraying, watering much and can stand our 100 plus temp. days, plus great fruit!

 

[GrapeEater]

it says everything is out of stock at double a