Potted Vines

[Rocky_Top]

I would like to grow my own grape vines. Most of my land is wooded. I have one space in the middle of the yard that would grow grape vines. My wife has chosen this space for a gazebo.

Think of this: ---- A 20 foot octagon raised one foot off the ground in stone work.---- 3x3 pots in each corner with post in the middle raising up to hold an octogon trellis overhead. ( It would look like a gazebo with a vine roof.)


I know that it would be hard to pick the grages. I can build the structure.

Will the vines grow in a pot? Will theyflourish at a 30% angle?

 

[grapeman]

This is a tough one and I will be somewhat discouraging, but I'm just trying to help you get some grapes for all your hard work. GRAPES DO NOT LIKE POTS. They have a very spreading root system that does not like confinement-even if generous. It is very hard to get them to thrive once contained and they rarely bear fruit. I might suggest doing exactly like you say, but leave the corners open instead of big pots. You could plant a grape in each corner in the soil and cover with stone chips. That way the grapes utilize the native soil and their roots can grow unimpeded. They will grow well up the sides and top like you want. They could care less about angles. They will even grow back down if desired. They will need some trimming each year, back to a sor of skeleton, leaving some of the small wood grown the previous year- in order to bear much fruit.


The only thing that won't work well with the project is the pots. Good luck and let us know how it progresses no matter how you decide to do it.

 

[Rocky_Top]

I think thatthis is a project for next sping. Thank you for the help. If the vines can gow up a nine foot post then I should not have a problem. I will keep you posted with pictures. Thanks

 

[grapeman]

Good luck Rocky Top. The vines might and might not make it ina single season, but they will surely grow much more than nine feet. Second year vnes here typically can grow 6-15 feet in a single season-naturally most of that is pruned off every year, but in your case you can keep a lot of it until you get the basic structure done.