Grapevine care

kcult

kcult

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I have a grapevine that failed to take off, and for about a decade, we've just been cutting it when we cut the grass.

This year, it seemed a little lively, so I spread some of my quail poop compost around it, and it seems to have taken off. It's only been a few weeks growing now.

What can I do to it this fall and winter, so that it takes up where it leaves off (ha!) this year?

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Do you want it to grow there or you wanting to move it? The type of grape vine will determine how it needs to be trained/pruned.

Is that a concord type or muscadine?
 
hp468 said:
Do you want it to grow there or you wanting to move it? The type of grape vine will determine how it needs to be trained/pruned.

Is that a concord type or muscadine?
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I'm fine with it growing there.

Now, look. I might be able to identify trees at a glance, but I ain't no good at telling one grapevine from another.

That being said, I started this from a seed, way back then, and I'm thinking it was from some them muscadine ones.
 
I’d put a stake or pole next to it to start training the vine up. Just let it grow.

How are you wanting it to grow/look?

Mine are on wire between posts, 5’ tall, two 10’ cordons extending from each side of the trunk.
 
Give it something to climb so it is not laying on the ground. I use treated 4x4's or cedar post spaced at 20' with the vine in the middle and have 2 - 9 ga hi tensile wires at 30" and 60" stretched between the post. I use screw in ground anchors at each end and hi tensile wire with tensioners to keep it all tight.
 
beamernc said:
Give it something to climb so it is not laying on the ground. I use treated 4x4's or cedar post spaced at 20' with the vine in the middle and have 2 - 9 ga hi tensile wires at 30" and 60" stretched between the post. I use screw in ground anchors at each end and hi tensile wire with tensioners to keep it all tight.
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Same as us, except I only have one horizontal wire at 5’.

Old timer that owns a vineyard told me you get larger fruit yields keeping it to two cordons on muscadines. No idea if there’s any truth to that though.
 
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So, nothing in particular I need to do with this young growth to help it survive the colder months. Just get it off the ground?

That's not meant to sound prickish, but I've tried growing this before, with the posts, etc., only for it to die off in the winter and only grow from ground level the following year. Like, what was suspended wouldn't sprout.
 
hp468 said:
Same as us, except I only have one horizontal wire at 5’.

Old timer that owns a vineyard told me you get larger fruit yields keeping it to two cordons on muscadines. No idea if there’s any truth to that though.
Click to expand...
Not sure either, but we typically get plenty of fruit.

Here is a sheet "developing pruning muscadines from Ison's out of Georgia.
 

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Keep it watered, IIRC I alternated 10-10-10 and calcium nitrate every two weeks, iirc 1/4 cup of each the first year up to oct or sept.

You need to train the longest growth to run up, keep suckers and other growth cut back.
 
Bird manure is dang good fertilizer … rabbit pellets are even better (they are easier to shovel and don’t smell as bad).
 
kcult said:
So, nothing in particular I need to do with this young growth to help it survive the colder months. Just get it off the ground?

That's not meant to sound prickish, but I've tried growing this before, with the posts, etc., only for it to die off in the winter and only grow from ground level the following year. Like, what was suspended wouldn't sprout.
Click to expand...
I have an old publication that my dad got on growing grapes and muscadines I'll see if I can find.
If so I'll scan and post it here.

I remember he would get carbon steel shavelings and spread them around his vines, they need lots of iron.

Check SC & NC ag depts and see if they have pamphlets available.
 

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while we are at it, why would a mature muscadine vine never produce fruit? I planted it about 10 years ago from seeds out of a wild grape I picked.
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Catfish said:
while we are at it, why would a mature muscadine vine never produce fruit? I planted it about 10 years ago from seeds out of a wild grape I picked.
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May not be self fertile.

To add to this, if your wanting vines for fruit production it’s really best to just buy good varieties from Ison or another good nursery. They have been cultivated for the purpose of bearing fruit and/or specific sugar contents.

With wild harvested seeds you have no way of knowing what kind of plant or fruit yield you will wind up with.

I have the following we purchased from Ison.

Ison
Darlene
Nobile
Southland
Scuppernong
Pineapple

If I were to do it again I’d plant only scuppernongs, isons, and Darlenes.
 
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Our muscadine and scuppernongs thrive in the same dirt that’ll barely grow our garden. They’re well established though with 4” diameter bases at ground level. Ton of work in the winter trimming them back to just the 3 longest vines.
 
We planted 2 years ago, and one made it to year two. Third year it tripled in size with no care, no, several years later with basically no care other than being forced to make a trellis.....it's probably 25' long now...but the birds and the bears always get the grapes.

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Pogue said:
Our muscadine and scuppernongs thrive in the same dirt that’ll barely grow our garden. They’re well established though with 4” diameter bases at ground level. Ton of work in the winter trimming them back to just the 3 longest vines.
Click to expand...

I prune mine all the way back to the cordons only leaving two node stubs, every winter. Just thinned them up last week so the sun can reach the fruit. I have a pickup load of vines to burn, they grow like wildfire!
 
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