Grapes, dormancy and green leaves wilting at hard freeze
 

I established three 2-yr grape vvines this year. This will be my first
winter. I have some concerns...

One of them had a green supple leaves until we had a hard freeze two
days ago. One had fall-colored leaves like any tree, and the third had
shed its leaves already.

My concern is the green-leafed one. All the supple green leaves are
now wilted and limp (we are sustaining cold under 30 degrees
throughout the night day). Does this hurt the plant? I'm thinking it
got too much water at its location and didn't shut down properly for
winter.

NExt up is the location I placed two of them is not good. The sun and
support is great, but the water isn't. The overhang of the house is
too much and everything on that strip is not getting enough water from
nature. How should I handle this for winter? I'm thinking I should
handle it as if I'm overwintering it indoors. Maybe water them once a
month?

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/

DigitalVinyl wrote:

All the supple green leaves are
now wilted and limp (we are sustaining cold under 30 degrees
throughout the night day). Does this hurt the plant?

Nope. A killing frost will make the leaves wilt and kill them. This is
normal.

Look at the canes. were they tan or brown before the freeze or green. If
they were brown, then they probably have already hardened off and the cold
did not nor will it hurt the vine. If they were green and now are sort of
soft and mushy, then they are probably dead.

"Paul E. Lehmann" wrote:

DigitalVinyl wrote:

All the supple green leaves are
now wilted and limp (we are sustaining cold under 30 degrees
throughout the night day). Does this hurt the plant?

Nope. A killing frost will make the leaves wilt and kill them. This is
normal.

Look at the canes. were they tan or brown before the freeze or green. If
they were brown, then they probably have already hardened off and the cold
did not nor will it hurt the vine. If they were green and now are sort of
soft and mushy, then they are probably dead.

Thanks. Most of the canes were already a dark reddish brown and hard.
Towards the growing tips were the only green stems. They aren't mushy
but if the tips die i'm not too worried. I let them grow too long
anyway.


DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/

DigitalVinyl wrote:


Thanks. Most of the canes were already a dark reddish brown and hard.
Towards the growing tips were the only green stems. They aren't mushy
but if the tips die i'm not too worried. I let them grow too long
anyway.

How are you going to prune them in the spring - cane pruning or cordon /
spur pruning?

If you are unsure how to properly prune, I suggest you get the inexpensive
book titled "From Vines to Wine" by Jeff Cox. You might even be able to
pick up a used copy at amazon.com It is one of the best books I have
found on growing, training and pruning grapes with lots of line drawings
illustrating the concepts.

"Paul E. Lehmann" wrote:

DigitalVinyl wrote:


Thanks. Most of the canes were already a dark reddish brown and hard.
Towards the growing tips were the only green stems. They aren't mushy
but if the tips die i'm not too worried. I let them grow too long
anyway.

How are you going to prune them in the spring - cane pruning or cordon /
spur pruning?

If you are unsure how to properly prune, I suggest you get the inexpensive
book titled "From Vines to Wine" by Jeff Cox. You might even be able to
pick up a used copy at amazon.com It is one of the best books I have
found on growing, training and pruning grapes with lots of line drawings
illustrating the concepts.

I'm still unsure. From reading about, fruit is only produced on shoots
growing from one-year-old canes. This was the first year planted
(although they were supposedly two year roots).

The way they are now they have curved over eachother in a bow forming
an archway against the side of the house and railings. (They arch over
a stone alcove). I need to build trellis or something else to better
hold weight from grapes for next year.

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...27.jpg&.src=ph

One run on the right from the grapes grabbed a hold of a nearby tomato
plant and wound its way up to the top of the porch (12-15ft high). It
latched onto all the support strings as well as the tomato vine. I've
since taken the tomato down but I'm not sure about that grape vine.

I've heard that the longer the vine the smaller the grapes? True?

I do have BOUNTIFUL CONTAINER GARDENING which has been an excellent
book and covers grapes. I'll look for the Jeff Cox book although I'm
not interested in winemaking at all. I can't drink the stuff.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/

DigitalVinyl wrote:


I've heard that the longer the vine the smaller the grapes? True?

I do have BOUNTIFUL CONTAINER GARDENING which has been an excellent
book and covers grapes. I'll look for the Jeff Cox book although I'm
not interested in winemaking at all. I can't drink the stuff.

Only part of the book deals with making wine. The other part pertains to
planning, planting, trellising and pruning. Unless you prune properly, you
will have a MESS next year and it will keep getting worse in subsequent
years