Decided to go for soft fruit and vines this year instead of my usual
veggies. Most things storming away already but the new grapevines are
being very slow. One seems to have buds now but the other seems a bit,
well, stick-like. A gentle bark scrape reveals that it is alive.
Should I just wait and see?

taz wrote:
Decided to go for soft fruit and vines this year instead of my usual
veggies. Most things storming away already but the new grapevines are
being very slow. One seems to have buds now but the other seems a bit,
well, stick-like. A gentle bark scrape reveals that it is alive.
Should I just wait and see?

Definitely wait and see. From what I remember, our grape vine (Canon
Hall) took three years to produce fruit under glass. It did arrive
with us as a much smaller plant than we'd expected but give it time.
While the Romans did grow them in Yorkshire, they're not exactly native
plants. ;-)
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

"taz" wrote in message
oups.com...
Decided to go for soft fruit and vines this year instead of my usual
veggies. Most things storming away already but the new grapevines are
being very slow. One seems to have buds now but the other seems a bit,
well, stick-like. A gentle bark scrape reveals that it is alive.
Should I just wait and see?

Yes. It's not warmed enough outside yet. I have two in the GH that have started
growing, but it was 30 degrees out there yesterday :~)

Jenny

"taz" wrote in message
oups.com...
Decided to go for soft fruit and vines this year instead of my usual
veggies. Most things storming away already but the new grapevines are
being very slow. One seems to have buds now but the other seems a bit,
well, stick-like. A gentle bark scrape reveals that it is alive.
Should I just wait and see?

Grape vines are not a 'do it this year' crop.

They generally take several years to establish, and also should not normally
be allowed to fruit in the first year.

As noted by others, it is still early for grape vines to be showing much
activity; our established vines are still just showing buds.

Later in the year you will no doubt wonder why you worried - once they get
going they produce a lot of growth.

This has to be controlled to establish a strong vine capable of bearing
fruit in subsequent years.

Also, do not expect a large yield per vine, especially in the early years.

ISTR that commercial grape vines only produce a few bunches each - it takes
a lot of vines to produce a barrel of wine.

One alternative crop is vine leaves - as used in Greek cooking.

Evey year I mean to try the young leaves, but each year I forget.

HTH

Dave R

I knew that they wouldn't be croppale this year - just liek
strawberries. Hate having to be patient, but there you go. As an
update, one is not definitely budding away nicely, but the same parts
of the other one appear to have gone black and hard... Problem?

Oooh - the gooseberries are starting to flower already!

Sorry, that should read "NOW budding away nicely."

Digital dyslexia...

"Taz" wrote in message
ups.com...
I knew that they wouldn't be croppale this year - just liek
strawberries. Hate having to be patient, but there you go. As an
update, one is not definitely budding away nicely, but the same parts
of the other one appear to have gone black and hard... Problem?

Possible problem - I would expect there to be some sign of a swelling bud.

Nut brown is good for the wood.

Black and shrunken is not.

You will have to wait a few more weeks before you can be sure that there is
a problem, though.

Are both the same variety?
Some varieties are earlier than others.

Best of luck.

Dave R

Different varieties, but I did notice that the black hardness seemed to
coincide with a frost and the cover had blown off. Maybe I should
replace the plant and put it in a tub to see what it does without
wasting a year?

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 David W.E. Roberts wrote:

"Taz" wrote in message
oups.com...
I knew that they wouldn't be croppale this year - just liek
strawberries. Hate having to be patient, but there you go. As an
update, one is not definitely budding away nicely, but the same parts
of the other one appear to have gone black and hard... Problem?

Possible problem - I would expect there to be some sign of a swelling bud.

Depends on the variety. Some of mine are still pretty dormant while on
others the buds are beginning to swell.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 Taz wrote:

Quick update - I think there's a couple of new buds forming at the
base. Is this likely?

Quite likely. Suggests that the upper growth is dead.

David

--
David Rance http://www.mesnil.demon.co.uk
Fido Address: 2:252/110 writing from Caversham, Reading, UK