grape vines in pots !

[sarraceniac]

How to grow grape vines

Gives good basic advice for a beginner.

[TonyF]

Grape vines are really really hardy, that's why you get wine!

I grow 8 vines in 60cm - 1m square boxes - read pots - and mine gro just fine, each box has a miniature rose in - good for identifying mould diseases.

I think you would be able to grow the vine in Inverness but I don't think it will fruit, I don't think it will be warm enough, long enough and if the climate there is particularly wet, you're more likely to get rot on fruit.

Excellent programme on BBC 3 or 4 last night about wine making and the effect of weather on vines.

Growing vines is a perennial on here, may also be worth looking through the archive for other threads.

[elsie-scot]

keep us up to date with your progress will be interesting to know if grapes grow sooo far north.

how come you only got down to -6, not fair we were at least -10!

[sarraceniac]

You could get a grape variety that is used in Germany and Austria for Eiswein which allows the grapes to be left on the vine into winter literally until it freezes (ice wine). It is that which gives this unusual (and expensive) wine it's peculiar rich sweetness.

[ardroil]

thanks everyone, great info for me, im thinking that the pots ive put them into might not be big enough now, so i will pot on into bigger ones at the weekend, and ill take photos and keep you all posted to see if they will actually fruit up here, fingers crossed

[ardroil]

sarraceniac, do you know the name of that particular vine? it would be interesting to try

[moodyblue]

vine position

Hi, I'm new to growing vines. Do they have to face South ? I have planted one in my garden that will grow over a frame, so its not against a wall. The roots will be shaded and there is some clay in the soil. Is this ok ?

[solway cropper]

Some years ago I lived in Teesdale and inherited a vine growing in a large lean-to greenhouse facing south. We got some very severe winters but the vine was prolific....up to the point that if I went away for a week in midsummer I could hardly get back into the greenhouse. The vine was actually rooted outside and brought into the greenhouse through a hole in the brickwork. The guy we bought the house off said the vine was planted on top of a buried dead sheep. He said the calcium in the sheep bones helped the grapes to form. Don't know how true that is but we got far more grapes from it than we could use. I didn't make wine in those days.

[sarraceniac]

sarraceniac, do you know the name of that particular vine? it would be interesting to try

Have a look here. It explains the technique.


Eiswein

[Snadger]

And here's a piccie taken today, of one of my grapevines growing outdoors at my allotment!

[valmarg]

Grandad was a gardener in service, and I remember him talking about pots of grape vines being grown, so that the diners could pick the fruit from the plants at the table.

valmarg

[Snadger]

Grandad was a gardener in service, and I remember him talking about pots of grape vines being grown, so that the diners could pick the fruit from the plants at the table.

valmarg

It would take two people to lift my potted vine.........and a VERY strong table!

[irisgirl]

I have just moved my black grape vine, that is quite happily growing in a long pot. It fruits well but was slow to ripen lasdt year as the position was too shady. Now it grows in a sunny spot along the back of my greenhouse and gives needed shade in there too.

[sandra]

hi al, i googled growing grapes in pots and came across this.
iv been growing veg last year and this but never tried growing grape and i must say iv just read some really helpful tips, thank you all.
when i can i will put pic of my grapes, they have tinny grapes growing but i needed more info
again thank you this sight is really helpful
by reading this its looking like i might need to re-pot it into a biger pot lol

[markmark]

Bit late to answer the original question but you can grow grapes in pots pretty well but need a greenhouse in Scotland.
They will grow outdoors but you'll never get any fruit. You also need a variety which ripens early, by far the best variety Ive grown is Siegerrebe which is a German grape, has a lovely taste too.

I just put them in decent size pots, let them grow up a cane and you will get 2 or 3 smallish bunches of grapes. No real need to mess around pruning or thinning, just keep them in check....then at the end of the year cut everything down to 12" or so ready for next year. Can leave them outside it wont hurt them, it was -22 here last winter and they were fine.