grapevines - plllleeeeeeeease help!

[squashysu]

Hi there

I have two grape vines in pots, very large pots at that, i moved them from my old house last october, i had cut them back really well......anyway, now they are growing great guns and i have an ideal spot for them in the garden, where they will get plenty of sun, so i was thinking about taking them out of the pots and putting in the ground, is this good?? also what should i use, general compost??

Thanks very much.....

ps. i had tiny grapes on them last year and it said that i wouldnt have any for a few years, but as they are so hardy i thought the ground would be better for them!!

[Polly Fouracre]

I planted two grapevines five years ago. I dutifully compost and wood ash them at the right times but I still get numerous bunches of tiny sour grapes that only the blackbirds enjoy.
My Italian brother-in-law tells me that I don't prune them properly so this may be the truth.
Apparently you should prune them to within an inch of their lives,leaving only short spurs on the vine. I either forget to do it at the right time or need the leaves to stuff and preserve in oil.
Meanwhile I enjoy the lovely sight of a rampant vine and the blackbirds enjoy the fruit!

[squashysu]

mine were pruned right back last year, so much my oh though they were dead!!!! but they arent and coming back stronger, well i think i will put them in the ground, nothing to lose really !!

thanks

SS

[Headfry]

I found a vine growing on an old empty plot, dug it up (maybe only 2 years old) stuck it in a pot. Grew for 2 years then died. Next doors dug me a clump of ornamental grass, we were due on hols so stuck it in pot with very dead vine. 4 years later. Vine starts growing, this will be it's 2nd year .....again!!! nature - wow

[parrot1974]

One thing to watch out for with grapes is that you don't plant them in a spot where another vine has died. We tried that with one of ours and there's something left in the soil by a dying vine that prevents other vines from doing well - not sure how it works but it does. Other than that, just put some compost in the ground and plant them. We have 2 trained up south-facing trellis and had grapes last year. The training, pruning and thinning of fruit is complicated so if you want to do it properly you'll need to read up on it!

[squashysu]

thanks everyone

at the weekend, when it had cooled down, i went for it and dug two big holes and with the help of OH we planted them with lots of compost and a nice watering, i think i will have to mulch around them, but i hope they will live a long and happy life.........i dont know if any other vines have ever been there, as we only moved 8 months ago, so will just have to wait and see.

Thanks for you help

SS

[Ivan Kozak]

hi
what variety did you plant ?

[squashysu]

hi Ivan

welcome to the board, i cant remember, one is white and one is black, i bought them over a year ago and they did well in the pots, but hoping they will do better in the ground!

SS