Growing Grapes

[Angie]

Hiya

I am thinking of starting a grape vine at my allottment. Can anybody advise which are the best to grow in britain (I am in the midlands).

Also how much space shall I need to allocate.

Cheers

Angie

[nick the grief]

Hi Angie, Depends what you want them for & will it be outside or not & do you want white or red. The best way to grow them is roots outside & the tops in a greenhouse then you can grow anything pretty well.

For indoor use Muscat's take some beating it's a white grape but beautiful to eat. For black Bucklands sweetwater is small & compact.

Out of doors you're more at the mercies of the weather I'm afraid something like Siegerrebe or the one they planted at Berryfield's that I can't remember Boskoop Glory I think it was.

[weedgrower]

if you are growing a vine in the greenhouse you should plant the vine outside and train the vine inside

[silverfork]

You don't mention if its indoor or outdoor you want, Angie. Bob Flowerdew is always going on about Boskoop Glory being the most reliable outdoor grape in this country. I got one in a container last year, and it was pretty much laden with fruit. I was amazed how many grapes came from one smallish plant. Vines can grow rampant in the ground, so I'd stick to containers if I were you. You can always move them then, and they won't be stealing nutrients from you veg crops. Easy to take cuttings, so I'm hoping for a small container grown vineyard in a few years!

[andrewo]

I grow mine in an old beer barrel, this too is a Boskoop Glory - pruning sometimes confuses me but the plant has come on well.

[Snadger]

This may sound daft, but can you not get grapes that are grafted onto dwarfing rootstocks? (If there is such a thing?)

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

among a pile of blackberry bushes i have found a grape vine do you think i can save it or should i just dig it up ??

[SimonCole]

I think you can save it. My local garden centre sells older vines for over £100 so it's a bit of a treasure. Can you leave it where it is?
If not you could always take cuttings.

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

thanks simon guess i'll have to do so homework in how to prune it back then