How long?

[binley100]

When do I give up with my vine? Bought from Wilkinsons and planted beginning of March. I've tried the scratch test and there is green, i've tried the tug test and its feet are firmly planted in the ground. but no outward signs of life. Just wondering how long to give it before it becomes a lost cause.......

[bendipa]

You should never buy a plant like that from Wilkinsons or any supermarket. Stick to buying such plants from a good garden centre or fruit nursery specialist where the plants have been left outside and cared for while in stock.

It looks like you may have a problem as a grapevine should be making vigorous growth by now. It's possible that the soil has an infestation of vine weevil larvae which have been chewing up the roots of your vine. I'd carefully dig the vine up with root ball in one piece with a fork and check the roots. You should by now see plenty of white feeding roots. If not, and you can spot the weevil grubs, then throw the plant away and treat your soil. If the roots look fine, replant and wait another month, but if it still hasn't done anything by then I'd throw it away.

[FB.]

Some plant retailers keep their plants in a large refrigeration unit (or some other un-natural indoor storage), before despatch or before putting onto shelves for sale. This is not a natural climate and can seriously confuse the plant as to what season it is.
Additionally, the change in climate between where it was grown and where you live can also confuse it.
On occasion, plants are so confused by the un-natural storage and change of climate that their development is delayed by many months.
If it still has green if you scratch the bark, it is probably still alive and will eventually realise that summer is here.

I'm not a great fan of discount fruit plants though. Many of them seem to be "clearance" form nurseries and there are plenty of claims that the plant didn't turn out to be what the label said. Often, with fruit trees the rootstock is not stated (probably because they bought a job lot of all rootstocks and they simply sorted the trees by name - e.g. Cox - and not by rootstock - e.g. you may want "semid-dwarf" M26 <1.5-2m> but actually get "very vigorous" M25 <4-6m>), so you can't determine how large or small it will get.
Sometimes it is (say) a Bramley instead of a Russet. Occasionally you get a vigorous pear instead of a dwarf apple or a cherry instead of a plum.

[VirginVegGrower]

I bought a muscat vine from a reputable garden centre last year (back end) and I have repotted and placed into my greenhouse. Pruned it and now it is doing nothing. £12 for a stick! Wilkos might be cheap but at least it's a cheaper loss. Nursery doesn't guarantee quality - it should but my vine is a classic example. I suggest taking it back to Wilkos as mine is going back to the nursery.

[binley100]

Agreed there is the risk buying from Wilko's, Aldi etc but I've usually had no problems with either fruit trees or fruit bushes and as VVG points out I haven't lost a huge amount of money. I just wondered how long before I decide to replace it...

[FB.]

Yes, there are also some nurseries around the UK that sell substandard and overpriced junk.
Nurseries that I would say have particularly good quality stock are:
Keepers (Kent)
Bernwode (Buckinghamshire)
Adam's Apples (Devon)

Unfortunately, I can't name-and-shame those nurseries which I consider to have poor quality stock because I don't want a legal battle (even though, being a scientist specialising in diseases, I could prove my case).
Also unfortunately, there will be some great nurseries out there that I have forgotten to mention, or where I have not seen the quality of their goods.


As for how long to wait?
Unknown. While it has signs of life (such as being damp and green under the bark) it is still alive.
Most should have leafed-out by the end of June, but it has been known for plants to take a year and a half to leaf out after being stored in artificial refrigeration during the winter.

[binley100]

I'll sit on me hands then ..........