Dormant Grapevines

[starloc]

Is it just the bark that has split?
Grapevines tend to have splits in the bark and pieces of loose bark that you can scrape off in the winter to remove insects from behind , we have some with woodpecker holes right through to the other side and they still grow fine

Grape vines are hard to kill....even if the whole top dies the roots will still probably be fine and sometime later in the year new shoots will grow from the roots
Just because the top isnt growing doesnt mean they are dead, the roots ned to grow first and the soil is very cold still for root growth

[DuncanM]

Here they are.

I do know they are grafted, so I wouldn't want them to grow back from the roots, given they'd not be true to the top part (Bacchus).

[DuncanM]

*bump* anyone able to help please?

[BUFFS]

i would be hosing down those plants each day,to make any budburst easier and yes,everything is late this year,my tulips are only just finishing....

[DuncanM]

So do you think the split trunk will be OK or is the vine effectively dead?

[veggiechicken]

The trunks of my vines look really ropey, bark hanging off, splits and cracks, though nothing as dramatic as the one in your photo which looks quite fresh. The old wood seems to be able to sprout in all sorts of unexpected places - but only time will tell whether yours is viable. I would never give up on an old vine.

[DuncanM]

For the record, (in case others search and find this topic at some point in the future) this vine was dead.

I had 8 at the allotment, and 2 at home. 4 at the allotment burst out into bud about 3 weeks ago and have been doing well since. I decided to perform a test on one that hadn't leafed out to investigate and I cut off the head of the vine with a saw, a few days later no sap had risen and it was as dry as when I first cut it. I then dug its roots out and there were no fine roots, nothing.

So all the dead ones will be be dug out and replaced with apple trees at the allotment and 2 more young vines from RHS Wisley (of the same variety - Bacchus).

2 friends also purchased some vines from the same place (Ickworth) and between us (over 40 vines we've only had a success ratio of about 30%). Some might say not too bad given the age of the vines.

[rustylady]

Duncan, if you want the same variety as you have why not take cuttings from your existing vines.

[DuncanM]

I was wanting to buy them as they are grafted which offers much better disease resistance I believe.

[rustylady]

I couldn't find them on the Wisley site or the RHS one. The only grapes I did find were £14.99 each, and it doesn't mention that they are grafted.

Maybe I'm tight, but if I had a variety that I liked I would go for taking my own cuttings every time.

[DuncanM]

I can't find them on the website either, but they definitely had them in the shop at Wisley 3 weeks ago. Plus these were 2 year old and looked very well established.

I will take some cuttings at some point, but the two places in my garden I'd pay to get them established quicker and get them in the ground now rather than waiting until next year before even planting them (and 1 year old at that).

I'm fully onboard the cuttings route normally, just a little impatient for some grapes ;-)

[Stonehouse]

Ickworth Vines

I also rehoused 30 vines from Ickworth, in early February they all produced buds and I was very pleased that it appeared that all had survived. But then we had a cold snap again and lots of rain and not a single shoot has grown. Some have said that they can remain dormant for quite a while but I think that is wishful thinking. It is such a shame because they looked great. At what point should I give up and replace them?

[DuncanM]

Stonehouse, sorry to hear your vines haven't faired very well either.

You could perform a test like I did. Saw the top half of one of the vines, see if its bone dry / dead. But leave it for a week or so just to make sure there isn't any sap flowing.

[Greenfingerpaula]

I have a grapevine that has LOADS if leaves, but the grapes didn't grow neither this year or last year. The grapes on it this year at smaller than peas and there's only about 5 of them. I have the vine in a pot on my patio so it gets both sun and shade and is watered daily.
Can anyone help? Not too sure what variety it is to be honest I just know it's a red grape vine

[Greenfingerpaula]

Ok scrap that, after reading up, it's not grapes I see it's flower buds..... Which have never materialised into grapes


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