Mrs Fiddlesticks
|
grown your own wine!!Just got my December copy of Kitchen Garden mag and there's an article all about setting up your own mini vineyard on the old plot!! Looks very interesting! 
|
Sarah D
|
In the spring, I hope to set up the hexagonal greenhouse as a vine house; I only have one at the moment, and it's outside. Lost the label................but I know it's an unusual one.Would like to grow enough to provide for some of the wine, though. I like a challenge......................
|
mrutty
|
Strangly, my father has a couple of vines on a limestone wall and makes a dozen bottle of wine every year. I'll see if I can get some cuttings.
|
Treacodactyl
|
If you only grow a few outdoor vines make sure they get netted if you have a bird problem, or indeed a fox problem as most of mine got pinched this year. 
|
ziggy searchfield
|
Are you saying foxes will have it away with your grapes Treacodactyl ?
Or is "fox" a euphemism ? 
|
Treacodactyl
|
Sadly not a euphemism, in past years foxes have stripped my grapes. You know it's foxes as they leave tell tail signs behind with half processed grapes in. 
I think I'll put the electric fencing round them this year as there looks like a very good crop has set.
|
ziggy searchfield
|
Bother, I got a good set too,but they are at fox level & we do have a fox.
|
Treacodactyl
|
Foxes seem to be variable so your local ones may not get them. One year I lost most apples under a certain height to a fox but other years they've not touched them, on the other hand they've always got my Worcesterberries.
I do wonder if commercial vineyards have any problems with foxes, I've seen a fair bit of damage done by wasps and hornets and birds of course.
If the foxes do show an interest they'll get them the day before you're going to pick them!
|
Sherbs
|
We had vague ideas about trying to grow grapes in the sun-trap corner of our new back garden. We haven't got any further than thinking about it yet though.
|
Lorrainelovesplants
|
weve got 3 grape vines in the poly and an outdoor kiwi and fig....
|
OtleyLad
|
Have 1 vine in the greenhouse - it has no flowers on it yet though - is that late?
|
James
|
Otley lad Yes its too late. They flower in late spring/ early summer. Its either...
1) not growing strongly enough.
2) too young
3) from a seed and its a male vine in which case it will never produce fruit and only produce very small short lived flowers
4) it did flower and there was insufficient polination in the greenhouse to set fruit . do you keep the greenhouse door/ window closed?
sherbs I'd strongly recommend you give it a go, especially if you've got a sun trap. They really can cope with very hot dry corners. The very worst that can happen is you'll get a lovely, decorative, trouble free wall covering. Even if you dont net it, you should get somegrapes...enough to fill the fruit bowl on for a a month or so. And the blackbirds will love you for it: more blackbirds, less slugs! If you do cover it, you should get a lot of fruit.
|
OtleyLad
|
| James wrote: | Otley lad Yes its too late. They flower in late spring/ early summer. Its either...
1) not growing strongly enough.
2) too young
3) from a seed and its a male vine in which case it will never produce fruit and only produce very small short lived flowers
4) it did flower and there was insufficient polination in the greenhouse to set fruit . do you keep the greenhouse door/ window closed?
|
Oh dear  it could be 1 & 2 (don't think its 3) and definately not 4. Can I feed it with something to give it a boost for next year?
|
James
|
You could try, but to be honest I've never fed a vine. What tends to happen is they slowly put out more & more roots, deaper and deaper unitl they get enough strength together. Sometimes this happens quickly, sometimes it takes a few years, but it will definately happen. I've transplanted two similarly aged vines this year- one has put on about 10 ft of growth already (I'me expecting 14-15' by the end of the year), and will probably go streight into fruit next year, while another one has only got about 18" growth, and it looks like it'll need a few years to establish. So I'm giving it some time, and I'll take off any fruit that tries to form until it clearly shows that vigorous growth.
If your vine is young, dont worry, leave it alone, give it time. If you're not careful, you can harm vines by feeding them (they put out too much vegetative growth which can weaken them in the longterm). This winter, take off all this years growth (I know that'll feel hard, but it is for the best). Prune it hard back to its old wood. Next year, it should come back with more vigor. If its still looking a little lacking in vigor, but it tries to set fruit, pinch out the forming bunch and stop it from fruiting. The following year, it should be much stronger, and you can allow a half crop.
|
OtleyLad
|
Sounds like tough love! Will take your advice and cut it back in the autumn. Thanks.
|
