want to try growing grapes

I would like to grow grapes . I am wondering if 2 year old plants are better than getting cuttings from a nieghbor. also how long does it take before you get a decent crop and does planting nursery plants instead of cuttins reduce your wait time on getting established vines. I know nothing about growing grapes sure could use some advice. thank you

I have tried getting information about grape growing also, & no one seems to want to give out any information about it. I have bought some grapes that are 2 yrs old canes, & I have read that you need male & female plants. I ordered l of each from Willis Orchard. So I will try growing them on my own, without anyones help. I have a fence so they will be planted next to the fence.

Help (well, some anyhow) just arrived! Not that I'm any kind of expert, I just have a few grape vines that produce quite well if the deer don't get to the fruit before we harvest it. My plants were nursery stock, growing in 1 gallon pots. Not sure how old but I would guess 1 year from cuttings. Larger plants would have produced sooner. I dug some holes along the edge of my vegetable garden, may have added a bit of compost, and planted them. They grew in spite of me, well most of them, and were simply tied to stakes in the ground for the first couple of years. No doubt they would have grown better if I had kept the weeds under control. The stems grew quite crooked due to lack of good support. Lesson: provide good support the first year! Another lesson: prune the plants into the shape you want instead of letting them grow into a tangled heap.

My varieties are Canadice, which is small and redish, grows in tight clusters and has a fruity flavor, and Interlaken, which is a larger green grape with seeds, longish fruit, and the favorite of the deer. Glenora (sp) died the first or maybe second winter, too cold here for it. I had another whose name escaped my memory. I planted a Concord, it died, probably from gophers or mice eating the roots, so now I have another Concord that seems to be doing ok, although it is not big enough to produce fruit yet. The mature plants were put in about 15 years ago. Combined harvest from 1 of the red and 2 of the green was 140 pounds in 2010, deer got all but about 20 pounds last year. We need a deer fence instead of flimsy netting. We make juice from most of them, mixing varieties sometimes and keeping them separate other times. They make nice juice even though it is clearish white from the green ones, and pink from the red variety. I haven't made wine.

Contact your county extension office to ask what varieties will do well in your area. A bit of online research will give you an idea of what you might want for your own purposes. I'd advise buying from a nursery in your area because you can look at the plants, check the root growth, and take them home the same day. Buying good plants will save you time from planting to harvest, as long as you weed and water better than I did.

MaryE has given good advice.

behillman - As far as I know most grapes are self pollinating. I have wild grapes growing near me and I had to look up what the flowers look like. The information problem I have for grapes is too much and not too little. Google growing grapes in Texas. What little information I have would apply to my area only.

thank you for the advice I got some cuttings from my nieghbor and started them in pots in my house . I am going to buy some nursery stock also.

Thank you for the advice. I'll be googling Grapes in Texas. I have read that planting these grapes near the house is not a good idea. They would be messy if planted in an Arbor or Patio.

Hello,
I would highly recommend buying grape vines that have been grafted onto a different root stock. There are a lot of diseases/insects that can attack the roots of grape vines. Here is a great resource for growing grapes: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/resources/winegrape/
www.Winepress.us/forums is completely devoted to grapes and making wine!


Best,

John F.
My new blog on heritage fruit trees and how to RENT them!
http://heritagefruits.blogspot.com/