Looking to Buy Grape Vines (Vitis)?...
Take a look at our trees for sale section where you can purchase online.
These detailed Grape Vine care notes will help you maintain your vines and allow them to grow to their full potential. Here you will find advice on where to locate your plant, what and how often to feed/water it as well as information on caring for your plant through the cold winter months.
With our Grape Vine care notes you can also find out more about the common pests and diseases that can affect this plant and also, how best to prune your plant to the desired size and shape. If you have any further questions about caring for your Bamboo then feel free to send us a message
-
General Open Close
Grapevines will grow very well in the UK given the right variety planted in the right location and will grow very happily in most soils proving there is good drainage and its planted in a sunny position. They can be planted into the ground (indoors or out) or into a planter or container. Often grapevines are planted so their roots are outside into the ground; with the vine growing into a greenhouse or conservatory to help ripen the fruit earlier.
If the vine is going into a container, use John Innes No3 as a planting medium. Planting into the ground means there is potentially less watering to do than when a plant is in a planter.
-
Situation Open Close
Vines are best planted near to a pergola type structure so they can scramble over that and the fruit can hang down or, they can also be planted against a wall (south facing), they will need a structure to cling to.
Plant at least 9cm away from the bottom of the supporting structure and lean the new vine against the support, gently tie in the plant shoots to the support.
Once the vine starts to put its roots out the top growth will start to twine around its support and will only need tying in occasionally to help it find the right direction.
If planted indoors, do not heat the greenhouse and ventilate freely until early spring, as dessert grapes need a period of dormancy. Place potted vines outdoors in winter to get sufficient cold.
-
Feeding Open Close
If you are growing specially for the fruit, its best to remove the flowers for the first 2 years, this will help concentrate all the plant’s energy into growth. Feed with a high potash feed in the growing season such as tomato feed (Tomorite)
-
Watering Open Close
Water new plants well, and continue to do so in long dry spells, especially plants in containers; they will need watering once a day in summer if it’s warm and dry. For plants in the ground it’s a good idea to mulch around the base of the plant to help keep the moisture in, use bark or gravel (not manure), this also helps with keeping the weeds at bay!
-
Pruning Open Close
The main pruning time is early winter (late November - December). Training and pinching out of new shoots, as well as fruit thinning, takes place in spring and summer. The Royal Horticultural Society provides a useful pruning guide online if further information is need.
If it is purely for decorative purposes then cutting the stems back in winter is a more than adequate way of maintaining your vine.
-
Pest and Diseases Open Close
The vines can be prone to powdery mildew and other common greenhouse pests such as red spider mite or scale insect. These can be treated with organic remedies or proprietary pesticides and fungicides or biological controls (for pests).
The best prevention is to keep well watered in the growing season and to ventilate the greenhouse/conservatory well.