Outdoor grape

Hi all,

I am erecting some wires on the south facing wall for some fruit. I have chosen some cordon apples but I'd like to try grapes. I love in doncaster so we are quite northern but it is fairly sunny here. I would like a red dessert variety if possible.

Any recommendations and advice would be appreciated!

Thanks

Rondo is the new German grape that is supposed to be the bees knees. I've planted 80 this year and they have outperformed everything else. All grapes in my mind are dessert varieties as it's the sugar content that ferments to make good wine.  Bob Flowerdew recommends Boscoop Glory which I've also planted and it is doing well but is under some protection but it will do OK without protection especially against a south facing wall (lucky you).  Rondo is more hardy and won't need protection. I'm smack level with Doncaster.

If you prune on the double Guyot system you should be able to get two in so I would recommend one of each. Space required would be 4 1/2 ft for each vine. Feeding the soil with manure is OK for the first year to get the vine off to a good start and then after that just feed a fertiliser low in nitrogen to check the growth. Grapes are entering their dormant period so you want to keep anything that you buy in a pot inside until the spring and plant out when all frosts are gone (and I mean well gone). Frost will stop a grape dead in its tracks and maybe kill it if it is not well established.

Google RVRoger. You will find all the varieties on their site and they are very easy to talk to for advise.

I have a grape plant up here in cold Finland. I inherited it from the previous owner. It produces. I have no clue what variety it is.

Although it produces unfortunately the wasps start eating the grapes before they are even ripe. And then they start rotting because of all the half eaten grapes: wasps don't have table manners. And so there is always the rotting fruit smell around the bush at the end of the year. Not pleasant.

In fact I consider pulling the plant out.

Anyone have any tips for this phenomenon?

no  but im looking for a seedless grape..the one im digging out has loads of grapesbut they have seeds in them     no one wants them lol

You could always buy a Mehu Lisa juicer and make your own grape juice which is an expensive juice to buy but is good to keep in sterilised bottles. It also works with all berries with seeds in them so it's quite a versatile piece of kit to have and would be cost effective if you grow currants too which are also a problem to eat raw.

I have a German variety (Phonix), apparently developped for a cooler climate. It is white, but has a beautiful flavour reminiscent of the best kind of muscat flavour you get in grapes in the south of france. I do live in London though.