[booklady]

I've been given two potted grapevines, one red, one white.  They are still in pots, but appear quite dormant but haven't been cut down very much - they are both about 5 or 6 feet long.


Should I try putting them in their permanent positions now ie on a south facing wall, or should I wait for shoots to start to show in a month or two

I'm in France, about half way down - I usually go on the same as Cornwall's weather, except in winter where it is colder here.

[Deborah1]

Hello. I'm in Brittany and also take Cornwall as my weather reference - although I imagine your vines will ripen better than mine! I generally cut back the main stem by two thirds and all side shoots to one bud. Mine are planted against a barn. I do it whilst the vines are completely dormant...so now is good. Hope this helps although I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come along.

[Trikidiki]

Not in France nor Cornwall but I guess it is just basic principles.

The first thing you need to decide is what shape you are trying to end up with then follow one of the multitudinous pruning guides on the net.


My vine at home (Hampton Court Vine) is grown as much for decoration as production.  It has two branches from about 18 inches, one trained along the North and the other trained on the West gutter line of the extension. All the laterals are pruned to the main stem in the Autumn. In the Spring each lateral is allowed to produce a bunch then stopped two leaves after the bunch, all other shoots are removed (eventually).
If I actually got round to thinning the bunches I would probably get some reasonably sized grapes, however the chickens enjoy the fruits of my lack of thinning.
 
Last year I grafted a white seedless (Lakemont) onto the West bound branch to hopefully produce some more-edible grapes in the years to come.

[booklady]

Hello. I'm in Brittany and also take Cornwall as my weather reference - although I imagine your vines will ripen better than mine! I generally cut back the main stem by two thirds and all side shoots to one bud. Mine are planted against a barn. I do it whilst the vines are completely dormant...so now is good. Hope this helps although I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come along.

Thanks for the info!  Actually, we are colder, wetter and hotter than Cornwall when I think about it ie a bit more extreme, but I just use it as a guide.

I'm in Haute Vienne department, and it isn't known for growing grapes as it is quite wet, and the soil is a bit too rich, although lots of neighbours grow grapes for their own use.

I'm going to plant on a south facing wall so hopefully any grapes will ripen ok.

[booklady]

Not in France nor Cornwall but I guess it is just basic principles.

The first thing you need to decide is what shape you are trying to end up with then follow one of the multitudinous pruning guides on the net.


My vine at home (Hampton Court Vine) is grown as much for decoration as production.  It has two branches from about 18 inches, one trained along the North and the other trained on the West gutter line of the extension. All the laterals are pruned to the main stem in the Autumn. In the Spring each lateral is allowed to produce a bunch then stopped two leaves after the bunch, all other shoots are removed (eventually).
If I actually got round to thinning the bunches I would probably get some reasonably sized grapes, however the chickens enjoy the fruits of my lack of thinning.
 
Last year I grafted a white seedless (Lakemont) onto the West bound branch to hopefully produce some more-edible grapes in the years to come.

Thanks for the detailed reply - ooh, I would like a go a grafting eventually.  Maybe I could graft a little of each to the other, if you get my drift!

I do have a stump of a vine which another friend gave me last summer, and we planted out - I'm waiting to see if there are any signs of life