[londongardener]

My front garden is south facing.  Is it possible to grow a grape vine against the wall ?  If so how do you fix it ?  Could I just put nails in the wall and tie it to the nails.

[brucesgirl]

Oh so glad you posted this. I have no answers but I have just taken delivery of a grapevine and need to know the same things. Mine will be up a trellis against a brick wall, where I used to grow the runner beans before I got the allotment.

[gobs]

Almost asked you, what was your location! :roll:  

Yes. of course you can, but you probably will be better off with some more serious support, quite often used are screw eyes(I hope that is the right term) with strong wire.

Decide upon a shape(training system) that fits your space, windows, and consult a good nursery what variety they have suitable for that situation.

[Contadino]

The wire will probably need to be strong, and galvanised.  Some varieties (all the ones I've had involvement with) are tenacious * that will destroy thin stuff.  My rule of thumb - if you can cut it with normal pliers, it's not strong enough for more than a year or two.

[gobs]

And what do you think of Bruces' trellis, Contadino, won't that just be in way of pruning and then in years time, I can't see it working, if it's trellis I'm picturing.

[richyrich7]

You need it to go on vine eyes, and heavy gauge wire to hold it away from the wall. and away you go.

[Scribbler]

Yes - vine eyes and heavy wire just the job. Correctly installed they will last forever. They're pointed pieces of galvanised metal with a hole in the end. You hammer them into the brickwork and thread wire through the holes.

[brucesgirl]

So my trellis won't be any good? It stands about 3" proud of the wall.

[gobs]

3 feet proud of the wall is a lot better than I thought, but there is always strength and structure, imagine taming Wisteria. You need the fruiting laterals about a foot apart tied in or led in whichever way.

[Contadino]

I don't grow runner beans, but AFAIK they don't need a huge amount of support.  I use galvanised wire (5x7cm mesh) for growing climbing french beans, and when they're done I just bung the whole piece of mesh on the bonfire and then reuse it (when it's cooled down.)

The problems with vines are two-fold.  Firstly, they're tough and can literally pull a trellis apart, and secondly, they're perennial so you have to use the trellis year after year.  Pruning the vines takes an eternity unless the trellis is really solid, cos you can actually pull it apart taking away the years growth.

[gobs]

Thanks for that, just along the lines I was thinking. They live for decades and can grow massive even with pruning. I just thought that the trellis wold come apart...

[brucesgirl]

Oh blimey - I had to plant it because I've had it a week and the only daylight I saw was this morning before starting the dreaded Christmas shopping.
If it pulls the trellis apart I'll plead ignorance and OH can fix it!

[gobs]

Oh no, it's gonna come apart in a way that it can't be fixed, if that doesn't put your mind at rest, it won't happen tomorrow. And you do have plenty of time to think of and erect a suitable framework for its long life, before it becomes huge.

[brucesgirl]

I have a cunning plan! I will leave it on the trellis till this time next year, then when it starts getting unruly I will say 'why don't we put a clematis on that trellis and take the grapevine down to the allotment?'

[gobs]

 

A guy here made a frame for his grape out of tree trunks and brunches, apart from solid it is also beautiful.