Grape vine issues

Hi

brought a grape vine from on line reputable supplier 4 years ago . It’s borne no fruit and has fanned out to a decent height but the past three years these holes in the leaves have appeared . Any ideas ?
Thanks

 

Difficult to say, are all the leaves eaten like that.
Do you know the variety.

Does it form flower clusters in spring which come to nothing or does it not even flower.

 

it's just a few leaves that are like that.

There's np flowers of any sort that i've seen.

i will try and find the label to see what kind it is. Is it normal for a grape vine to not produce flowers or grapes after such a long time?

 

Short answer is no.

But they may have formed but not actually set, it's a problem I seem to be having.

 

I asked the supplier who was rather blunt and told me it’s slugs ! Apparently it will get flowers in its 4 th year. He sounded rude, So wont be buying anything from him again! Do slugs eat grape leaves ?

 

Yes they do but more likely to be snails right up off the ground.

I have leaves on mine that look similar but mine is a problem I've had the last three years.
It also wipes out the fruit before it even flowers.

Not sure how big your plant is but I think you should at least see the flower clusters in spring even if the actual crop is not very large.

 

There is always something nibbling on something else. Its nature. And looking at how small the damage is, the grape vines probably didn't taste very good.

I would write it off as a desperate nibble of some lost caterpillar. Just watch if the holes are getting bigger and if they don't it probably was a one time thing.

 

The holes are there every year . Been worse this year.
I can’t remember the variety and I’ve asked the company who have refused to give me the information for some bizzare reason. Very rude . Chris bowers and sons . Would never buy from them again . Now I’m worried they’ve simply sent me some trashy plant that may not even be the grape variety what they originally described .

 

It really doesn’t look particularly vigorous after all this time to be honest . I’ve attached a pic. I might have to scrap it & start again Think I’ve been conned by Chris bowers and sons co. !

 

Never heard anything so ridiculous in all my life! But didn't they send you a confirmation email when you ordered it? A quick search of your email archive should bring it up unless you deleted it.

Nick

 

I think they couldn't be bothered to look as it's been so long. I've raked through my emails and found the variety, yay! It's called Dornfelder. Is this an eating fresh of the vine variety, it's what i wanted? I don't really want a wine making grape. I might ask on the forum for advice on a good supplier of fresh of the vine eating variety in UK

 

Dornfelder is a pretty common grape vine in southern Germany.
But it is mainly used in sunny wine growing regions and most of it go into wine production. So using it for direct consumption is not ideal. Feasible - yes, but there are a lot of other grape vines more suitable for direct consumption and colder climates.

Personally I planted a "Vanessa" and it is growing like crazy. After planting it last year it is now full to the brim with grapes. Hopefully I can taste some before the birds find them.

 

Ah I see. I was told by the company it was great for direct consumption I’ll have to start again. So, would Vanessa be a good choice ? I’m in Leeds . What about Sable black grapes you get from supermarkets here, they taste amazing! Is it possible to grow those here or something similar?

 

Vanessa looks like a good one, I've been growing Lakemont and I'm having problems with it.
I've also got Flame, but it comes a bit late.

Another one I have is Muscat bleu, its very early but has seeds, nice grapey flavour.

I dont think Sable would work outside in the UK.

 

That’s great thanks . Any tips on good suppliers , especially if the vines a bit advanced in growth and I do t have to wait 3 years ! So, I guess I’ll also just leave the German one, now that I have it, and maybe the grapes will be kind of edible.