Problem with my grape vine

Hi guys, I have a marechal grapevine growing from a big post creeping over my arbour. It was doing really well. Lately, the lower leaves have been turning yellow and falling off. Further up the vine though everything is fine. It does seem to be spreading upwards though. Is this normal i.e. maybe losing its leaves at this time of year or could it be dying? Help much appreciated ;-)

 

Hi Jayney, I can't help you with your problem but you have a grape vine so you might be able to help me with mine. What happens to it over the winter? I have a couple of baby vines that I grew from seeds, currently in a pot, and I wondered whether it would be 'safe' to plant them out, or are they likely to die? Any ideas? I hope someone can answer your problem.

Thanks, Liz

 

Hi Liz. This is my first year of owning a grapevine so I'm afraid I'm yet to find out how it will do over winter. I think it can depend on the variety of grape you grow. Mine should be able to cope as they are classed as hardy.

I'm no expert, but I think that if yours are still small, I would keep them in the greenhouse over winter and plant out in spring.

 

Hi JaneyG. I'd have thought it's quite normal for your vine to lose it's leaves, although I'm not familiar with the different varieties. I have one growing in my garden that I planted this year. Last year it was kept in it's pot and it too lost all it's leaves, came back fine :thumb:

Cheers...freddy.

 

As Freddy says grapevines are deciduous, so about now the leaves will be falling, its normal.

As far as I know all grape vines are hardy in the UK, problems only arise when it comes to ripening fruit, as some need much longer and hotter summers than we get.
Any purchased vine of know variety will be OK as long as its recommended for outdoors in the UK.

Liz, unfortunately your seed grown plants will be unlikely to produce fruit outdoors here, and may even take a good few years before they even flower, but they will be hardy, I guess.

 

Great, thanks guys. Am pleased to know that I'm not losing it!