Grape vine

How easy is it to grow a grape vine in a greenhouse?

 

I've got one, 2 years old, not much to show for it (we had 1/2 a dozen bunches this year). I took a pane of glass out at the North end (next to the door) and replaced it with marine ply with a circle cut in it, and planted the grape outside - trained in through the hole.

That's about it really! I'm training it along the roof to provide some shade in the Summer. The training wise are suspended a good 6" (maybe nearer a foot) so that the new leaves and shoots don't immediately plaster themselves against the glass - so they get some air circulation.

Fairly sure its "Black Hamburg" - its regarded as a good eater, but somewhat prone to fungal diseases - I figured good flavour was important, even if I have to look after it a bit more!

Oh ... and aren;t you supposed to bury a dead cat under new grape plants? :hehe:

 

"they had bunches of grapes to serve for months to come as they were usually table grapes,"

They cut off the bunches with a long piece of stem - T-shaped, if you can imagine that - and pushed the stem into an old wine bottle filled with water held at an angle in a rack. Nightmare to keep topping up the bottles, so the glassblowers then made square-shaped, flat bottom, bottles with an upward-curved neck to take the grape's stem, and a hole in the top face of the bottle, near the bottom end, so that it could be topped up without removing the grapes. Ingenious ... albeit labour intensive. It was said that the best "houses" could keep their grapes fresh almost up until the next harvest. I bit like Tescos now-a-days then :D

 

I remember visiting my uncle and he had what to my young mind was a really big vine growing in his veranda. He had the roots outside in an old (appropriately) wine barrell sunk into the ground. I also remember that he had old curtains on the ceiling and would use then to sahde the grapes from the direct sunlight. They were the best grapes I ever tasted.

 

Hi Marley,

Its staying in the bucket as i'm not letting the mrs get it. Its coming with me :tnp:

Any sign of that paprika yet ?

 

This photo was taken some years ago,my Black Hamburg planted inside the greenhouse,it varies from year to year as to the quantity and quality,but the secret is in the pruning and I don't always get that right.I have buried dead fish from my pond under it so there is something right about burying dead animals beneath it lol.

 

Not grown any for a few years, but had a really good Muscat of Alexandria in a greenhouse some years back.
I had the root inside because it was all concrete paving around the outside, I used to get some really good tasting grapes but it took up most of the roof space and was a full time job in the summer cutting back and thinning the bunches.

http://www.readsnursery.co.uk/acatalog/Seedless-Grapes.html
If I was to have another go, I'd go for a seedless variety, if your going to use valuable greenhouse space I'd want the best out of it.:wink:

 

Interesting link Pete, thanks.

"Grape Black Hamburgh

Universally known and trusted for reliable crops with large bunches of black berries.This is our own selected clone grown by us since before 1890. Our biggest exhibition bunch went over the scale at 32 lbs, and took 2 men to carry it to the show, suspended on a pole on the train."

Wish I'd seen that!

 

Yes but could your greenhouse roof stand it.:D
Anyone for scaffolding.

Great grapes Roders:thumb: