Grapes outdoor:Lack of!!!

Hi its been a while,but have a long time problem that I could really do with some expert advice in attempt to solve.

I have two vines in the garden,one is 40yrs of age the other about 8yrs of age..neither produce grapes??

Have followed every bit of advice that I can on pruning etc,have even at one point allowed the vines to run wild,but throughout their history except for a few immature fruit stalks appearing,nothing of any consequence has transpired.

The 2nd vine was installed after advice that vines do well in pairs.

they get sun virtually all day,plus are in frost free area.

Now I am in a position to once again prune and perhaps induce a grape or two,I would appreciate advice from the forum as where I am obviously going very wrong!!

 

I once, many years ago grew some vines from pips, I didn't keep them for 40yrs, maybe 15, but they never even grew flowers let alone any grapes.

Do you know what vines you have, and are they producing the flower clusters, but not setting fruit?

 

from 'the fruit expert by dr Hessayon'

outdoor grapes (for the UK):

siegerrebe, leon millot, chasselas, seyval, brandt, cascade, madeline angevine, madeline sylvander, muller thurgau

 

other than I know they were both outdoor ,the actual variety name has now faded into obscurity(like a lot of things these days)

They do occasionally set very small clusters of fruit which never matures,but that is very much hit and miss and not consistant as most years they just produce an abundance of growth.

 

Hi Caskin
One of the mystery's of our time I guess.
My thoughts are that the vine is happy and doesn't feel the need to reproduce...... It's pining down that reason,that is the problem.
Pruning is king where Grape vines are concerned,take every care,I know you have but continue.
Have you given any feed?
Are they having plenty of water(they are in the sun all day) or to much or are surrounding trees,shrubbery taking all the goodness away.
All you can do is prune any time soon feed after Feb. and pray for a good summer.
Good luck.

 

You cannot beat having a happy vine!..Seriously though,yes once again I will prune,feed,water and wait....although its quicker to go to Tesco!!!Many thanks for your reply.

 

I'm thinking the vine should at least be growing the flowers, the setting and fruit growth is another matter.

I agree with roders that you need to prune in order to get a reasonable fruit crop and keep the vines to a sensible size, but if they are not really producing the flower bunches soon after the spring bud burst, something else is going wrong.

Not sure what though, as you say the vines are vigourous.

 

I know a local Italian businessman, he grows grapes in the back yard of the shop in FIFE and crops every year (very sweet green grapes)

The only difference I can see here is his vine roots are outside and the vine itself is in the green house, the only feed it gets is sent from above

It is not particulary warm in FIFE even in summer, all I can think of is the green house retains the heat built up over the day overnight during the summer


Yes I know we have vineyards down sarf, but I belive they use a special variety of vine

Jack McHammocklashing