My Last years season was bad so trimmed right back, this yrs crop is amazing, so many bunches I cannot count them. Not quite ready yet but will smell them when time comes. Already have netting over sides of carport so the birds don't have a feast. Have the green/white grapes and they are so good. Ground is very rubbishy as its just fill for carport floor so you don't need top quality soil. Occasionally I did throw sheep pallets at base but not for some yrs. All I do is keep them watered during yr from my rain water,not tap water. I do put odd bucketed dishwater on them now and then. No watering in winter unless dry weather. I also cut off extra growth when pokes out of net letting all energies' go to current vine grapes. Hoping they will be ready in feb to add to salads etc.
lythande1,
Jan 12, 5:42am
Always had loads. been growing them for 37 years.
While grapes cope with neglect, you should really give them some decent compost, perhaps some citrus fertiliser as a kick start. They do need watering too, but slow down on that as they ripen.
Having said all that, next door has one, been there for years. He does nothing at all with it, never prunes it, it fights with the privet and jasmine, it never gets watered or fed and produces lovely grapes every year.
christin,
Jan 12, 5:53am
i dont have a grapevine as such! I thought i had one for years on my fence, and picked them etc. then one day worked out the trunk actually started just on the other side of the wire fence! Turns out its my neighbours!
but they dont even come down there let alone eat them, and they grow over myside so i use them anyway (through ignorance originally lol).
This year i found these down a bit further. only a tiny bit but they look so nice! the other vine is huge and gets heaps every year and I dont really do anything to it! (really annoys my friend who tends his and gets none!)
Christin, Those bunches look like mine, yours slightly bigger I think. Yes hardy plants. I use no compost either, don't need too Yet ! My kids will benefit delivery soon, I think I could bottle wine this time as so many, but I guess that's complicated. Not sure what the vine would be anyway, P Gris ?
christin,
Jan 12, 7:12am
mine are purple ones, so yet to ripen. I have about 20x that many on the main vine but these ones just looked so nice! The others are a bit more covered on the big vine.
instead of wine, maybe just grape juice would be nice? i love purple grape juice but never read up on how to do it!
les6,
Jan 12, 1:41pm
probably Albany surprise if purple and niagra if its white?
skin1235,
Jan 12, 4:54pm
instead of cutting them all off on your side of the fence, select one or two branches andlet them grow, until they droop down to the soil on your side once they touch the soil they will strike roots
or when you next prune it back to the fenceline just tuck a few of the sticks into the ground by the fence - you'll have your own grapevine and grapes by next year
christin,
Jan 12, 5:40pm
Ive already got shoots coming up on my side.
I dont even think the owner kniws they are down here! Its a long section with threes and shrubs on their side of it so they cant rwlly see it. I have been here 14 years and never seen anyone down this far!
They have one out of control at the other end to which they never touch.
The trunk is on their side,but only just, have to really look so ill claim itas mine rather than them rotting away :-)
groovie1,
Jan 12, 5:52pm
I glance occasionally at my vine these days otherwise I leave it pretty much alone. This year will be another bumper crop for me and I live in Taupo. Year before last it was all leaf and spread over half our 1/4 acre boundary fence but not a lot of fruit to show for its massive size. When fruiting was done I pruned it back too hard I thought, scaring myself witless but last year I couldn't give the fruit away fast enough and the birds still got their share. I've spread the word already to eager grape lovers, I'm not one of them unfortunately.
I juiced ours last year for the first time. They made wonderful juice, I put some of the surplus bottles in the freezer which was OK too.
buddytom,
Jan 15, 7:45pm
Mine has gone crazy plenty of growth and heaps of grapes
christin,
Jun 12, 4:47pm
might do that thanks. how many bottles vs how many bunches did you need? good yield or need buckets and buckets
(and how easy was it to do!?)
Thanks!
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