Hello everyone. Just wondering if there are any members growing grapes in the Lethbridge area and what varieties you have. I currantly grow Valient which produced a healthy crop this year but would like to try something more suitable for wine making. Thanks
Frontenac works well for us in the Edmonton area. Go to this website www.mngrapes.org It's great if you are interested in growing grapes in cold climates. You could also try Kay Gray, St. Croix if you can find them. There are people also growing King of the North there as well. There are also sources for vines out of province Bert Dunn has varieties you could try http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=bert+dunn+grapes&meta=&aq=0&oq=bert+dunn or Peter Salonius has vines available http://www.littlefatwino.com/peterslist.html There are some interesting varieties you could try down there. A good Canadian source for info can be found at this link http://littlefatwino.com/growers.html Good luck and have fun with the vines Cheers Kim
Thanks for the info Kim. I,ve never tried growing from cuttings before but have found loads if info for doing that on this forum as well as other internet sources. But one thing I'm not sure of is how long one can store cutting in the fridge for? It would seem I would have to order more cuttings than I would need or could plant. How long can they be stored? Thanks Gerard
Hi Gerard; Cuttings can be stored in the fridge over the winter. As long as they don't dry out they will be ready to propagate in the spring. Grapes are easy to propagate. You can also order plants from several nurseries. Lethbridge has a pretty good climate so you should be able to grow some of the hardier selections there. In the past I've talked with several people growing varieties like King of the North, Niagara, Frontenac, Kay Gray, St. Croix, Prairie Star, Louise Swenson and other cultivars. They have varying dgrees of success there. You need to find a nice wind sheltered area or protect the vines from the wind there. There are some nice little pockets in your area that would be suitable for grapes. I lived there for 2 years so I'm quite familiar with the climate. Running or training in the wind there is a real challenge unless you're down in Indian Battle Park. Cheers Kim
