5 year old grape vine in Canada

Discussion in 'Fruit and Nut Trees' started by nron007, May 24, 2015.

  1. nron007

    nron007 New Member

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    Location:
    Calgary Canada
    Hello, I'm in Calgary and I've got a 5 year old grape vine outside. As expected, it didn't produce fruit until the 3rd year. That year, it produced about 1 cup of grapes. The second year, it did better, producing 4 cups of grapes. This year, and I realize it's only May, but there are only a few blooms at the base of the tree, and much of the tree appears dead. I'll be honest, I've never pruned it, and I'm sure that's what's caused this to happen. It was also a very mild winter, so I wonder if maybe the tree never went into full hibernation?
    My question is, should I cut a bunch of it down, leaving only the old wood that is producing? Or should I give it a chance and see if maybe it's just getting a late start?
    Thanks!
     
  2. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor

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    it would be very helpful if you have a name for your grape - did you plant it? do you still have the label?

    we have lots of grapes in Okanagan BC ... so I am sure you can grow something in Calgary

    (they sure can in Ontario and Minnesota and Upstate NY)

    you might just have the wrong grape plant for Calgary.
     
  3. nron007

    nron007 New Member

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    Hi, thanks for the response! It's a Concorde purple grape. They are often successfully grown here in Calgary...even Edmonton, which is colder! I bought it when it was about a foot high, and it gets plenty of sun. Every year the foliage is beautiful, and there has never been any sign of disease or bugs on the tree. Hopefully that helps?
     
  4. Georgia Strait

    Georgia Strait Generous Contributor

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    so you are getting flowers - and grapes from ALL those flowers (which is good) - correct?

    but you have parts of the vine that
    1 have leaves?
    2. no leaves at all?

    it sounds like pruning - this is a very interesting article (I use this site to read up on raspberries etc too)
    http://www.fruit-crops.com/grape-vitis-spp/

    another point I know for sure is that grapes in the Okanagan are pruned in late winter -early spring - one sees huge crews of laborers swoop in - prune, prune, prune - and off they go to the next acreage. I don't know the exact timing - and it may vary by the type of winter-spring weather - but usually it seems around when some early daffodils are blooming in sheltered spots and the weeping willows are starting to turn that yellow green spring color.

    also - the vineyards are heavily watered (by drip systems) - tens of thousands of gallons daily to make grapes grow in the sagebrush ; )

    and they are fed very well too i think via the irrigation system - I would think it varies from farm to farm.
    and all competing plants are "round-upped" (herbicide spray)
    etc.

    I am certainly no expert and we don't have a vineyard but are surrounded by many - and I have helped with some of the chores at neighbour properties but have not yet paid attn to the full viticultural reasons behind the chores!

    I agree that the vineyards are growing wine grapes (vinifera) - whereas Concord is the classic old Welches juice and jelly grape, much less popular for wine now ie it is a labrusca (big sweet red and big sweet white type of wines), so I hope that was what you set out to do - ie make juice, jelly. Many of the old farmhouses around us have a concord growing up the sundeck or over a fence or something - tho most people get rid of them because the fruit attract wasps and rats and bears etc. and it's easy for us to buy enough grapes for jelly at the farmer markets.

    if you come out to Penticton (as many Albertans do) - enquire at Okanagan College viticulture program and maybe they can help you out http://www.okanagan.bc.ca/Campus_an...es/Viticulture_and_Wine_Studies_Programs.html
     

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