Do grapes survive in acidic moist soil?

Discussion in 'Grapes and Grape Vines' started by gary3, Jan 30, 2005.

  1. gary3

    gary3 Member

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    Location:
    Richmond
    I live in Richmond BC , We have very peat rich and often moist to wet soil. I have brought some cuttings from our cottage where the soil is more sandy loam and drier conditions. The vines grow quite well there.
    The cuttings were started in containers and if they have survived the winter I would like to transplant them in Richmond.
    What can I do to give them the best chance of survival? I'm guesing I should plant them in a raised bed with good drainage.
    Gary
     
  2. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Denman Island,BC
    Some rootstocks will tolerate or even prefer clay soil, but almost all advice regarding grape plantings start with "assure good drainage" or words to that effect.
    Most will tolerate flooding for a short period, but we are talking days, not even weeks. Richmond in general spends a good portion of the year with the water table at or just slightly below the surface which will damage or kill most grape plantings. Your idea of mounding has potential, but you will need to be quite enthusiastic with your mounds, 2 ft. or more high and a significant diameter too. Unless things have changed since I lived there, sand is relatively cheap and readily available. One truckload (12 yds.) should provide enough mounding for a couple of plants. As straight sand would require considerable ammendment, you should look for a source that add and blend other material before delivery, but make sure they know the end product has to be easy draining.
    The unremitting flatness (flatitude?) of the delta area was troublesome to me (we lived in Ladner), but we found that two loads in our (fairly large) front yard allowed us to manufacture a meandering berm some 50 ft. long that became a focus for the landscaping (Naturescaping actually, but that's another story).
    High acid is not good for grapes, but for a small planting, mounded, that should be an easily treated issue.
    The variety you grow and/or the rootstock will have considerable effect on the plant's success, and the low cost of cuttings or even grafted stock will be well worth the effort. Try to find something grown on Riparia Gloire, 101-14, preferrably the latter for heavy clay soil and wet feet. Both will advance maturity as well, which is a factor in this climate.
    Ralph
     
  3. gary3

    gary3 Member

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    Ralph
    thanks for the quick reply. It is pretty much what I expected.

    I think I will experiment with one of the cuttings .
     

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