# Growing grapes (first timer)



## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

We planted grape vines last year (never grown them before) and this year we have lots of vine and leaf growth, but no grapes yet. 
I'm just north of Dallas so its been growing for at least 2 months now. I put up a 6 foot long section of chicken wire behind it which you can't even see now.
Should I be pinching off some of the vine growth to encourage grapes or do I just let it go?


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## debbiebofjc (Jun 11, 2006)

I've read that you should pinch off the first year's grapes so that the vine gets better established. I'm not an expert tho, I'm pretty new to grapes myself. 
Is there someone out there who's experienced who knows if I'm right?
I too have a new grape plant. It did have some tiny flowers on it but I pinched them off.
It was actually a section of an old plant that had rooted itself. I dug it up and moved it, so I don't want it spending too much energy on making grapes this year.


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Texas can be a tough place to grow grapes. I'm glad I'm not in your shoes. 

Assuming that your bud break was around 1 March, if you don't have flowers now, then you won't see any (generally, there are exceptions to this rule) until next year. 

You probably retained too many buds this past spring (most backyarders do), so I'd advise you to shoot-thin to 4 - 6 shoots per foot of canopy. (Heavily shaded shoots tend to be much less fruitful than shoots that are exposed to full sun.)

Now for the standard list of questions- 
What USDA zone? 
What variety(ies)? 
How many did you plant? 
What spacing? 
What's your soil like? 
What training system do you intend to use?​


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## Tricky Grama (Oct 7, 2006)

I'm in N. Tx also & just visited a winery last Sat. VERY interesting...seems 4 ac of grapes will produce 6 tons!!!!! Their grapes are growing w/o any work...but maybe they had a LOT of work in the beginning. I know it does take a couple yrs b/4 producing.

Patty


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## hiswife (May 30, 2008)

we have "wild grapes" on several of our fences, and I can see tiny little bunches of grapes starting. Do I need to do anything to help them along? Trim leaves back, fertilize, that sort of thing?


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

What USDA zone? 8A
What variety(ies)? Red Globe Grapes and Concord
How many did you plant? 1 of each
What spacing? approx 4' apart
What's your soil like? black dirt with lots of compost and mulch, good drainage
What training system do you intend to use? I put in 2 fence posts with approx 6 to 7 foot of chicken wire tacked to it right behind the plants. There is about 18" of space behind the wire to a wooden fence along my property line, and nothing in front of it for at least 6', not quite full sun.


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## tomakers (May 27, 2007)

You wouldn't be in Grapevine, Tx, would you? I suppose that would be too much of a coincidence. It's a lovely place. And pretty good fishing also.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Here's the method I use, though I'm up in Illinois.

http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H-303.pdf

If you just let all the vines go wherever they want you'll get lots of small and tasteless berries.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

tomakers said:


> You wouldn't be in Grapevine, Tx, would you? I suppose that would be too much of a coincidence. It's a lovely place. And pretty good fishing also.


Nope, about 15 miles due east of there


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Tricky Grama said:


> I'm in N. Tx also & just visited a winery last Sat. VERY interesting...seems 4 ac of grapes will produce 6 tons!!!!! Their grapes are growing w/o any work...but maybe they had a LOT of work in the beginning. I know it does take a couple yrs b/4 producing.
> 
> Patty


Kinda hard to make money at 1.5 tons/acre. NYS average for Concords is over 5 tons/acre, with yields of 8 to 10 being quite common. Most growers crop hybrids in the 6 to 8 ton range, V. vinifera varieties at 2.5 to 5 tons/acre.



mnn2501 said:


> What USDA zone? 8A
> What variety(ies)? Red Globe Grapes and Concord
> How many did you plant? 1 of each
> What spacing? approx 4' apart
> ...


You're in zone 8a/7b, right? Concord tends to due poorly in the warmer regions. There's a fairly new variety from Arkansas called Sunbelt that's supposed to be better adapted to your region. Dunno who sells them. Don't know nuthin about Red Globe (I can find out more, though).

Soil sounds ok. What's the pH?

Spacing is a little close. Here in NY, we plant Concords 8' apart in the rows.

How high is the top of your chicken wire?


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## harrisjnet (Jul 13, 2006)

It took my Concords three years to make a decent crop. I had two vines, but lost one to the heat and drought a couple years back. This one concord vine I have made several bushels of grapes last year. 
My white grapes made three bunches of grapes last year. This is their third year and they are loaded down like you wouldn't believe. 
My Thompson seedless White grapes are several years old and still haven't made a decent crop. No crop at all for the past two years. 
I am in South Eastern Oklahoma, one county away from Texas so we should have about the same growing season.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

For every location on Earth there is a grape variety that thrives there.


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

Steve L. said:


> You're in zone 8a/7b, right?


 Yes 


Steve L. said:


> Soil sounds ok. What's the pH?


 That I don't know right now. Do you know what ph grapes like or does it vary by type?


Steve L. said:


> How high is the top of your chicken wire?


 about 6'


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

harrisjnet said:


> My Thompson seedless White grapes are several years old and still haven't made a decent crop. No crop at all for the past two years.


There are three very likely possible causes for your lack of fruit. 
Low mid-winter temps. Sultana is very winter tender. If you got down to anywhere near 0Â°F, you may have lost all your fruitful buds.

Late spring frosts. 

Spur pruning. Sultana is not fruitful on nodes 1 through 7, so cane pruning is mandatory.​


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Most grapes do best in soils whose pH is in the 6.0 to 7.0 range. Concord does a little bit better on slightly more acid soils (5.5 to 6.5). 

6' high trellis is a standard industry practice.


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## Farmer Gab (Aug 28, 2007)

Hi! I am so glad that this thread was started!

Just today I bought two Zinfandel grape vines from the local Home Depot. Now, I am wondering if they are a good fit for where we live. HD sells a lot of stuff that is not great for our location. We live at a little over 7,000 feet above sea level. Our growing season is about 90 days. Temps are as low as -20 in the winter and as high as 100 in the summer. 

Does anyone have any advice for me???


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## Steve L. (Feb 23, 2004)

Farmer Gab said:


> Hi! I am so glad that this thread was started!
> 
> Just today I bought two Zinfandel grape vines from the local Home Depot. Now, I am wondering if they are a good fit for where we live. HD sells a lot of stuff that is not great for our location. We live at a little over 7,000 feet above sea level. Our growing season is about 90 days. Temps are as low as -20 in the winter and as high as 100 in the summer.
> 
> Does anyone have any advice for me???


Do you want to grow wine, juice, or table fruit? 

The short answer is - don't bother with this variety. We can't grow Zin successfully here in the Finger Lakes region of NY (USDA zones 5a/5b), where we have a growing season of over 150 days, and very rarely see lows below -15. Our heat accumulation (2200 to 2400 heat units) is probably a little less than yours, but you really need the days, too. 

I would advise against trying Zin anywhere that doesn't get more than 2500 heat units over a growing season of 180+ days, and where winter lows tend to stay above -10Â°F. 

Grape growing under your conditions will be tough. I can't think of any _Vitis vinifera_ varieties that work at all for you, and even natives and hybrids will be marginal. 

You might want to try the new Minnesota varieties (Marquette, St Croix, Frontenac, Sabrevois) or early French hybrids like Marechal Foch or Baco noir. All of the above, though are susceptible to spring frosts, and all tend to produce juice that's high in acid. 

These links might help - 

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/hort/faculty/pool/continentality/Continentality.htm

viticulture.hort.iastate.edu/events/vinewineaug03/est1_20.pdf


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