Grape
July 2006
A couple of years ago, I was gifted with two Thompson Seedless Grapes vines. They
grow beautifully each year and put on a few grapes, but not as many as I'd like. I
suspect that I'm not trimming them properly, but I'm unsure of the correct way and
time of year. I'm also unsure of how much water they need. I would appreciate any
advice you could give me concerning their care.
When we buy fruit crops for our home gardens, we often look at varieties that we are
familiar with from the grocery store. Thus we see a lot of Thompson Seedless grapes,
Bartlett Pears and Red Delicious apples in home gardens. These aren't always the best
varieties for our climate. However, you have them now, so let’s try to make the most
of your planting. Table grapes need to be pruned hard every year in February. We normally
count buds on the vines, leaving a minimum of ten buds for young vines and a maximum
of sixty buds for older more vigorous vines. Each bud can produce at least a cluster
of grapes. If you don't prune enough, table grapes tend to ripen one grape at a time
in the cluster, instead of the whole cluster ripening. Water when dry throughout the
growing season and monitor for insects and diseases and spray accordingly.
March 2014
My father, who lives in Kansas City, Missouri, has three Concord grape plants he wants
me to have (passed on from his father). When should I attempt to move these plants
to Arkansas? I live on Lake Windsor in Bella Vista. How close to the lake can I plant
without worrying about the occasional flooding harming the roots? Also preparing our
rocky soil has me worried. I know lime applications are called for but are that just
when first transplanting? Thank you for any help I'm definitely out of my comfort
zone with grapes.
If your soil is extremely rocky, consider building a raised bed to plant them in along
with a trellis for them to grow on. This will also alleviate any flooding problems.
Have your soil tested before adding lime. Lime is only needed if your soil is too
acidic. Liming without knowing the amounts needed, can cause damage. Make sure that
where you plant the grapes, they get a minimum of six hours of sunlight. I would
move the plants soon, before they begin active growth. Now is the time to prune grape
vines, so prune and move at the same time. They do need annual pruning as well.
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