Grape Vine in a Pot = no Grapes so far

[Former Canuk]

A friend gave me a grape vine cutting in a pot 3-4 years ago. I planted it in a container which happened to be a beer keg cut in half, good size I thought.

It currently lives in an unheated greenhouse.

The plant took off like a shot growing the first year (and subsequent).... but leaves only. It's spread a good bit in the greenhouse now.. I am told by many that grapes need to be rooted in the ground or you will never get fruit.

Sound right?

[Cellar_Rat]

I can't comment on whether potted grapes fruit fruit or not, but I do know that grapes grow down into the soil a long way to secure water and nutrients, so potting could cause a problem.

Are you training and pruning it? This is also key to fruiting.

[lockwood1956]

it will grow ok in a pot but not as well as it would in the ground..

you should however get fruit after year three.... it will need pruning, dont let it get too big, or this will inhibit its fruiting potential. You will also have to be careful of vine weevils, especially with it being in a pot. you can buy very effective weevil treatments at garden centres, and they do nematodes for them now, which is a very natural way to do it (do a search on garden centre websites for nematodes)

you will need also (because of restricted root formation ) have to feed the vine, not with a normal fertiliser though, you will need a balanced NPK fertiliser (look on the packet...the ammounts of Nitrogen Pottassium and phosphates need to be in the same proportions) chempak do such a fertiliser (NPK 7-7-7 i believe)

but correct pruning is the main thing to look at



is there a way of burying the vine in the ground in the greenhouse?

it will do much better that way, do it now, or at least before the ebd of feb

hope that helps
regards
Bob

[lockwood1956]

forgot to add....

I have a couple of vines in 60cm pots that are doing fairly well, they dont produce a lot of fruit, i get about 2lb from each vine, the ones in the ground produce about 8-10lb each

[Former Canuk]

Thanks, believe lack of pruning could be the cause. I can't get it into the ground in the greenhouse, it's a converted sort-a-cattle shed from years gone by with a concrete floor.

I'll pick up a RHS book from the library and learn proper pruning...thanks.

Here's a pick of the greenhouse for the craic, you can see the 1/2 keg by the upright post.

This was a couple of years back when it was sharing the pot with a clematis. New puppy took care of the clematus with a few chews but the grape vine survived. I have it running across the top beam both sides of the post now.