My DH used to work for a vineyard. They put in a new well and in clearing o=
ut the well pipe, blasted a hole with the overflow water that was over 10 f=
eet deep. There were grape roots all the way to the bottom and extending a =
long way from the grape vines..
Gayla Roberts
Always Enough Ranch
Acampo, California
http://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.html
Bill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!
aeranch@gmail.com
----- Original Message -----
From: Moerschell
To: GardeningOrganically@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 8:54 AM
Subject: [GardeningOrganically] Re: Potting up my Grapes
Hi, Mike,
I've been told that grapes had real deep roots, which is why they withsta=
nd
drought quite well, and why they can grow even in a hole in one of the st=
one
terrace walls - they just go find some water and nutrients elsewhere. So =
I
was wondering if they'd do well in a pot. On the other hand - they're
diversifying vineyards a lot around here, ripping out the varieties that
they can't sell (and that were planted in big numbers some time ago due t=
o
marketing strategies concentrating on the most well-known varieties) to
plant specialty grapes. When they rip the plants out, it doesn't look lik=
e
the roots are extremely long, they just put a rope around them and pull w=
ith
a motor on the rope.
Uta Moerschell
Rue de Com=E9raz 13
1971 Grimisuat
Switzerland
moerschell@vtx.ch
http://geocities.com/moerschell
Tel +41-27-203-7404
Fax +41-27-203-7424
=20=20
I have a deep rooted red clover out there now. It's just too dense and
will take a lot more time. Yeah - there's lotsa agiculture happening
here. My sandstone situation doesn't seem to be ubiquitous around here
and may be why this property was so cheap. But then, the guy who dug my
pit for me indicated that the incredible purity of the fine white sand
that comes from crushing the sandstone can be sold for mega-bucks! Not
sure if I'll do it tho - but it's an option. Nevertheless, when I am
done, this entire property will be completely transformed and
unrecognizable! It'll just take a bit more work. Til then, I'd like to
have some grapes - so I'll just containerize them, like I have nearly
everything else containerized and they'll happily give me lotsa grapes
until I've found a new permanent home for them. Their containers will be
very large, for certain. I'll also use the same large containers for my
growing fig collection and my backup taro. These are the same kind of
containers that I have my lotus in now. The nanners will go in the
ground tho - they'll get too big even for the large containers, one
variety getting to over 25' tall - but closer in where there's more silt
and where I can pile up tons of organic matter over the winter to
decompose - which is why I'm intruding into the little flood-plain I
have here. The grapes will end up being part of that layout eventually -
very tropical with a Mediterranean flair and a little tropical desert
tossed in for kicks (lotsa agave and yucca and whatnot).
Be well,
Mike
--
Zone 8, Texas
http://www.taroandti.com/ Exotic Plants and More...
http://www.mjv.com/ Home...
Gloria C. Baikauskas wrote:
Hi, Mike,
I've been told that grapes had real deep roots, which is why they withstand
drought quite well, and why they can grow even in a hole in one of the stone
terrace walls - they just go find some water and nutrients elsewhere. So I
was wondering if they'd do well in a pot. On the other hand - they're
diversifying vineyards a lot around here, ripping out the varieties that
they can't sell (and that were planted in big numbers some time ago due to
marketing strategies concentrating on the most well-known varieties) to
plant specialty grapes. When they rip the plants out, it doesn't look like
the roots are extremely long, they just put a rope around them and pull with
a motor on the rope.
Uta Moerschell
Rue de Com?raz 13
1971 Grimisuat
Switzerland
moerschell@vtx.ch
http://geocities.com/moerschell
Tel +41-27-203-7404
Fax +41-27-203-7424
I saw a program on grapes {wine really} in Europe several years ago that
stated that there are grape vines that are like 100 years old and still
fruiting. The really amazing thing was they have found plants with roots
over 200 feet long, going down to find underground water.
Wayi
My DH used to work for a vineyard. They put in a new well and in clearing
out the well pipe, blasted a hole with the overflow water that was over 10
feet deep. There were grape roots all the way to the bottom and extending a
long way from the grape vines..
Gayla Roberts
Always Enough Ranch
Acampo, California
http://bouncinghoofs.com/alwaysenough.html
Bill Barnhill is our Rainbow Example!
aeranch@gmail.com
Ironically - I had two buckets of cuttings that I forgot about and
neglected. Sitting in pure peat, about 20 cuttings in each. One was
Reliance and the other Primitivo. And, that year, in pure peat with
little more that water that I sprayed on the potted plants in the area,
these grapes literally took over their little corner! And these were a
couple of small 3 gallon pots. These same will certainly enjoy much
roomier accommodations when I'm done. :)
Cheers,
Mike
--
Zone 8, Texas
http://www.taroandti.com/ Exotic Plants and More...
http://www.mjv.com/ Home...
Noctaire wrote:
VMan, Why don't you plant some alfalfa to break up that sandstone for
you a bit? I don't know for certain it will work...but it is worth a
try.=20
I don't know why grapes wouldn't grow there. You have those large
pecan and blackberry plantations/farms there in the Comanche
area....and I could swear you said there are some new vinyards there,
too.=20
Gloria, Texas
US zone 8a
--- In GardeningOrganically@yahoogroups.com, Michael Vanecek
> Their taproot can reach over 6' deep. Here, 6' deep is... sandstone.
> Heck, 6" deep is sandstone! And 60' deep is sandstone. I've got an
> abundance of sandstone it seems. Grapes are very tough and they'll
> survive out there - but I don't want just survival - I want
production,
> which they're not going to do out there without a *LOT* of work. I
also
> have rooted cuttings heeled in down in the pit in pure sand. They
were
> extras that had not budded out this Spring, but I buried them just
in
> case. Well - a few budded out finally. I won't move them now - just
keep
> them watered and fed for now. They too are growing, but will also be
> potted up come late Winter.
> The containers I'll use are huge - they'll do just fine in there
and I
> can even continue training them while containerized. Don't forget
that a
> lot of plants we grow in containers also have extensive root
systems -
> figs for instance. So long as you give them some elbow-room,
they'll be
> perfectly happy.
> Of course, when you remove grapes like that, roots break off. It's
> impossible to get the taproot in its entirety without digging up a
6+'
> deep hole. So long as you get the main root-ball, they'll grow new
> taproots when replanted...
> In any case - 2 years after potting them up - I expect a bumper
crop of
How old are they? They won't produce for at least a couple of years -
and if they try they should be de-flowered before they do to provide
more resources to getting the root system established. Nevertheless -
there are other factors. One thing I did for all my pots was shade them
from the summer sun as much as possible. This included putting bales of
hay next to them as well as mulching my regular pots. The grapes
self-shaded their own soil so that wasn't necessary, tho a single grape
vine in a container will benefit from the mulch. Keep the root zone cool
will certainly help a lot. Keep it well watered. Container soil also
benefits from pumice or lava sand to keep the soil open and airy too -
container soil tends to compact to concrete otherwise. A small amount of
clay - such as bentonite clay, also helps provide some trace minerals.
Mixing in a few lava rocks will also benefit the root system as well.
Grapes also benefit from regular feeding, of course and love foliar
treatments too. And inoculating them with mycorrhizal fungus should go
without mentioning.
Good luck,
Mike
--
Zone 8, Texas
http://www.taroandti.com/ Exotic Plants and More...
http://www.mjv.com/ Home...
Noctaire wrote:
