As a side note, Double A vineyard has a ton of info on their website for growing grapes. It includes good basics to follow when growing grapes. You may need to tailor these somewhat for your conditions.
Are my grape plants dead?
- Thread starter bcort
- Start date
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Just numbered my vines. Since it’s been unusually cold this spring, everything is late. We finally had a string of 80+ days and I went out to my vineyard to see. Of the 100 vines I planted last spring, I only see signs of life on 58 vines. Not a great survival rate. I don’t really understand as I don’t think we even measured a below freezing night this past winter. My sister in SoCal (Northern LA County) got more snow than we did. In fact, it didn’t even snow this year at my house.
It was a constant fight out there last year. What the rabbits didn’t nibble on and destroy the deer came after and partook of the standing salad. John 15 takes on a new meaning for me now.
It was a constant fight out there last year. What the rabbits didn’t nibble on and destroy the deer came after and partook of the standing salad. John 15 takes on a new meaning for me now.
montanarick
Senior Member
First off what are your vines? second, it's a good idea to cage young vines and fence your vineyard to keep all the critters from the salad bar. Our vines here in Montana are now just shy of bursting - maybe by next week if we can get the temps up to the 70's
It may not be as bad as you think. I had one this year that did not show any life until 3 weeks past budbreak on most of the other vines (only 20 total plants). Hopefully yours are just being slow. Did you get the October cold snap in your area? I was wondering how the October freeze affected my plants. I'm not doing traditional pruning and it did seem like more of the longer exposed canes died back more than expected but I don't have a much history/knowledge to compare it to.
I had plants that were grafted and callused in februrary, that didn't bud out and start growing until yesterday. I had given them up for dead and basically ignored them from march till now-they're fine, just slow. Some will always do that.
I had many vines that were destroyed by a family member's dog that was staying with us. chewed off at the ground, or ripped out of the ground completely. Some of them are growing back now, two months after budbreak. Even the shards of chewed and crushed vines that I stuck in pots and ignored have started growing roots and shoots. It just takes time.
I had many vines that were destroyed by a family member's dog that was staying with us. chewed off at the ground, or ripped out of the ground completely. Some of them are growing back now, two months after budbreak. Even the shards of chewed and crushed vines that I stuck in pots and ignored have started growing roots and shoots. It just takes time.
