Inherited neglected wine grapes

[JamesC]

I have just bought a house in Austria where I have inherited two sorts of wine grapes. 10 plants altogether. A few of the trunks are broken, cracked in half, and while they still produce fruit. I don't think they will continue to do so if the truck continues to deteriorate. I have tried to bind the plants to keep them from separating anymore but I don't know if i will strangle or kill the plant by doing this. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

I have attached a picture of the worst one, it is situated growing out from under a cement patio.

Thanks, JamesC

 

[JamesC]

Here is the picture of the plant

 

[balatonwine]

How do the leaves look? That will help diagnose if you have a trunk disease or not. See:

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PDF/PMG/grape_trunk_disease_view.pdf

If the leaves are dark green and health, then IMHO the vine has dealt with this damage, and you only need to provide support so it's weight does not cause it to split more, which can expose fresh tissue to disease.

 

[JamesC]

Thanks

Thanks so much for the reply.
The leaves are full and green...... but about a third the size as the other plants.
I hope that the plant, and the others, have dealt with the problem and will heal themselves. I just panicked when I saw this big gaping whole in some of the trunks.
I have since supported the trunk and vines a bit better to lessen the load on it.
Thanks again for the great info!

 

[garymc]

If you think the grapes are good, I'd stick a shoot in the ground and layer a new vine. Or whatever you are able to do like cuttings. I'd be afraid that vine's days are numbered.

 

[Johny99]

I'm with @garymc. I'd coax them along, but start rooting some new cuttings.if they do well, you are golden. Not knowing where you are, but as I recall a couple of vineyards I've visited in Styria said theirs were own rooted. Otherwise, if phylloxera is an issue in you area, you eventually may need to replant. That said, I've found grape vines to be about the most tenacious plants.

 

[balatonwine]

The leaves are full and green...... but about a third the size as the other plants.

I asked about leaf color, because leaves on the left and right of the trunk at the top of the photo looked a bit speckled with lighter colors. If those leaves are from the vine it could be a mineral deficiency (in which case a bit of fertilizer may help) or disease. If the leaf size is smaller than the other vines, then that too indicates an issue for the vine. Keep giving the vine some tender loving care (you may also need to spray the leaves for fungus protection) and see what happens. Also consider removing all the fruit this year to let the vine put energy into being healthy rather than making fruit. In the end, it will either recover or it will not.

Side note: if the vine is diseased, removing it may be to consider at some point in the future to protect the other vines.

 

[balatonwine]

If you think the grapes are good, I'd stick a shoot in the ground and layer a new vine. Or whatever you are able to do like cuttings.

Well.... it may be a good idea to ID the variety exactly from the OP, and make sure this is a vine variety one wants to propagate. For example, a vine growing from under a cement patio may be a suckered American root stock from a vinifera vine that died decades ago. Or it may be one of the Uhudler vines and probably should not be propagated over a more traditional variety. And one needs to make sure it is not diseased. Propagating by layering or taking cutting from a diseased vine is not a good idea.

A little more information is needed before giving propagation advise. And if the variety can be identified, and available, new disease free vines suitable for each wine growing region cost about 3 Euro, are easy to get in Austria, so probably not worth self propagating.