Return to the Garden Clinic Forum
| Post a Follow-Up
Help with 30+ yr old grape vine, roots destroyed!
| | |
Posted by christiw Ohio, Zone 6 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 1, 08 at 13:26
| In my backyard I have a dark purple wine grape vine that has been there for at least 30 years. Unfortunately, when the guy came to fix our septic tank last week, he disturbed the root and it looks like the grapevine may not make it. The leaves are all shriveling up and turning brown. I'm just devastated! I tried blocking it off but he just destroyed the whole back yard. Also, if anyone has any ideas on how I can save this poor old grapevine I'd love to hear them. He took away some of the root and what he didn't take away was left above ground in the heat for 24 hours. I covered it over with dirt and cut almost all the grapes off hoping it may recover and come back next year.
Also, since I collected the seed, I'd love some advise on starting it next year. I'm offering seed from the vine on the seed exchange forum if anyone is interested. At least if it dies, other people can enjoy the seeds.
Thanks so much for any help,
Christi
|
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Help with 30+ yr old grape vine, roots destroyed!
| | |
- Posted by jean001 z8aPortland, OR (My Page) on
Mon, Sep 1, 08 at 15:42
| Seeds won't work. Likely the grape will resprout next year from the surviving roots -- unless, that is, the entire thing was dug. |
RE: Help with 30+ yr old grape vine, roots destroyed!
| | |
| Oh no, why won't the seeds sprout? |
RE: Help with 30+ yr old grape vine, roots destroyed!
| | |
| Grapes are pretty hardy plants. You did the correct thing in planting the surviving root stock. Now just keep in moist (not wet) until next summer at which time you will know about it's survival. Since you live in OH, a thick mulch would help keep the soil from freezing or drying out this winter. If the ground does not freeze, water the mulched area once a month. |
RE: Help with 30+ yr old grape vine, roots destroyed!
| | |
| My elderly friend and my husband killed an wonderful old heirloom red grape by trying to prune it in my absence. However, they threw the clippings up into a vacant field, and would you believe the canes took root and it resurrected itself? I hope you don't loose the vine, but don't lose hope. Yes, you can start grapes from seed. It's just so easily done by cuttings, and you don't have to worry about genetic diversity from the parent stock, but you can start grape by seed. It will take longer than cutting grown to start producing fruit, however. |
RE: Help with 30+ yr old grape vine, roots destroyed!
| | |
| Most all grapes are very tough plants. There was an old grape of some kind growing here when we moved in some 35 years ago in a place I did not want it growing, so I cut it down and tried to pull as much of the root out as possible (it is not an easy task) and that grape is still trying to grow in that same place today even though I keep cutting it back. I also have "wild" grapes that the birds apparently are seeding for me that I need to keep cutting back growing full shade as well as full sun. Watch next spring to see if this will not grow back. |
|
|
|
|
