Forum Topic

I have an abundance of grapes in my garden....

.....and if you want them for wine making, jelly-making, you are welcome to come and pick them.  Not really sweet enough for eating though!

Anne Brown ● 5814d9 Comments

Anne, i have a Grape Vine in a large pot on my pattio and have it trailing outside along my kitchen wall. Do you know when the best time to prune it is and how do you look after it in the summer ie feeding wise? It did not grow to well this year and i am wondering if i should have been feeding it as opposed to just watering.

Tony Crumpton ● 5814d

Tony, I usually cut it back hard in the winter or the spring.  Mine is not in a pot, and it's on a wall that faces south so gets maximum sunshine.  Perhaps yours needs planting out.  I can recommend you to a gardener as I am a complete novice and just very lucky I have such a beautiful plant.

Anne Brown ● 5813d

Tony, I usually cut it back hard in the winter or the spring.  Mine is not in a pot, and it's on a wall that faces south so gets maximum sunshine.  Perhaps yours needs planting out.  I can recommend you to a gardener as I am a complete novice and just very lucky I have such a beautiful plant.

Anne Brown ● 5813d

Tony, cut back as Anne says, and after fruit has set in Spring time, cut back any growth AFTER THE fruit about 6 leaves along.  This will keep the plant tidy and ensure all the goodness from the soil goes where it should.Fertilse early and regularly during the season.  Depending on location and depth of soile, not wise to let roots dry out too much.Grapes also make excellent juice for drinking which can be frozen.

Dee Cook ● 5813d

I thought about juicing, but apparently you have to remove the skins first and I'm too lazy to even remove the skins from tomatoes!

Anne Brown ● 5812d

I have a gadget on my mixer which does just that - you only have to remove the stalks... worth investigating if you have a large quantity to juice.

Dee Cook ● 5812d

Many thanks for your help ladies. I will take your advice on board.

Tony Crumpton ● 5812d

.. and samples will be available, I joke. Enjoy the results of your labours.

Dee Cook ● 5812d

There is a project called Abundance.  There were posts on both the Ealing Today site (Diane Gill) and on the Chiswick W4 site (Karen Liebrich?).  There was an Abundance day held last weekend in Chiswick where jams and chutneys made as a result of this sharing of fruit was sold.  (And I understand that there was pumpkin soup from Sam's Brasserie - I bet that was good too!)

Philippa Bond ● 5811d