Recommendations for Zone 3-4 at 8000' that will survive hot & dry summers?

I feel my subject is a bit specific but if this has been covered already let me know and I'll do more research.  

I'm in Colorado where winters get very cold at times, often snow will remain months on end, but summers can hit 100 F.  I would like to grow grapes but would love to hear others experiences with varieties that survive or thrive in these conditions.  

I have an open area with full sun exposure in the summer, or if they require shade from the heat I have others areas.

I would also love to train them up my house to help provide shade.  We have no AC and it cooks inside during the hottest months.  This location is South-East facing and looses direct light around 3pm in the summer.  If needed, to protect them from the cold, I was considering creating a berm along this side of my home and planting them between the berm and the house (then covering the bases with leaves/hay/woodchips in the fall.  Would a berm even be helpful?  If yes, how far away from my foundation should I plant the grapes?  There are some pics of this location in another thread here.

Lastly, I know desirable grape stock (plants?) can be hard to come by in the spring, and if my idea is possible I would love to place an order to reserve my plants now.  Does anyone recommend a provider that may have the best varieties for me?

Thanks!

I'm in SW Colorado at about 7000ft.  I'm wondering the same thing.  I'd like to know what grapes are best for my area.  Hope you get your answer.

I think there are two different questions about grapes. Will the plants survive in the location? And will the fruit ripen up well? Surviving might depend on the winter minimum temperatures. And ripening grapes depends on a long warm summer. If your summer is hot, I suspect fruit should ripen well. So your issue might be a matter of keeping the roots and above-ground stems alive.

I am at 10,500 feet high; it gets to about -25C minimums in the winter (~ -13F), and the summer is sunny and warm, but rarely very hot. I heat my house with a seasonal greenhouse: I put a plastic sheet on the south side of the house from November till May, and that is my main heat source for the house. Although it goes below freezing in there every night for a couple of months, rosemary stays healthy, and I can grow arugula, spinach and lettuce all winter, if that gives you an idea. I've got seedless green grapes in there, and they produce and ripen beautifully. They get a season extension and a milder winter from being in the greenhouse but then they are out in the open air all summer. I got the cuttings from two places that also grew them in similar greenhouses. At one of those places, a greenhouse was moved 3 years ago and the grape was left outdoors; it hasn't produce grapes since, but I don't know if it was well maintained and watered there.

I guess you won't know till you try! See if you can find neighbors who have grapes, and find out if they have to do anything special to keep them alive. And get prunings from them so you can afford to experiment :) I'm planning to put one plant outside next year while still keeping the two that I have in the greenhouse. I'd rather have them outside and use the greenhouse for other things, and I know they'll survive outside, but I don't know if they'll produce and ripen well.

Hi!  Thanks so much for your reply.  I can't believe I missed it until now, I usually get emails notifying me when I have a reply, sorry for my delay in thanking you.  

First off, I love your seasonal greenhouse idea to heat your home.  Is it simply a clear plastic poly material that you hang directly high onto your house creating basically a lean-to style greenhouse in those winter months?  I assume you have good southern exposure because I don't think it would be anywhere near enough to heat my home.  But the idea of how it creates a zone to garden is exactly what I'd like to try.  I wish I was able to create a permanent earthship style setup, but being temporary would make more sense for my location.

Our summers are very hot, but only during the day.  The ground doesn't heat up enough for plants to get growing happily until July.  A poly tunnel could help or maybe even plastic on the ground to hold in heat for the roots.  

I would love to try grapes using your advice to keep them warm.  Unfortunately I don't know anyone around me who gardens beside the usual veggies and only in the summer months (always with poor yields).  

This nursery has grapes that may be hardy to your area. They're located in NY but they should be drought tolerant for your area--most grapes are. Ripening them may be the issue.

https://www.slngrow.com/collections/grapes-1

My advice for ripening them:
Plant them in a raised bed (preferably of rock, brick, or cinder blocks). It needn't be very big, if using cinder blocks it could be 1x1. Rock and similar material help create a hotter microclimate. I would also mulch the soil to add heat and help it stay warmer. It really can make a difference.

Have you thought about growing apricots? There are people in Colorado in similar conditions who are growing certain cultivars with great success.

Valiant grapes were developed and designed to withstand zone 2 conditions (i think... zone 3 for sure at least.) Any way, I planted some in my greenhouse last year and they thrived in the warmer days.  Time will tell if they make it through this winter or not.

Valiant grapes are probably not the best for wine - if that is your end desire.  Mostly good for delicious jams and jellies.  I doubt you will find any non-hybrid variety that will survive your zone 3.  Maybe?  I could be wrong - but I could not find any such variety - as grapes do much better in warmer climates.

Do you have any neighbours that have grapes that perhaps you could get a cutting from?  

Ashley Cottonwood wrote:Do you have any neighbours that have grapes that perhaps you could get a cutting from?  

Unfortunately no.  I'm the only one I know who has this same interest.  Up at ~7800' not many people bother with fruiting plants.  I've been keeping an eye out for over a year, but have not seen any even as I travel.

Tim Barlow wrote:Valiant grapes were developed and designed to withstand zone 2 conditions ....

Hi Tim, I immediately went to see if I can orders some for spring.  I know good Grapes (and ton of others things I want like trees) sell out quickly around now.

https://www.thetreefarm.com/grape-valiant

But this site showed their Maximum altitude is ~6,500'!   I live at ~7,800'.  

Is there a reason Altitude matters considering this plant can withstand Zone 2 winters and I'm at worst Zone 3? (The US agriculture map says I'm 5B but that can't be right given my altitude).

Seth Marshall wrote:

Tim Barlow wrote:Valiant grapes were developed and designed to withstand zone 2 conditions ....

Is there a reason Altitude matters considering this plant can withstand Zone 2 winters and I'm at worst Zone 3? (The US agriculture map says I'm 5B but that can't be right given my altitude).

I have found that USDA zone maps be full of bull scat when it comes to specific and remote climates.  They have me pigeon holed as a zone 3b.  I'll tell you until the day I die that my zone is a 2b at least.  They do not seem to care if less that 10k people live in them...  Fuck 'em.  You and I both know our respective climates without the input of some goob in DC anyway.

I have no idea as to the altitude compatibility of the Valiant grapes.  I am at 6300' so it fits within the range you were directed.  Go as close to the source for the variant as you can for your information.  I believe it was the University of South Dakota or SDU... not sure which.

Out of 3 vines - mine produced several clusters in the first year.  I was told not to expect any until the 2nd year at least.

Tasty little boogers.  Not too fond of the seeds though...

You could try looking around for native grapes. That would be a good indication of whether or not grapes can survive your local conditions. If you find any, you could also try using them for rootstocks, grafting a cold hardy cultivated variety onto them.  Interesting project. Please keep us posted.

I know of valiant grapes being grown at 2054 ft., zone 2, in the Canadian Prairie region.

I also know that concord grapes are grown here at 1480 ft., zone 3b-4 also on the Canadian prairie.

We do get hot in summer, but our main concern here is cold and sometimes hardly any snowcover until Dec./Jan due to winds. We can hit -30 to -40°C, and have even seen down to -52°C.

In zones 3b-4, there are native grapes in some areas, but none where I am unless they are purposely planted.

I realize this is an older thread, and I don't know how much resolution this gives to anybody's questions, but hopefully, it's helpful to someone.

I have a Valiant grapevine and I'm in Colorado springs. Its been growing strong for probably 15 years and they are great to just eat, make juice and make jelly. I have never tried wine but it is supposed to be an all around grape. We are at about 6700 feet.