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Grape seedling advice needed

 
Posts: 184
Location: Zone 4 MN USA
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Last fall I finally had grapes in my mini vineyard, enough that I could produce a few bottles of wine.
Being the person I am I saved the seeds from the fermenter, dumped them along a fence and figured if I got anything it would be an interesting project or at least some fence coverage.
Well I checked on the fence this afternoon and found maybe a couple hundred grape seedlings poking out of the ground.
Anyone grown grape from seeds? Is it worth culturing them a bit and transplanting them around the property, aka would I see a grape harvest in my near future?
I'm not afraid of taste being an issue, I just was curious if I'm going to be waiting 20 years for a harvest? If so I still can use them as vine coverage over the fences suppose, but an edible cover would be better IMO.
Any grape folks out there?
 
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As a general rule with any fruit bearer, the seedlings that sprout from the fruit may not be true to type. This is worst in apples, but less so with some other fruit. Your best chance of getting something that bears true to type is with something self-fertile. Since grapes are self polunating, your chances of getting something good are a little better.

That being said, I've propagated all of my grapes from cuttings, which guarranties they'll be true to type. What I would suggest is try saving one or two and see what happens in a year or two. If however, you really want a high quality vineyard quickly, I'd make cutting off of all of this year's growth, and plant those back in the ground.

Cuttings are extremely easy to root. Just cut your vines into 15-18" sections, and dip the end closest to the ground in rooting hormone. You can find hormone in the garden section of Home Depot. Do this in the fall after they've lost their leaves, planting the sticks in a spot where they'll stay moist over the winter. I use 15" sections of plastic drain pipe. They will sprout the following spring.
 
Russell Olson
Posts: 184
Location: Zone 4 MN USA
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Thanks for the reply!

I've bought rooting hormone and will be trying my hand at some cuttings.
I actually like the idea of the grapes not being true to type, I can always rip them out if they end up nasty.
Any idea how many years a grape seedling take to fruit?
 
steward
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Location: Currently in Lake Stevens, WA. Home in Spokane
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I actually like the idea of the grapes not being true to type, I can always rip them out if they end up nasty.


You were earlier mentioning using them as a vine covering for your fencing. Even if they are nasty, the birds will probably not be as picky as humans tend to be. If they are in greater abundance along your fence, then that is where the birds will go for lunch - leaving your grapes alone (hopefully). We have to feed the critters if we don't want them eating our crops.

 
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