Grape Question

[Pappy]

I planted some grapes last year and plan on planting more. I need some advice on building a trellis type for them. specically if you know where I can find the posts. I thought about redwood posts and then adding to it later on to make it kinda like a pergula (sp) with the grapes hanging down. Anyone with pics of their Grapes and hanging system would be appreciated. I have been online and saw many different styles but thought IO would ask people on here for their input on what works best for them.

[willow]

Lets see how long until that last question gets answered on here.

[willows]

We planted some grapes about four years ago. We were also debating on some sort of trellis, one that would not require a building contractor. LOL we put two four by fours in the ground on each end, one across the top. Some eye hooks that screw into the four by fours and ran some extremely heavy gauge wire between the four by fours through the eyehooks. The grapes have grown up the row of wires quite nicely. All that work and the grapes are really not very good. we also planted blackberries the same year, went to the trouble of fencing them to keep the critters out, and they turned out to be black rasberries. another

[Bon]

My grandfather had posts in the ground about 4' apart, think there were 4. He then took heavy wire and put rows of wires across the posts. I can remember 3 rows.

Our neighbors did the same thing.

[NikonSniper]

My fathers has a grape arbor that is six 6x6 posts with frame work built on top. Its dimensions are about 16'x16' - 7' high with a cement pad built underneath. Very easy to pick the grapes and also serves as an excellent shady place to sit under and eat outside in the Summer. He keeps them trimmed back as needed.

[Pappy]

My fathers has a grape arbor that is six 6x6 posts with frame work built on top. Its dimensions are about 16'x16' - 7' high with a cement pad built underneath. Very easy to pick the grapes and also serves as an excellent shady place to sit under and eat outside in the Summer. He keeps them trimmed back as needed.

 

 

This is what I was thinking of trying to make. Maybe not in my lifetime but hopefull others could enjoy it after I am gone.

[NikonSniper]

This is what I was thinking of trying to make. Maybe not in my lifetime but hopefull others could enjoy it after I am gone.

 

My grandmother passed at a young 92 years old and my father is now 75 and he said grandma talked about canning jelly and juice before my dad was born so that arbor has been there over 75 years. In my near 50 years I can remember rebuilding it twice.

As far as I can remember those are the original purple grape vines except for the white grape vines that we planted when I was a teenager. 

[Bon]

my grandpa had current bushes behind his house. People used to stop and pick & buy them from him. There sure was lots of current jelly made from those bushes!! The same with the grapes, and he had black walnuts and chestnut trees. Sold the fruits of those also. After my grandpa died, the people who bought the house ripped everyone of the grapes and current bushes out. Those bushes were there from probably 1930's till mid 80's.

[WMJ77]

people dont know what they dont know

[Jay]

we also planted blackberries the same year, went to the trouble of fencing them to keep the critters out, and they turned out to be black rasberries. another

I like black raspberries a lot better than blackberries anyway. So to me, that would be a good mistake.

[willows]

LOL actually they were pretty good but our hearts were set on blackberries. Not very many new shoots came up last year for this years berries. They do take some maintenance cutting and disposing of all the old ones at the end of the season. As a child our grandpa took us to a neighbors who had blackberries and tons of them. They were in nice neat rows, from what I remember very high, well over our heads, and I don't remember getting caught in the briars. They were huge berries and fun to pick and eat.

[lavender]

I wonder if what your granpa had were mulberries. They are huge and look like black berries. They are more of a bush than a bramble. 

[Bon]

Briars, brambles & jagger bushes!!!

[willows]

Lavender I think you might be right about the mulberries. They were like hedgerows but very tall and I remember walking between the rows to pick them. I might see if I can find some to plant. We have some blueberries to add with the one bush we have left but am waiting to put a fence up to keep the deer away from them. They love eating all the new shoots. We had four at one time but the deer have eaten three of them over the years and they died. The bushes not the deer. LOL I've often yelled at them, HEY YOU GET AWAY FROM THOSE BUSHES! Only one has survived so a couple years ago I put a fence around it and it's grown nicely.

[lavender]

Deer eat the new shoots on our raspberries too. They just look at you when you yell at them. They aren't looking too good, the raspberries not the deer. Bad winter and something weird going on with the center of the patch.  

[Petee]

Lavender I think you might be right about the mulberries. They were like hedgerows but very tall and I remember walking between the rows to pick them. I might see if I can find some to plant. We have some blueberries to add with the one bush we have left but am waiting to put a fence up to keep the deer away from them. They love eating all the new shoots. We had four at one time but the deer have eaten three of them over the years and they died. The bushes not the deer. LOL I've often yelled at them, HEY YOU GET AWAY FROM THOSE BUSHES! Only one has survived so a couple years ago I put a fence around it and it's grown nicely.

 

I remember going somewhere local with my Mom and they had rows of raspberries taller than her.  It probably depends on water conditions and fertilizer.

 

Mulberries grow into trees.  A friend in Brockway has a huge tree that's probably 20 feet or more.  I got one last year.  Mulberry is one of my favorite flavors and scents.

[lavender]

Black mulberries tend to grow as tall bushes if not trained as trees. They are hardy to zone 6, which is where I was living when I had one in my yard. They are the ones with the tastiest berries and are generally the ones grown for fruit. The red mulberries are the native ones and the white ones were imported to feed silk worms. They do grow as trees and are hardier.