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Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 4:44 pm
by mr-cecil
I have bought a grape vine put plant out in the polytunnel. My research suggest that I should consider planting it such that the roots are "outside".

Has anyone done this before?

I'm trying to work out how to do with without cutting a great big hole in the polytunnel, which I don't really want to do.

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 5:46 pm
by PLUMPUDDING
Yes I did that with one in the greenhouse. My son put a piece of pipe in the concrete base when he was building it so I could put the roots outside and have the plant inside. It worked very well but I had to block up the gap on the outside as mice found their way in. Could you go under the edge of your polytunnel?

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:23 pm
by peter
The vinery where I was born was arranged in that manner.
I'm not sure why, unless it eased the manuring and watering.
The indoor floor was earth with extensive duck boards, back wall had an Ophelia climbing rose trained above a large cistern, between cistern and duckboards an cast iron ornate grid panel path covered the coke boiler fed heating pipes in their concrete trench.
The eastern half was dived ed off and used for fan trained nectarines and peaches.
The divide is I think five sections in from the right.

Yes it was in an extensive walled kitchen garden, hmm - days gone by. :?

Forgot - Black Hamburg, four or five (can't remember which) trained up to the apex.

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 8:44 pm
by mr-cecil
That is an impressive greenhouse!

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:09 pm
by robo
I planted a vine in my new pollytunnel last week and I was faced with the same problem I decided to plant the vine in the corner I think the roots will grow more outside than in

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2016 10:16 pm
by peter
mr-cecil wrote:That is an impressive greenhouse!


Demolished in the early 90s and replaced by a courtyard of houses.

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 6:55 am
by Pa Snip
peter wrote:
Demolished in the early 90s and replaced by a courtyard of houses.


That is a shame, but such is the way of 'progress' and economic needs of owners of such places.

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:06 pm
by Westi
Awe Peter!

Your poor Mum having to have you in the vinery! At least it was warm I suppose! :D :D

Westi

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:11 pm
by Pa Snip
Glad you picked up on that as well Westi :D

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:49 pm
by dan3008
Westi wrote:Awe Peter!

Your poor Mum having to have you in the vinery! At least it was warm I suppose! :D :D

Westi


I had to read the origional post 5 times before I got the joke... Next time, I'm going to wait till i'm awake to read posts lol

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:41 pm
by sally wright
Dear Mr Cecil,
the best way to get a grape to grow into a polytunnel is this. Buy a roll of polytunnel repair tape and cover an area of about a foot square inside and out where you want the vine to come in to the tunnel. Cut a hole in this reinforced section just big enough to get the vine stem through. This hole can be enlarged with a knife as necessary.
I would recommend doing this on an end wall as this will be less stressful on the plastic overall and it will be easier to attach wires etc for training purposes.
Regards Sally Wright.

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 9:21 pm
by mr-cecil
Thanks Sally. I guess I need to decide if I really want to hack a hole in the tunnel.

Re: Grape roots outside of polytunnel?

Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 9:25 pm
by Primrose
I think the famous Black Hamburg vine at Hampton Court is planted so that the vine itself is in the glasshouse and all the roots are outside in an empty well manured wide border. I suspect polytunnels pose a more difficult conundrum for this than glasshouses though.