The grape is a baby right now that I got for $2 during the it's-almost-too-late-to-plant-this sale and is doing very well in spite of a few Japanese Beetles. I was wondering if it would like a clematis friend next year. I'm not that overly concerned about grape production--if it does well, I may get another one just because I can't find any decent grapes to buy lately (to eat I mean--they all have tough, bitter, thick skins and are inedible IMNSHO).
Anyone try this before?
Clematis on Grape Vine?
I am planning to grow clems on the posts supporting my grape trellis. Mine are baby grapes also. My supports are 4x4 x10 pressure treated posts. I plan to put fan trellis on each of the 4 posts. I think the clems will add a nice addition. I would love any feedback as to if this is a good idea?
Vineyard tradition is a rose bush on each end post.
I heard some
vineyards were doing it with clems but have no seen any photos or seen it anywhere in person yet.
Our home has a row of grapevines which have been here for years that I thought about getting rid of so this spring I decided this would be a good area for clematis, so I'm giving it a try.
I've only started planting on one end and so far have Madame Julia Correvon at the very end. Then started planting approx. 18" apart with Bees Jubilee, Ramona and Belle of Woking.
Still have many which are growing out in larger containers which I need to get in the ground very soon so I'll be excited to see what next year brings!
You have Ramona? Do the leaves come out as 3 together or one? I ask because I have a Ramona and Dr. Ruppel that I got from a garden center and I didn't mark them as I took them out of the boxes, so I don't know which is which. They're still in gallon pots and way too small to bloom.
there are good descriptions of leaf types on line. young clems in gallon pots, esp if stressed sometimes do not show the mature leaf formation that they will once in a suitable ground location.
Is there a site you find more trustworthy than others? I keep finding conflicting information when I search for plant info like that.
From what I can find, they should both have basically the same leaf growth. It looks like one of them is stressed enough that the leaves don't look right. Not a surprise since the tip of the growth it already had broke off, then when it sprouted from the base, something munched about half of each leaf. What ever it was hasn't bothered the others in the clem nursery area. Just have to wait to see if they get big enough to bloom I guess.
these surprises are part of clemming....but you can take the info on COTW (google clematis on the web) , the british clematis society or the international clematis society as very credible.
I'm not sure I would plant a clem with grape vines.
I say this as last year I cut my grape vine back very hard in order to get ready to put in new supports and before I could get to the back of the yard to take out the old and put in the new the vines took off so fast that it had mostly covered the arbor again.
So with as fast as the grape vine can and most likely grow I would think that the grape vine would smother the clem vine. The grape vine (I have concord grapes) is such a strong fat vine, at lest this type, that it might kill the clem. I can see roses as their canes are very thick and has thorns. Some of the clems vines start out rather small and a fast growing grape vine would wrap around a small tender clem and strangle it.
My grape vine is so fast growing that it has attached itself to a small wild tree and about to kill it now.
This is just MHO. I wouldn't be letting any of my clems close to my grape vines.
Janet