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Author Topic: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?  (Read 11323 times)

Offline Sean Kelly

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Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« on: January 23, 2008, 06:21:47 am »
Been making home made wine this winter from kits and would love to grow my own grapes, but every place I've looked will not ship to Washington or Oregon.  I guess there are laws and restrictions that prevent shipping grape vines into Washington.  SO where would a Washington guy go buy grape vines for a hobby vinyard?

Sean Kelly
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2008, 10:33:14 am »
Sean, now that is downright strange and outrageous.  I wonder why too.  Why don't you check out a local nursery, they may be able to turn you onto where you could get some young canes to start a vine or two.  I have a grape vine that may be producing enough this year to get some grapes, I am hoping.  If I could I would start you some plants this late spring, but you know about the border stuff and who knows eh?  But....you would need a jump start and get some plants that were established and a couple of years old.  It takes several years for grapes to start to produce.

About 3 years ago I went to this vacant lot that had recently had the house mowed over.  My Cousin had told me that she got a whole bunch of big black grapes from these vines.  By the time I got around to going there it was getting late summer.  I snagged a bunch of roots that I just ripped out of the ground, I was in a hurry, and was just passing by.  I heeled these in and winter came.  The following spring, lo and behold these suckers started to grow.  I let them grow that year and they didn't do much at all.  The next year I just left them.

Now this past fall, the vines had grown into kind of elongated monster vines.  I cut them back hard, leaving some of the trunk and two leaders coming off each side.  I think that this year these two may produce grapes, and I am pretty excited about the prospect of a big black grape, not the kind of slimey sweet little green ones that my established vine produces.

Don't know where I was going with this.  But....if it came down to anything and we could ship young plants across the border, I could start you some starts of each variety, if you should so wish.  Just one day down the road, say the word, and I will do this for you. In the meantime, do some investigating, I am sure something wonderful will you way come.  Have an awesome day.  Cindi
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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2008, 12:33:12 pm »
Funny, I was doing the same research yesterday for NJ for wine grapes and some berry bushes. I also wanted to buy some gooseberries and for some reason I cant get them shipped to me this year in NJ. But I can ship them to my friends house who lives 20 minutes away in Pa. Washington State has lots of vineyards, just call them and see if they will sell you some vines. Also, many garden centers sell grapes. You would be surprised what you can find in Home depot for example. I cant seem to find concrete info about whats best for my area. I am inclined to just pick a variety I like and forge ahead. I am thinking about snagiovese or zinfindel vines. You can also look on Ebay, especially in a month or so. I almost bouight some vines last year from a place in Washington . They are not  selling right now, but would imagine they will relist as spring approaches.  I also used kit wine. Winexpert sangioves and Argentine malbec. I will be using fresh juice this spring from Chile. Its also less expensive than high end kits. Probably about $55/6gal bucket.
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2008, 02:43:16 pm »
sean, you should be able to find them in the local nursery.  you may even find some left over bare root stock.  my husband just bought a couple of apple trees.  the last grapes we bought were here in town.  call around.
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Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2008, 03:07:54 pm »
Very cool!  Yeah, like I said before, I really haven't looked very hard.  Mostly just did searches on the internet or read in my seed catalogs.  I'll call around at the nurserys here and see if they have something.

Konasdad, almost all the vinyards in Washington are on the eastern side of the cascades.  The climate is like a whole different world over there, so what they grow might not work for the western side.

Cindi, I would have to put on my James Bond suit if I went up there and smuggled grape plants across the border.  I could just see it, dark sunglasses, fedora hat, dark grey suit, speedboat across the strait of juan de fuca, loaded with grapes.

It's cool to know there are others here who grow grapes.  I'm really novice to the whole idea and thought it would be fun to grow something different this year.  I've got a nice sunny patch that's all by it's self that all I need to do is till, ready for a small vinyard.  Is it a difficult plant to maintain?  What's all involved?

Thanks again!

Sean Kelly
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Offline thomashton

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2008, 03:29:51 pm »
Steer clear of getting vines through those mail order cataloges. They will send you small bare root stock that is heavily pruned back and likely will die. I learned this the hard way. Going to your local nurseries is the best bet. THat is where I got my seedless eating varieties. Then, just at home depot I picked up a couple seeded concords because I wanted juicing grapes as well.
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2008, 01:35:07 am »
I decided to plant the seeds from the big Red Globe Grapes I buy from the super market.  I planted them in the fall so that they would get that cold set before germination.  Finally about the middle of May when I had just about given up on the seeds they sprouted and grew to about 4-6 inches.  If they survive the winter I'll be transplanting them come April.

You should also be able find seedlings at any nursery or note, or Hardware store with a nursery department, or even Costco.  I bought a couple of pair seedlings from Costco last year.
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Offline reinbeau

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2008, 09:01:54 am »
Konasdad, gooseberries are the alternate host for white pine blister rust that kills white pines.  They're illegal to grow in many places, although there are now resistant varieties being developed and some states have lifted the restrictions.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2008, 10:24:13 am »
Brian, wow, that was cool about the Red Globe grapes and the final germination and growth.  Something that I would be a little concerned about though, is:  sometimes when we take seed from stuff, the resulting product could be not what the original product looked like.

What I am referring to is hybrid, versus open pollination.  If your grape vines survive, (and I hope that they will, grapes are pretty hardy), you need to find out if this is a hybrid grape.  If it is a hybrid grape, then the likelihood of the grape vines that you are growing will produce fruit that will revert back to one of the parents.  I have no clue if this Red Globe grape is a hybrid variety or not.  But...before you get your hopes up about luscious Red Globe grapes, do a little research on it.  You know about genetics, I know that you do, and you may already know this already about the grapes -- or maybe not.

I have taken seed (before I knew any better) a very long time ago from certain flowers that were a F1 hybrid.  Yes, the results were disappointing, until I began to understand about genetics and hybridization of flowers.  Little things that we learn through our trials and errors. 

If not a hybrid, I bet you are going to have some wonderful grapes in a couple of years, good for you!!!!  Have an awesome day.  Cindi
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Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #9 on: January 25, 2008, 09:07:27 pm »
I don't think Red Globes are a hybrid, but even if they are, what the heck?  The objective was to see if I could get something to grow.  Having accomplished that I am now interested in seeing how may of the dozen seedlings survive the winter.  I like grapes and have 1 thompson seedless and a Campbell (Concord type) already but the more the merrier.
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2008, 09:43:25 am »
Brian, your objective to get them to grow was wonderful, it goes to show, eh?  Don't get me wrong, I was not trying to burst your bubble.  Just if, you were growing them for great grapes, if they were a hybrid, you might have been very disappointed, after trying to grow them for several years to produce a beautiful berry like the parent plant.  That was all I meant, sorry, if I pushed a button, didn't mean to.

I wish that I had the gumption to provide more areas to grow grapes, only knows, I have the room, but then it would be too much structure stuff to get them growing on well, on that end I am rather lazy.  Have an awesome and great day, Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2008, 12:53:08 pm »
Hi Sean

I would try Windmill or the cheap guy there in Sumner, they would know where & what will grow here.  As you mentioned, our climate is much different than over the hill!  Jen at Take Root Farm may know also, her Mom owns a BIG CSA up north.  Jen may also let you put hives in her back fields..I might have poked some of your bees last summer on the sunflowers as you are so close.  I was fascinated at how determined they were,when I put my hands in the way they would march right over & through my fingers to get to the nectar!  The older I get the smaller the world gets & the closer we are all to each other!  The wild looking bees would get agitated & seemed more "twitchy", just an un-educated observation!

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Offline Sean Kelly

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #12 on: January 26, 2008, 11:57:07 pm »
Jody,

Take Root Farm is literally a 5 minute walk from my house!  lol  I actually emailed them a few times a while ago asking if I could put a few hives there and was totally ignored.  Oh well.
Where's Windmill?  Is that a nursery in town?

Sean Kelly
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Offline poka-bee

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Re: Where do I get grape vines in Washington?
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2008, 12:55:26 am »
Hi Sean

Windmill is in Sumner, take the exit for Shell but make a R.  Thru the light, take the L at the bottom of the hill, follow down & you will see the signs on the R They are after the new houses & before the chinese restaraunt & US Bank and all that.  Next time I get my veggies at TRF I'll leave her a note.
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