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Will my pinot noir vine benefit from a winter blanket?

crystalpalacebadger5k6aYUF3Lcrystalpalacebadger5k6aYUF3L Posts: 21
in Problem solving
My Pinot Noir vine on my new pergola is the big success story of my garden so far. 
Apparently this variety is subject to disease and particularly frost. 
So I've bought a blanket to see it through it's 1st winter in sunny Crawley.
My worries are, 1st it's done so well I'm going to have to work hard to cover it all, and 2nd if I cover it too well  will it suffer from lack of winter sun and rain?
Only slightly reassured by the fact this is the 2n'd most popular vine to grow UK.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    If you're not in a frost pocket your vine should be fine but to get good grapes you do need to pay attention to feeding, watering and pruning. 

    This info from the RHS may help - https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/grapes/outdoor-cultivation 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Is it in a pot or in the ground. If in a pot the roots like to be kept warm so I wrap my terracotta pot in bubble wrap. If in the ground you can cover the soil with straw. Then look after it like Obelixx suggests.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    There must be a PN-growing vineyard near Crawley.  Find them and ask them.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    It shouldn't need any kind of blanket over Winter as it will be dormant with no leaves by then. There are lots of vineyards around here in West Sussex growing PN and they don't use blankets over Winter. The main frost problem is when a late frost damages the emerging flowers in Spring so there might be some benefit in using a fleece blanket for a few nights if a heavy frost is forecast. You should have pruned it back during the Winter so it will be smaller then and easier to cover.

    The main disease problems are various rots which affect the grape bunches. PN has very tight bunches which encourages rot so bunch thinning should be done to open out the bunches and encourage airflow. Similarly the leaf canopy should be managed to expose the bunches to air and sun to get clean ripening.

  • crystalpalacebadger5k6aYUF3Lcrystalpalacebadger5k6aYUF3L Posts: 21
    Many thanks for the help. Not sure I've made it clear that this is it's 1st winter...no sign of grapes yet and loath to consider pruning as it's just beginning 😉 to creep over the top of the pergola. Roots are in the ground in a wide hole kangoed through the crazy paving of my patio.
    Happy to feed..with what?
    Will definitely keep an eye for frost reports locally.
    Grapes would be a bonus rather than a prority....although I do like the wine.😊
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    @crystalpalacebadger5k6aYUF3L Liquid feeds such as seaweed or comfrey as occasional tonics between bud burst in spring and mid July.   

    Best tho to feed the soil which means a mulch of well-rotted organic matter applied in autumn but not right up to the stem or it will rot.   

    Read that link I gave you as it has a section on feeding and soil management.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • crystalpalacebadger5k6aYUF3Lcrystalpalacebadger5k6aYUF3L Posts: 21
    Read that mate, and already bought growmore and potassium sulphate as advised.
    Trouble is the hole in the patio is barely a metre sq and afraid of overdoing, as I've heard some fertilisers in excess can burn roots?
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    As long as any manure or garden compost is well rotted it won't burn.  Very important to keep it an inch or so away from the main stem so it doesn't rot.   Do the mulching in autumn and leave it for the worms to work in over winter.

    As the planting hole is so small, be sure to water your vine deeply in dry spells.  That means 15 litres at a time poured slowly so it soaks in and does deep, encouraging the roots to go deep too.   You'll have to judge yourself how often that needs to be done but dry periods in spring and summer can really affect growth and fruit development so minimum once a week but more often if really hot and dry.. 
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    Look up the RHS web site on grapes it tells you how to prune vines from year one onwards. At the end of first year in December the main stem should be cut by two thirds and side shoots to one bud. Year two allow main stem to grow. Let side branches produce a bunch of grapes ( mine did not until third year). Pinch back their tips two leaves beyond grapes and five on non bearing shoots. In December cut main stem in half and cutting to a bud on mature brown wood. Cut back side shoots to 1inch or two strong buds. Happy reading. You have to viciously prune it or it outgrow its strength and dies and I am speaking from experience from my first attempt. You can plant stick cuttings in pots for reproducing but I never had any luck with this.
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