I live in NW Alabama. Received 2 year stock for planting, They are budding and some have leaves. It's Feb and last frost is still probably 6 weeks away.
What can I do with the plants until planting time? They are from a nusery and bagged seperate. Sould they stay outside or be put inside/ or what HELP, this is my first planting
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Only planting instructions, they are each in a plastic sleve or wrap. Whwn purchased they were inside the store at Sam's Club. I guess they though it was spring. I put them out side under the car port and the freeze took care of the leaves. I suppose they will be fine until spring but not sure. Don't know about water,
thanks
FROg
quote="Newt"]Hi Frog,
Didn't any instructions come with them? Can you call the nursery and ask them how to treat? Are they in soil in the bags or bareroot? If bareroot and they're sprouting, I would pot them up and keep watered until danger of frost has pssed.
Only planting instructions, they are each in a plastic sleve or wrap. Whwn purchased they were inside the store at Sam's Club. I guess they though it was spring. I put them out side under the car port and the freeze took care of the leaves. I suppose they will be fine until spring but not sure. Don't know about water,
thanks
FROg
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opabinia51
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 4659
- Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
- Location: Victoria, BC
Hi Frog,
it sounds to me like you just have the bare roots in a bag of some sort, these should be planted right away because a hard frost will damage the bare roots. (If that is what you have)
Watering is pretty simple and their are no explicit instructions for watering any plant (as far as water so many times a week and what not). Just dig the soil around the roots a little with a spade or small shovel and if the soil is dry then give the plants a good, long soak with sprinkler or soaker hose.
There are two paradigms of thought about when it is best to water plants:
1) Do not water at night or in early morning because if you do, you will encourage diseases such as damping off and other fungal/bacterial growths. Therefore, water during the day, late morning being the very earliest.
2) Water at night and in early morning so as to allow the water to soak into the soil before it evaporates. The caviat (sp?) to this techniqe (that I use) is that you need to have healthy, well balanced soil and not use herbicides and pesticides that really just select for resistant organisms and kill both beneficial and pathogenic organisms.
Anyway, this method allows the water to soak deep into the soil and allows the roots of plants (including grapes) to grow deep into the soil in search of water and nutrients.
For a fertilizer for you grapes, I have found that liquid fish fertilzer works best. Also, when you plant your grapes add a handful or two of Kelp Meal to the holes before placing the root balls in the holes. I wouldn't recommend planting them in pots because of the fact that in winter; they are prone to freezing and also a pot is a closed system and plants tend to grow better and are generally more healthy in an open system.
Futhermore, in the soil; your grapes will be less prone to dessication and various plant diseases(provided that you have a healthy soil).
There are a lot of threads on how to create and maintain healthy soil in the forums and on the website so, I encourage you to look at those as well.
it sounds to me like you just have the bare roots in a bag of some sort, these should be planted right away because a hard frost will damage the bare roots. (If that is what you have)
Watering is pretty simple and their are no explicit instructions for watering any plant (as far as water so many times a week and what not). Just dig the soil around the roots a little with a spade or small shovel and if the soil is dry then give the plants a good, long soak with sprinkler or soaker hose.
There are two paradigms of thought about when it is best to water plants:
1) Do not water at night or in early morning because if you do, you will encourage diseases such as damping off and other fungal/bacterial growths. Therefore, water during the day, late morning being the very earliest.
2) Water at night and in early morning so as to allow the water to soak into the soil before it evaporates. The caviat (sp?) to this techniqe (that I use) is that you need to have healthy, well balanced soil and not use herbicides and pesticides that really just select for resistant organisms and kill both beneficial and pathogenic organisms.
Anyway, this method allows the water to soak deep into the soil and allows the roots of plants (including grapes) to grow deep into the soil in search of water and nutrients.
For a fertilizer for you grapes, I have found that liquid fish fertilzer works best. Also, when you plant your grapes add a handful or two of Kelp Meal to the holes before placing the root balls in the holes. I wouldn't recommend planting them in pots because of the fact that in winter; they are prone to freezing and also a pot is a closed system and plants tend to grow better and are generally more healthy in an open system.
Futhermore, in the soil; your grapes will be less prone to dessication and various plant diseases(provided that you have a healthy soil).
There are a lot of threads on how to create and maintain healthy soil in the forums and on the website so, I encourage you to look at those as well.
Great advice from Opabinia. Here's some sites that will help you with your grapes. Be sure to keep the named variety info in a safe place so if anything goes wrong you wil know which grapes you have.
https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/hil-8202.pdf
https://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06090.htm
Newt
https://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/hil-8202.pdf
https://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/hort/g06090.htm
Newt