I posted in the container forum a little about pruning. You need a way to adapt to container culture.
I also mentioned the new cultivar Pixie, which is a dwarf wine grape Pinot Meunier, that can be used for the table too. It has been offered in Canada a few years now, and soon will hit the USA.

You can easily grow grapes in containers. We knew we would be moving, and planted an entire vineyard in containers. As long as they are on a drip system, they will grow well. Grapes like water!

Once we moved, we put them all in ground, but they will live a long time in containers.

I've grown in 12-15 gallon containers for 12 yrs. They need repotting after about half that time. You don't need a dwarf any grape will do. They do go dormant but only need very little chilling. Anything to knock the leaves off like a light freeze or a month at 32-40F and they're ready for warmth again.

You could over winter in your grow room but I'd allow that defoliation before bringing them inside.

Potted grapes in greenhouse, and much else, in late winter showing vines after pruning on trellis. Trellis could just be stakes in the pot.

{{gwi:62826}}

{{gwi:62827}}

I get about 12-15 bunches averaging 15-20 lbs per plant. But to do that you'd need very good light in your grow room and warm full sun in summer. If protecting from freezing in winter plant the best varieties: Flame, Summer Royal, Princess, or Thompson seedless. My favorite Summer Royal. Concord much easier to grow than these.

Thanks for the great info!

I ended up going with a Cherry tree, but I still have every intent to buy some grape vines. That means I'm now open to any and all varieties. I'm thinking about getting some kind of Minnesota hardy table grape, just so I don't have to bring them inside over the winter, because wow I have a lot of plants that need to come inside already - and I live in a duplex with 2 roommates!

Fruitnut, I see that your grapes have those long thick vines (canes?) growing along the wires, with new shoots coming out all over them. Come time to prune early in the year, will you cut that new growth down to the thick brown vines again, or do you trim the vine itself? Having a hard time figuring out exactly what I would need to prune and what I would need to keep. I'm guessing what I see is last years growth, with new growth coming from it - that will fruit. I'd like to know when the season is over what you will prune, and how much?

The pruning is had to explain and visualize. But once you get the hang of it it's easy. Those are last yrs canes after pruning and before growth begins in spring. Don't let pruning scare you off.

Basically on your potted grape you'd have a permanent trunk. That's the part running from pot up to wire. It's now like one inch diameter not that picture above which was first fruiting yr. From the head of that trunk there will be multiple canes. Keep one or two canes each spring and cut the others off. More grow in summer and repeat.

In a single plant pot with trellis your trunk could be as long or short as you want. You just need room for current seasons canes to sprawl. I'd probably do 3-4ft tall.

If you want grapes then I suggest Double A Vineyards. I have purchased quite a few of Elmer Swenson's grapes. I have no eating experience with them yet. You will not be disappointed with Double A.

Here is a link that might be useful: Replacing my grapes-need info and advice

Grapes are easy compared to cherry trees, so you will have your work cut out! Sweet or tart? The dwarf grapes look cute! I mention them because they will fruit the first year, pretty amazing plant really. Good ornamentals, for real production you probably want full size.

fruitnut, that rundown was actually very helpful. That was a concern of mine, if it would grow new ones from the top of the 'trunk' or if it would keep expanding on its last years wood.

Tart cherry - I hear they're *slightly* more hardy than the sweet. My citrus is already incredibly finicky, so I'm hoping the experience there can help me out. From what I understand they're prone to mildew, but I've gotta look into it some more.

And thanks for the Double A recommendation, I found a few varieties that are well suited as table grapes to the bitter zone 3 climate and winters. Can you tell me how large/old they are when I would get them? I can't imagine they'd produce yet this year, but would I get grapes next year? It might say on the website, I'm on mobile so I may have missed it. They're very affordable, too! I'm leaning towards the St. Croix variety.

Edit to add: the wealth of information on their "Learn" area is astounding! There's a whole power point like thing about pruning from just a cutting through the third or fourth growing season. This is exactly what I was looking for.

This post was edited by cfox248 on Wed, Jul 16, 14 at 20:03

To see what DoubleA sent me this spring (great root systems), go to the 4/13 post, about half-way down in this thread.

I've had a Mars grape vine in a 5 gallon bucket since 2012. It produced a few bunches last year, its 2nd year. Here's a pic of it from last week, with more grapes on it. I admit to not taking the best care of it- I haven't pruned it, nor even tied it up. Evidently, some grapes are better at standing on their own than others.

Here's a pic of 3 of the DoubleA vines I planted this spring. They grow pretty quick.

Faith (in the foreground) is the tallest and has reached the 6' top of the trellis.

Jupiter (in the middle) is about 4' tall and has a single bunch of grapes (which I probably should have pruned off, but did not).

Gratitude (in the background) is about the same size as Jupiter.

You can also see the 3 strings which I tried to get the grapes to grow up, mostly unsuccessfully.

Wow, great pictures! Thanks! I'm thinking I'll get a few this year when I have some extra $$ and see about trying to get some grapes in the next year or two. It's better than I can get some I can keep outside, I don't feel so bad about buying them then. It looks like too if I get a MN hardy variety once I get my own property I can plant them in the ground, which will be nice!

Carla in Sacramento has only potted trees for the same reason. Here's a link to one of her posts:

Here is a link that might be useful: sautesmom/Carla what medium do you use in containers?

Pots? YEP!

From late Fall to early Spring/or late Winter I grew my vineyard in my basement in pots. I am in Wisconsin close to the Twin Cities and a farmer friend turned grape grower allows me to help prune his 5 acres of grapes and keep any non patented grape cuttings and root them in 6 inch pots. Come Spring they are about 30 inches tall and healthy in their potted environment. After planting as many as I had room for in my small field I kept the others inside in pots over the next Winter. I simply kept them moist (not wet) in a out of the way part of the house (basement). Remember, you can take cuttings in the dormant season, stick them in pots with dirt, keep moist, and they will grow your vineyard...at NO COST...pretty good, huh? Cuttings on the internet go for about $4 - $5, and potted for about $30...

You do the Math!