I need to transplant my grape vines,or lose them. The soil is clay, and a simple hole will just form a grape killing water tub. I was thinking of making a log liner with Osage pieces and going above ground..The hope that I can keep the roots out of water.... Thank you for any and all ideas.
In most places clay and sand occur together in layers. So one tactic is to dig a hole deep enough to reach a layer of sand, and fill the hole with sand. Get soil maps for your area, or talk with local well diggers about what to expect below the surface.
How many vines?
Una
Plant them in a mound that is above the clay. If there is a row instead on a single plant then build a raised bed. The roots will extend downwards into the clay given time and some rain during the growing season. This is how I have planted all my fruit trees in an area with plastic clay subsoil and I haven't lost one due to wet roots in a region that can get 25cm (10in) of rain in a week. This will not work so well if the area is really flat or in a depression because with nowhere to run the water will sit for long periods until it evaporates. You cannot grow grapes in a bog.
David
Hmmm. I know of several vineyards here in N. California that used to get flooded every couple of years to no apparent ill effect (weeks at a time, but then the grapes were dormant). I've always presumed that the soil was clay, since this is an old laguna. I'm going by a winery tomorrow and I'll see if I can find a viticulturalist. No promises, but I'll ask.
I forgot to ask what kind of grapes are these and how old are they? Most importantly, what kind of rootstock are they on?
As you can see, some rootstocks are meant for wet clay conditions. What kind of soil are these vines planted in now?
I have clay here and i don't have a problem, clay isn'y as bad as some think, i did at first when i moved here from indiana and nice brown loam but grow fine roses, etc, i did replace the clay with potting soil but not much else need to happen, clay can hold a massive amount of water but will just as easily release it. hence the from concrete to glop in one rain fall than the summer sun turns it back to cement, ha, ha,
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