Anybody grow grapes & fruit trees together?

[ninny]

Im thinking of ways to garden with less hassle. I heard about growing corn and beans together using the corn as tressles. Could you do the same with fruit trees and grapes? I have two small apple trees i planted last year and was thinking of plant grapes under them this year. What are some thioghts on this?

 

[ducks4you]

I don't think your grapes will get enough sun if you do that.
You know, some people grow grapes along the fenceline, and sometimes AS the fence. Do you need some fencing in a full sun space on our property?
Also, make sure that your fruit trees are planted far enough away from each other, so they have space to grow. AND, if you're growing pear trees, you will need 2 to get any fruit. (Same is true with other fruit trees, but I haven't/didnt need to research them.)

 

[ninny]

Good idea about using them as fencing. Do goats eat them though?

 

[Catalina]

I think the grapes would eventually kill the apple trees. The trees wouldn't get enough sunlight. If they were large established trees it might not be a problem, but the grape will grow faster than the trees.

 

[Greenthumb18]

Good idea about using them as fencing. Do goats eat them though?

Yeah i'll sure goats will want to nibble away at the grapes. Maybe have the grapes high enough so the goats can't reach it. Or make another fence so the goats can't get to the grapes.

I wouldn't grow grapes together with apple trees they'll compete with sunlight and might not do so well together.

Good luck!

 

[old fashioned]

I think the grapes would eventually kill the apple trees. The trees wouldn't get enough sunlight. If they were large established trees it might not be a problem, but the grape will grow faster than the trees.

I agree it is possible as long as the grapes are kept pruned & under control.
My SIL bought a house that all you could see in the back yard was over-grown with grapes over 25ft high. After they cut them back, they found several fruit trees including apples & plums. Apparently someone had planted the grapes along a fence within 10 feet of the fruit trees & let the grapes run amuck. Luckily the fruit trees were well established & did survive.
I'm not sure how it would work if you were planning on planting the grapes using trees as support as in the beans with corn. I don't think I would try it that close together, but that's just me. :happy_flower

 

[vfem]

I honestly saw something about growing the grapes several feet away from the fruit trees, but growing them up a wire that is attached to the lower branches of the fruit tree. If I find the book I'll let you know how they explain to do that!

 

[simple life]

Goats will eat the grape vines regardless of how high up you trellis them because they will girdle the base of them.
They love to debark trees, ask me how I know.

 

[ninny]

I honestly saw something about growing the grapes several feet away from the fruit trees, but growing them up a wire that is attached to the lower branches of the fruit tree. If I find the book I'll let you know how they explain to do that!

Thanks!! Hobby farms had artcile where the guy was doing this. But it just showed a picture didnt explain anything.

 

[journey11]

My BIL had concord grapes growing up in some locust trees, and they didn't seem to mind it, however locust trees are also very hard to kill! He pulled them down and retrained them to an arbor and they produced better. I don't think I would want them in a fruit tree because they would give it too much competition. Wild grapes eventually choke and kill the trees they are in. I imagine a cultivated grape that wasn't kept strictly pruned would do the same. Most fruit trees need air circulation to keep diseases at bay and for proper ripening of the fruit. Grapes also do better with lots of sun, which the tree might shade them from. It might be hard to get up in there to prune or harvest the grapes. You don't want to damage the fruit tree either.