Grape vine - Fruit too small

Hi,

We've recently moved home, and in the garden there was a very old grape vine, it's beautiful and intend on keeping it. This year we had hundreds of bunches of grapes however the grapes only grow to the size of small peas (red grapes). I was wondering if there was anything that i could do to improve the size of the crop. Not sure what type of grape vine it is as like i mentioned it is quite a mature grape vine, and i don't think the previous owners have really looked after it or really prunned it. I was thinking of pruning it this year maybe that would help, but have no idea how far back i should prune this vine back to.

Hope someone can help!

(UK)

 

I shall watch the replies to your query with interest as I have a vine that is about 6 years old and I do prune it but the black grapes are very small too..........I thought my problem was that I have mine in a large pot and hence the roots are restricted but that certainly wouldn't apply in your case. Did you give it a good feed early in the season? I feed mine but it has not made any difference to the size of grapes.

 

It depends a lot on the variety.
Most grapes suitable for outside growth in the UK are wine grapes, which are usually much smaller than dessert grapes.
There are also a few vines out there that are really only just ornamental and not intended for grape production.

Having said that, correct pruning and thinning of the bunches can make a big difference

 

To get decent grapes the fruit must be thinned out. I would suggest you get a book on grapes, as the pruning is quite complicated if you want to do it properly.

 

Yes Davids right they make special grape scissors and as the bunches start to form you tediously thin them out snipping out every other grape,you don't need to do this with modern hybrids.

 

It's my first attempt to grow a vine. My three year old vine has a lot of small bunches on it, each of which I thinned by a half. The grapes are not as big as I had hoped but are big enough to eat. Some have been fairly sweet and others have been tart. The leaves are starting to look a bit dowdy, which I guess is temperature dropping. I wonder when I should crop them, and are the birds likely to pick them off?
stony

 

The birds will have them before they are ripe enough for you stoney, so keep an eye on them.

Probably ready early next month I would guess.

 

They are all hanging from a post and spar of a tall pergola. Maybe I should net them?
stony