Grape advice (UK)

[KellyL]

I bought a mature grape vine because I was looking for something a bit different and this was it! Pics attached.
I have a few problems:
1 - after carefully stuffing it in the car and getting halfway home, I realised that grapes are poisonous to dogs and I have two! So this will be ornamental only. What’s the best way to care for it? All of the advice online is to maximise fruit production. Can I just leave it alone and cut any grapes off when they appear or will it still need careful selective pruning?
2 - I don’t know the best way to support the vines, will a trellis attached to a fence be any good, I'm worried there won’t be enough room behind it? Should I use wires? Or do I need something secured in the ground?
- I would like to add that it’s now in a much bigger pot.
Thank you

 

[Marck]

Vitis vinifera 'Catarratto' is a green-skinned wine grape from Sicily. it doesn't seem to have much of a reputation as a table grape, though it might be quite tasty. Anyway, as you say, you want it for ornament. I expect dogs aren't often interested in eating grapes unless they are directly fed to them.

A grape grown for ornament does not need as careful pruning as one intended to produce a crop. Mostly you will just prune to shape.

As for trellising or wiring again you can be more creative than a vinyard keeper would be. Plant in sun, or even part sun, if you do want less fruit. However, whatever you use to support the vine should be sturdy. Wires firmly anchored to a sunny wall would be an easy option, but planning the construction of an ornamental trellis or pergola could become a fine focal point for your entire garden.

 

[KellyL]

Vitis vinifera 'Catarratto' is a green-skinned wine grape from Sicily. it doesn't seem to have much of a reputation as a table grape, though it might be quite tasty. Anyway, as you say, you want it for ornament. I expect dogs aren't often interested in eating grapes unless they are directly fed to them.

A grape grown for ornament does not need as careful pruning as one intended to produce a crop. Mostly you will just prune to shape.

As for trellising or wiring again you can be more creative than a vinyard keeper would be. Plant in sun, or even part sun, if you do want less fruit. However, whatever you use to support the vine should be sturdy. Wires firmly anchored to a sunny wall would be an easy option, but planning the construction of an ornamental trellis or pergola could become a fine focal point for your entire garden.

Thank you for your reply
I was worried about the weight of it all in a few years since it won’t be needing a good chop, think it’ll have to be some sort of trellis.
One of my dogs probably wouldn’t even notice the grapes, the other dog got so fixated on a single low hanging crab apple that I had to cut it off!

 

[Marck]

Thank you for your reply
I was worried about the weight of it all in a few years since it won’t be needing a good chop, think it’ll have to be some sort of trellis.
One of my dogs probably wouldn’t even notice the grapes, the other dog got so fixated on a single low hanging crab apple that I had to cut it off!

It won't need pruning for fruit production, but you can still prune it back to reduce its size and weight. There are many interesting shapes for trellises and arbors, such as flat screens, pillars, archways, etc.