Overwinter grapevines in pots in 4 steps

If you don’t have a garden, you can also cultivate vines in buckets on the balcony or terrace. When overwintering the vines in the pot, however, a few things must be observed in such a case.

cutting wine

When autumn comes and the first night frosts are to be expected, then it is time to prepare the vines in the pot for overwintering. This includes a pruning :

  • Otherwise the plant cannot regenerate
  • cut worn rods
  • leave one or two eyes on the rods
  • new shoots will grow from this in spring
  • Plant can be brought into the winter quarters more easily
Note: Pruning before overwintering also protects against fungal diseases that could arise from the humid winter air or in a poorly ventilated greenhouse.

protect buckets

After the vines have been cut back in the container, the plants can remain outside. For this, however, vines in pots need special protection, which does not have to be provided when overwintering outdoors:

  • Wrap bubble wrap around the pot
  • alternatively use plant fleece
  • or wrap it in brushwood
  • mulch the soil in the pot well
  • Use leaves, fir branches or straw
  • Don’t forget to water on frost-free days
Idea: If you leave the pot with the vines on the balcony or terrace in winter and use them as a seat on warmer days even in winter, it looks more decorative if you cover and protect the remaining plant pots with brushwood mats.

Find suitable winter quarters

If there is the possibility to spend the pots with the wine in a winter quarters, then this is also a good possibility for the winter. It is important that the temperatures here are around 10° Celsius, as otherwise the wine would already sprout in winter at higher temperatures:

  • unheated conservatory
  • Glasshouse
  • unheated garden shed
  • not too dark garage
  • bright staircase
Tip: If you already know during the cultivation that you want to move the pots with the vines to another location in winter, put them on a trolley right from the start.

Maintain after hibernation

If the vine was brought to a winter quarters in winter, then it must not get warmer than 12° Celsius here in spring. Otherwise, a premature budding could set in, which is not wanted. This circumstance must be taken into account when proceeding further in the spring after the winter:

  • new shoots appear in the winter quarters
  • Don’t put the wine outside until mid-May
  • then frosty nights are over
  • right time after the ice saints
  • young shoots can be damaged by frost
  • no shoots are showing yet
  • Plants can go outside from March

frequently asked Questions

Since vines can grow very large and proliferate, it is important when cultivating in tubs to choose a vine that is rather small in stature. Otherwise, hibernation could also become difficult later if the plants have become too big overall and are growing on the house wall.

Planted in the bed, in which a lot of soil protects the roots, the vines are usually quite frost hardy down to -15° Celsius. The plants even need such low temperatures, otherwise they would sprout far too early.

Every plant, not just the vine and all other frost-hardy plants outdoors, need a certain amount of protection when cultivated in a tub. This is because frost can get to the roots much easier here, which are less protected in a container because there isn’t as much soil around them. The frost can penetrate so much easier to the roots and damage them.

The biggest mistake that can happen when wintering is not the frost or the cold, but the drought. Most plants that do not survive a winter despite frost hardening or protection have dried up and not frozen to death. However, it should not be given too much water either, as only little liquid is absorbed in winter.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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