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Name: paul
Status: other
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 10/9/2004
Question:
How large can a grapevine grow ? I have one that covers over one acre.

Replies:
Dear Paul,

Theoretically, there are few limitations for how large a grapevine could grow. A key feature of truly perennial plants is there genetic potential to grow forever. Usually, the environment puts a limit on things. Several years of some environmental stress--temperature, disease, nutrients or water will shorten a plant's life. Gravity limits how high some trees can grow because of the greater tensions required to draw water up to the upper leaves. With your super grapevine, if there is only one trunk connecting the aerial part of the plant to the root system, then one limitation might be how much water can be adsorbed and transported through the single trunk and distributed to the rest of the plant.

Best regards,

Jim Tokuhisa

I am not aware of any particular statistics on grape vines, but the following might be helpful:

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/natbltn/200-299/nb204.htm

http://lenewa.netsync.net/public/Bates/BatesIVSNE.htm

Anthony Brach Ph.D.


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