Item Number: FV035
Merlot Wine Grape Vine
Cultivate World-Class Merlot Grapes at Home
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Description
Description
Buy 6 qualifying perennial bare roots and receive free standard shipping. Qualifying quantities are calculated within the Perennial shipping group. See the shipping policy for details.
Merlot is a Vitis vinifera wine-grape cultivar. It bears small blue-black berries used for varietal red wines and Bordeaux-style blends and generally ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. This product is one dormant bare-root vine.
Merlot grape vine details
- Plant form: One dormant bare-root grape vine
- USDA hardiness zones: 6–10
- Pollination: Self-fruitful; a second grape variety is not required for fruit set
- Harvest: Commonly late summer into early fall; timing varies with climate and the intended wine style
- Pruning: Spur prune during dormancy and train on a sturdy trellis or wire system
- Fruit: Small blue-black seeded wine grapes with relatively thin skins
Planting and care
Plant in full sun, with at least seven to eight hours of direct light, in soil that drains well. Install the training system at planting. Water deeply during establishment without leaving the root zone saturated. Prune every dormant season to renew fruiting wood and manage the canopy. Choose a site with good air movement and avoid prolonged saturation around the roots.
Harvest and shipping notes
Use maturity measurements and taste—not color alone—to choose a winemaking harvest date. Grapes do not continue to ripen after picking. A dormant bare-root vine may arrive leafless; this is normal. Establishment, ripening, crop size, and the finished wine depend on site, weather, vine age, pruning, harvest decisions, and winemaking.
Compare this cultivar with other wine grape vines, browse all grape vines, or use the related grape-growing guides on this page.
Perennial Bare Root Free Shipping
Perennial Bare Root Free Shipping
Mix and match six qualifying winter or spring perennial bare-root plants within the Perennial shipping group and receive free standard shipping.
Fall perennials, potted plants, and bare root trees are calculated separately and do not count toward the six-plant threshold. Seasonal shipping dates vary, so please review the availability and expected shipping date shown on the individual product page.
Free standard shipping applies to qualifying FedEx or UPS deliveries within the contiguous 48 states. USPS and expedited delivery are charged separately.
Shipping Information
Shipping Information
Cannot ship to the following states: HI , AK , PR , GU , VI , OR , WA , ID
Cannot ship via USPS.
Cannot ship via SmartPost.
Shipping Weight: 3.3 lb
Dimensions: 18.0"L x 3.0"W x 3.0"H
Features
Features
- Grow on a Trellis
- Self-fruitful
Characteristics
Characteristics
Planting & Care
Planting & Care
Useful Information
Useful Information
Guarantee
Guarantee
Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee
* Claim deadline is June 15th
We guarantee that your dormant tree or plant will arrive in good, viable condition. If your tree arrives in substandard condition, notify us within 3 days of delivery. Please email pictures of the box, inside packaging, the tree and its roots to helpdesk@groworganic.com. We will investigate your claim and process a request to exchange or refund the damaged product.
If your dormant tree or plant has not grown new leaves by June 15th, you may be eligible for our Limited Dormant Tree & Plant Guarantee. This guarantee provides for a store credit for the purchase price of the tree, excluding shipping. Please see the Instructions below.
Important Dates:
- April 1st Dormant trees/plants must be planted in the ground
- May 15th Perform scratch test, if no new leaves have grown
- June 15th Deadline to apply for a dormant tree/plant credit
All required documentation must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. Claims or documentation received after June 15th will be denied, without exception. Instructions listed below
Terms and Conditions
We cannot guarantee that your tree or plant will remain alive and healthy after it is received, or bear fruit as there are too many variables in your environment that are beyond our control (i.e. soil preparation, weed and pest control, proper irrigation, chill hours, compatible hardiness for your growing zone, proper choice of pollinator, extreme weather, rodent damage, disease, etc.).
We cannot guarantee that we will be able to provide a replacement tree/plant of the same species either that same growing season or in future years. Customers are responsible for all shipping fees associated with replacement trees and plants.
If we determine that the tree you purchased directly from us is not viable, we will issue you a store credit (not a refund) for the purchase price of the affected dormant tree or plant. Shipping is not included in the dormant tree/plant guarantee. Store credits can be used to purchase any product we sell and are valid for use only until July 1st of the following year.
Historically, 98% of our dormant trees and plants grow and thrive when they have been cared for and planted using our growing guides. Dormant trees and plants must be planted in the ground by April 1st in order to be eligible for credit. If the ground in your area is still frozen solid, you may temporarily plant your tree or plant in a pot.
Potted, non-dormant trees or plants are excluded from this guarantee as they are not dormant at the time of shipment. Evergreen trees such as citrus, avocado and olive trees are not available for credit under the Dormant Tree and Plant Guarantee.
Instructions
We guarantee that your dormant fruit tree or plant will leaf out, if you care for it according to our growing guides. In the unlikely event that your dormant tree or plant does not have leaves by May 15th, follow these simple steps to apply for a store credit:
Before you call or email, please perform a “scratch test” to determine if the tree or plant is still alive. This video shows how to check for live tissue under the bark. Scratch tests need to be done a few inches above and below the graft.
Green Cambium Layer / Living Trees
If the cambium layer under the bark is green, give your tree a little more time. It is still alive, but hasn’t come out of dormancy yet. Check to make sure that it is getting the right amount of deep root water, enough sunlight and that the weather is warm enough for that type of tree/plant to come out of dormancy. Every tree has its own personality and will come out of dormancy at different times. Be sure to submit the required documentation listed below by June 15th, if it doesn’t grow leaves.
Brown Cambium Layer / Dead Trees
If the scratch test shows a brown cambium layer or if your dormant tree/plant doesn’t have leaves by June 1st, please email us at helpdesk@groworganic.com. All required documentation listed below must be received by June 15th for your claim to be considered. To be considered for the guarantee claim, all required documentation must be received by June 15th. Incomplete submissions will be denied.
Required Documentation
- Order number
- Name of dormant tree/plant and the quantity affected
- Photos of each tree or plant showing:
- The roots (tree or plant must be pulled out of the ground)
- The scratch test areas
- The entire tree/plant
We reserve the right to not issue credit for items that have already been replaced. We also reserve the right to require photographic evidence that the tree/plant was not killed by root rot, rodent or mechanical damage.
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Received and the plants were in good shape. But, I did wonder a bit about shipping time. After ordering, the email confirmation said it would ship when the seasonal product came in. Given that I felt my order for bare-root was already a bit late in the bare-root season, I was wondering if that meant I'd be waiting until next year. My question to customer service did not have the most clear response. But I did receive the grapes about 3 weeks later.
Since then, I planted, they started growing, then we had a hard frost that killed the fresh buds. All 3 have since recovered and are leafing out. But one is only growing from the base. I presume these do not use a rootstock, so even basal recovery will be my intended grape? Thanks!
Just planted a week ago but roots looked good and were moist with wood chips and shipping was speed was normal... hopefully i planted em right and they grow.
I received my package very timely. It’s been three weeks since I planted my vine and I already see green sprouts popping out. So far I am very pleased with my purchase.
I\'ve planted 120 of the Merlot Vines over the last 3 years. They are the lowest price I could find, yet the plants are healthy and large. I was expecting tiny 6 inch plants and dug my holes accordingly. When they arrived I realized my mistake, huge roots and beautiful, dormant vines. They have all grown successfully. Thinking about expanding the Vineyard and planting more, I already know where I\'ll be buying my future stock.
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