Anyone Can Learn How To Grow Grape Vines
Learning about how to grow grape vines is something that any home gardener can do.
Vines can provide a beautifully lush backdrop to any outdoor location.
In addition to that, the delicious fruit produced by healthy plants is something that the whole family will be able to enjoy eating after harvest time.
The variety of grape you decide to grow should be dictated by what you want to do with them.
Grapes that are suitable for eating off the vine are very different from the variety typically used to make wine.
Wine grapes tend to be tart and very acidic when they are picked.
Some gardeners are looking for a lush covering for a patio or gazebo and are interested only in the aesthetic value of the vines.
Some varieties of grapes thrive in specific geographical areas.
Consult with a local expert at a nursery in your area about which type to purchase.
If you have friends or know people in your neighborhood who grow grapes, discuss what works for them.
You can ask a friend for a clipping or visit a local nursery and purchase one.
Erect a support before putting the plant in the ground.
Putting the support in later will only put the plant at risk of damage.
Make sure the support is stout enough that it will not break under the weight of the mature vine with its fruit.
Build a support that is free-standing if you are putting the vine in your garden.
If you want the vine to cover a wall or some other structure, place the trellis right next to it.
Keeping the roots nice and moist until the time they are planted will be important for proper growth.
Grapevines thrive in full sunlight and loamy soil that is rich in nutrients.
The soil can be sandy or rocky but it should be enriched first with compost and fertilizer.
The roots will need good drainage and the vines will have to be watered often during the first month.
Many gardeners find that training the vine to a trellis is the most difficult part of growing grapes.
Vines that are very young can be hard to coax into position, so it will take a good bit of patience and time on the part of the gardener to get them to behave properly.
They will have to be moved often in the first year but as they get older, they need less and less guidance.
To avoid a tangled mass of vines, you will need to prune them.
Quality fruit production is also dependent on pruning because without it, the fruit does not get access to enough air and light to grow properly.
Pruning should be done just after harshest part of winter.
This is an ideal time because the sap is low and the canes have had ample time to harden.
Lateral shoots do nothing more than use up nutrients without producing quality fruit.
These should be trimmed off at the stalk.
Any buds that have grown brown and brittle over the winter should also be removed.
Pruning your plants will result in healthier growth and quality grapes.
Anyone who is willing to invest the time and dedication needed to properly grow grapes will not be disappointed.
The successful gardener will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.
With patience and commitment, these rewards can be yours.
Vines can provide a beautifully lush backdrop to any outdoor location.
In addition to that, the delicious fruit produced by healthy plants is something that the whole family will be able to enjoy eating after harvest time.
The variety of grape you decide to grow should be dictated by what you want to do with them.
Grapes that are suitable for eating off the vine are very different from the variety typically used to make wine.
Wine grapes tend to be tart and very acidic when they are picked.
Some gardeners are looking for a lush covering for a patio or gazebo and are interested only in the aesthetic value of the vines.
Some varieties of grapes thrive in specific geographical areas.
Consult with a local expert at a nursery in your area about which type to purchase.
If you have friends or know people in your neighborhood who grow grapes, discuss what works for them.
You can ask a friend for a clipping or visit a local nursery and purchase one.
Erect a support before putting the plant in the ground.
Putting the support in later will only put the plant at risk of damage.
Make sure the support is stout enough that it will not break under the weight of the mature vine with its fruit.
Build a support that is free-standing if you are putting the vine in your garden.
If you want the vine to cover a wall or some other structure, place the trellis right next to it.
Keeping the roots nice and moist until the time they are planted will be important for proper growth.
Grapevines thrive in full sunlight and loamy soil that is rich in nutrients.
The soil can be sandy or rocky but it should be enriched first with compost and fertilizer.
The roots will need good drainage and the vines will have to be watered often during the first month.
Many gardeners find that training the vine to a trellis is the most difficult part of growing grapes.
Vines that are very young can be hard to coax into position, so it will take a good bit of patience and time on the part of the gardener to get them to behave properly.
They will have to be moved often in the first year but as they get older, they need less and less guidance.
To avoid a tangled mass of vines, you will need to prune them.
Quality fruit production is also dependent on pruning because without it, the fruit does not get access to enough air and light to grow properly.
Pruning should be done just after harshest part of winter.
This is an ideal time because the sap is low and the canes have had ample time to harden.
Lateral shoots do nothing more than use up nutrients without producing quality fruit.
These should be trimmed off at the stalk.
Any buds that have grown brown and brittle over the winter should also be removed.
Pruning your plants will result in healthier growth and quality grapes.
Anyone who is willing to invest the time and dedication needed to properly grow grapes will not be disappointed.
The successful gardener will be rewarded with a bountiful harvest.
With patience and commitment, these rewards can be yours.
