Growing Grapes

Introduction:

When considering growing grapes and which varieties of grapes to plant you must determined. The choice is if you going to eat them as table grapes or use them to make wine. Selecting the variety is a matter of personal preference in taste, type, color, time of harvest and what you intend to do with them.

Although the Concord grape is America's favorite grape it isn’t a wine making grape. Concord grapes usually produce large crops each year that are blue-black in color, juicy, and delicious flavor. The Seedless Concord grape is somewhat smaller but is very hardy and is good for making jams and juice.

Wine grapes are for making wine. Table grapes and wine grapes are distinctively different. You can't make wine from most table grapes as they don't have high enough sugar content and the acids are too low to balance the wine. Wine making grapes are usually the European variety such as; pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, gamay and merlot. Wine making grapes are grown in most areas of the United States although depending on the region you live you have to be selective of which grape grows best.

Planting Grapes:

The grape plants must be planted carefully for a successful grape vine growth. The hole should be large enough to include humus and to allow the roots to be spread out inside the hole. The soil should be packed carefully around roots with the plant setting a little lower in the ground than the dirt line around it. When the hole is half-filled with good soil fill it with water and allow it to seep away slowly. After the water is settled in the ground fill the hole with more good soil and if the season is dry, mulch around the vine to hold moisture. Grapes need a lot of water, but it should not be allowed to stand around the plants. During dry weeks when grapes are growing fast, water must be provided almost daily to maintain a high rate of growth. Separate the plant by approximately three feet to allow for growth.

Grapes need only average soil, slightly sandy for drainage, for good growth. Fertilizer must be added each year after picking but avoid over-stimulating manures. The ground around the plants should be kept well cultivated. Vines need maximum exposure to the sun for the grapes to ripen. If the vines grow out of control leaves begin to shade the vines which will not allow the grapes to ripen properly.

Pruning Grapes:

The grape vines must be pruned properly each year for maximum fruitfulness and health. Pruning means removing 70 to 80 percent of the previous year's growth. Pruning will improve ripening conditions and the best crop. Pruning the vine should be during the spring before growth begins. There are different ways of pruning; it depends on the variety of grape and its growing habits. Some varieties are pruned long and some require short spur pruning.

Long pruned vines are not fruitful at the bottom. The fruit comes from the middle buds on the canes from last year's growth. Varieties that bear fruit from the bottom are spur pruned. Pruning is an art in itself but if pruning is not done, the vine will be shaded, susceptible to disease, and over produce, causing weakness of the vine. Not pruning will lead to lowered yields and improper ripening and eventually death of the plant.  

Growing grapes in your backyard is a great hobby as well as a challenge to your horticultural skills.  Abiding by good grape growing practices will allow you to produce a good grape crop, either for table grapes or wine making grapes.

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