How to Grow Grapes Successfully
Relaxing with friends tasting a great bottle of wine must be the height of luxury. This feeling will be meaningfully improved if you made the wine yourself. To grow grapes successfully is not as complicated as it might seem, and it is the first step in making this dream a reality.
It’s your choice, dependent on space, what the size of your vineyard should be. Start with only a few vines if you are a beginner. Ten vines is the minimum if you want to make wine from your grapes as most homemade wine is made in five gallon lots. Start with one year old bare-rooted dormant grapes which are readily available from nurseries. These vines will usually have grown in the nurseries’ own fields. The vines are usually sold in early spring which is a good climate for grape vine planting. The early spring rains will benefit your grape vines and give them a chance to settle in before the growing season begins. Keep your vines damp by spraying them with water until you are all set to plant them.
Your vines are easy and straight forward to plant. Dig a hole that is big enough for the whole root system. Make sure that all the buds on the vine are above the soil level. Make sure the vine is supported when you gently firm the soil back into the hole. It is important that all air pockets are got rid of from around the vine’s roots. By leaving a slight depression at the base of the vine will aid watering. You will not have to water in the vines after planting if the soil is damp.
After your vines begin to show signs of life you will need to make sure that your soil remains moist. A good shower of rain can do your watering on some days. But always make that there is enough rain and supplement by watering if you feel that it is needed. Light soils will always require more watering. Clay-based soils need to be watered less often since clay absorbs and retains water longer. Whatever the soil good drainage is a must. If the you have good free drainage there is less need to be worried about over watering.
To be a success at growing grapes you will need to maximize the sunlight and air flow that the vine gets. Plant you vines in areas that are unaffected by shade and restricted airflow i.e. in the lea of trees or other structures. Photosynthesis is only possible if plants get enough sunlight. Photosynthesis is the process that converts carbon dioxide into sugar. Sugar in the grapes will ferment into alcohol. Fungal disease problems will result if the vines do not get enough sunlight and have poor air circulation.
Growing great grapes can become a reality for you. All year round attention is needed by your vineyard. If you put the time and effort into your vines your first crop of grapes will be all the sweeter even if it takes three years to come to fruition.
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