subject: Tips on Planting, Caring, and Growing Grapes [print this page] Tips on Planting, Caring, and Growing Grapes
Do you want to put in the hard work planting and harvesting your food? Do you have lots of spare time to take care of your plants? Why not grow grapes? It is a very hard-to-grow plant. It takes time and effort just to take care of it, but the fruits of your labor literally --- are worth it. You can make wine, juices, and jelly for your family and even start a small business. Do you have what it takes to be a grape grower? Then here are some tips on planting, caring, and growing grapes.
What would you do if you harvested a large amount of grapes? Would you press them to make juice, or get the juice and ferment it to become wine, or just eat them raw? This is one important factor in choosing the right grape species. You can't just make grapes into wine or eat them; some grapes are for specific purposes only. Also, take note of the weather in your area. How hot it is in summer or how cold it is in winter? Some grape vines cannot withstand cold or hot temperatures. Finally, check your planting area if there is sunlight enough to cover the whole place, a drainage system for the plants (inclined backyards are much preferred), and if cold air cannot reach the plants. If you have all these, then your land is suitable for planting grapes.
After you get the right grape species, it is time to dig holes for planting. Put them 8-10 ft apart to make the roots grow. Stake poles beside the grape vines and tie them for the plant to have structure. Water the plant regularly during the first month.
After some months, add some trellises horizontally on the grape yard. The first must be 3 ft above the land, the rest 2 ft in between. This will serve as a backbone for the branches. Train the grape vines when they reach the bottom trellis. Don't worry; it really takes some time before the grapes finally learn to grow upwards. And don't forget to prune almost all of the leaves every year to make the grave vines healthier.
After three years, it is time to harvest. Check the colors of the grapes and wait a few more weeks after they color. Don't harvest when the grapes are unripe -- they cannot ripen on their own. Taste one or use a sweet tester to know if the grapes are sweet. Finally, harvest when they are ripe.
Planting, pruning, training, and growing grapes is not too much work. But with perseverance and focus on your goal, you will get your grapes. If you succeed, you may choose to teach your friends about planting, caring and growing grapes for their own families as well.
