subject: How to Plant and Productively Grow Grapes [print this page] How to Plant and Productively Grow Grapes
Relaxing with friends relishing a great bottle of wine must be the height of luxury. The thought of sipping on wine that you made yourself sounds even better. Planting and growing a successful grape vine is not as complicated as it might seem, and it is the first step in making this dream a reality.
You must decide how large or small you want your vineyard to be. If you are just getting started it is a good idea to plant only a few vines. And by a "few", I mean ten. 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 nuseries. Typically, these vines have been grown by the nursery in their fields. Early spring is the time that vines are sold as the climate is good for planting. Your vines need time to settle before the main growing season begins and the spring rain will help the vines bed in. Keep your vines moist by spraying them with water until you are ready to plant them.
Planting your vines is quite easy and straightforward. Dig a hole that is big enough for the whole root system. Make sure that all the buds on the vine are obove the soil level. Gently hold your vine in the hole while you tap the soil down lightly. This allows any remaining air pockets to be removed from the soil. To help with watering it is best to leave a slight hollow at the base of the vine. You will not have to water in the vines after planting if the soil is dampish.
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. Just a brief shower however will mean that you must do additional watering. Light soils will always require more watering. You will need to water less often if the soil is clay based as the soil will retain the water much longer. With any kind of soil, proper soil drainage is required. With good drainage over watering is much less of a issue.
To be a winner at growing grapes you will need to maximise the sunlight and air flow that the vine gets. Plant you vines in areas that are unaffected by shade and restricted airflow ie in the lea of trees or other structures. In order for plants to undergo photosynthesis, they need sunlight. Photosynthesis is the process that converts carbon dioxide into sugar. It is the sugar within the grapes that becomes alcohol after fermentation. Grapes will suffer from fungus deseases if they do not get enough sunlight and air circulation.
Growing a successful grape vine can be a reality for you. All year round attention is required 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.
