subject: How to Grow Grapes at Home [print this page] How to Grow Grapes at Home How to Grow Grapes at Home
There has been a rising interest concerning how to grow grapevines at home. This is not surprising since grapes, besides being great sources of food and wine, are good ornamental plants. For those who are asking the question of how to grow grapes, it is not that hard. The first thing you need to know is what type of grapes you would want to plant. There are grape varieties best for wine-making (grape wine) and there are those for eating or cooking (table grape). There are thousands of grape varieties; most grapes grow best in hot climate but there are those that can also grow in cold climate, so choose those that grow well with the climate in your area. Grapes need a lot of sunshine so do not plant them under a shade; they also need soil that has good irrigation and drains well. The soil doesn't have to be extremely fertile, sandy and rocky soil is actually best for growing grapes.
After you have decided as to what variety of grapes you want, the next phase is planting. Before planting the grape stock, make sure it soaks in water and is never allowed to dry out. The spaces between the grapevines should be 6 feet from each other; if the grapes are bigger, make it 8 feet apart. The depth should be at least 3 to 5 feet. The plant needs a lot of water especially in the beginning, so make sure to keep the soil moist. Know that good soil drainage is important.
Grapes cannot support their own weight so the plant needs a trellis; the type of trellis to be used also depends on the variety of grape vine. There are low and high vigor grape plants, high vigor plants needs more space as compared to the low vigor varieties. The grapevines need to be trained to use the trellis and this is accomplished through pruning. One of the popular training systems is a four-arm kniffin and the other one is high-wire cordon system. Training and pruning is important to help develop a good root system and a straight trunk for the grapevine.
It takes preparation to know how to growgrapes and years before your grapevine bears fruit, so make sure that in the first year you water the plant, train it to use the trellis and, if needed, use organic fertilizer to make sure that the plant grows strong.
