subject: Growing Grapes Sustainably For Fun Or Profit [print this page] Growing Grapes Sustainably For Fun Or Profit
There are lesser known discoveries just surfacing today on sustainable grape cultivation methods. They come from innovative grape growers themselves as well as university studies. Use these to your advantage, and you'll be growing grapes on a small scale in a manner that pays well.
Value added crops from growing grapes as a niche product include fresh-picked locally adapted table grapes grown on sea-enriched mineral soil, your own farm's signature wine, your own farm label's grape juice and jelly perhaps enhanced with farm-grown herbs such as lemon verbena or peppermint, fruit leather and handcrafted grape soda pop, locally produced raisins, and various agritourism spins - just to name a few.
General rules for growing grapes
Grape cultivation calls for plenty of sun, very well-drained soil deep enough for roots to go down several feet, and great air circulation. Every grapevine variety should be treated as an individual, spaced and trellised depending on the type of grapevine it is. For example, Concord type grapevines have a drooping growing habit, while the European grapevine types tend to grow more upward.
Also, growing grapes then means carefully harvesting each grape cluster only at its perfect ripeness peak. The nursery where you get your grapevines, or your own cooperative extension agent, should have specifics for the particular grape varieties you choose for growing grapes for sale.
When grape growing, realize also that grapevines prefer soils that "cause them to struggle." I witnessed French vineyard owners who insisted their grapes perform well because of their rocky, less fertile soil. Though sweet table grapes can use a little more fertility, wine grapes especially create better fruits because of the struggle.
Yet the best conditions for grape cultivation often reveals that even in rocky soil, there's life in the soil and a specific mineral content similar to the balance found in the sea. So using seaweed or specifically diluted seawater treatments can bring this special mineral content to soils.
For more information on properly diluting seawater or using seaweed for eco-grape cultivation, using agritourism to sell your grape products, making soil drain better, innovative organic ways to produce huge yields naturally, and reduce pests and disease with "beyond organic" methods, visit The Center for the Micro Eco-Farming Movement's page on Growing Grapes at http://www.microecofarming.com/html/Feature Profiles/PCrop 04 - growing grapes.htm
