How To Grow Grapes - Quick Guide to Grape Growing

The first step in learning how to grow grapes is choosing the right type of grape for your soil and climate. Some types of grapes are for eating and others are for making wine.

Although many of the principals remain the same, growing grapes for wine making is more of a complicated task. A whole science has been dedicated to the growing of grapes for wine making, called viticulture.

Grapes grown for consumption require fertile soil, the correct amount of sunlight, a good location and excellent drainage. You will need to have soil prepared with the correct ratio of clay to loam or sand so that the roots do not rot from too much retained moisture.

The amount of sunlight will determine the sugar content of the grapes and will depend on the grape variety you choose to plant.

There are many varieties of grapes grown for wine making. Soil and climate will have a direct impact on the qualities you can taste in your wine. Each variety will have a different requirement and some varieties will not suit every climate. Rocky sloping land is the ideal location for grape growing.

Avoid areas that pool with water or have poor drainage as your grapes will be more susceptible to disease if the drainage is inadequate. Seek further information from a comprehensive grape selection guide before you begin growing grapes for wine making.

Once you have selected the type of grape you are going to grow and have prepared the soil appropriately, you will want to purchase your grapevines. It is very important that you do not allow the roots to dry out when you are handing your grape rootstock.

If you intend on planting the vines later or have to drive a long distance before planting, place the roots in a bucket of water to stop them from drying out. Don't soak them for longer than 24 hours or they will be ruined. If need be, you may dig a shallow trench and place the roots in this until they are planted.

When planting the grapevines, place the plants at least 8-10 feet apart. The roots of a single vine can extend 3-6 feet from the base of the plant. Keep the roots moist for the first month until they settle in and become established.

Taking care of your vines in the next year is essential to growing healthy plants that will bear fruit. Dark green leaves are a good indication that your vines are receiving proper nutrition.

Use compost around the base of the vines to improve the soil quality if needed. This is just one of the many ways of monitoring and improving your soil quality that will ensure your grapes bear fruit in the shortest space in time.

If your grapes are not cared for in this crucial first year, you may be waiting a long time to see the fruits of your labor.

There are many tips on pruning your vines that will ensure you get the best yield from your fruit when it bears, here are just a few:

• Trim lateral shoots (shoots that grow out to the sides). Lateral shoots are generally not fruitful.


• Prune more heavily in the first few years to encourage the main vine to grow.


• Prune off any damaged buds.


• Prune to encourage the vine onto the trellis and to allow maximum sunlight and airflow.

Learning the skill of pruning is essential to learning how to grow vines that are fruitful. Inadequate pruning can seriously affect the size of the grape and the number of fruit.

Pruning diverts the plants nutrients away from these new shoots and back into the fruit. This makes the vine more productive and the fruit more plentiful.

Now you didn't go to all the trouble of learning how to grow grapes to have all your hard work eaten by unexpected visitors. There are many ways to keep the pests at bay, even if you are growing organic grapes.

You may require nets to throw over your vines as the fruit ripens; otherwise they are left wide open for birds to enjoy. You will also need to protect your vines from insects, mildew and fungus.

Growing grapes that bear fruit is easy if you are armed with good information. It isn't very complicated but many people like to keep their secrets to themselves because it is a competitive industry.

You will need to do some research on how to grow grapes if you want your vines to bear fruit in half the time and are serious about growing the best grapes.