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One of the reasons we moved into our current home was because it had grape vines. I've always been a wine nut and have always dreamed of growing my own grapes and making my own wine from scratch... a private "Stevens Vintage". But to be honest it didn't go very well. I worked hard and I thought I was doing everything I needed to do. But I was lucky if I got a few grape clusters on each vine to show for my efforts each year :(
Time went on and I had pretty well given up on growing my grapes... I thought it must be my soil or the climate in the town I lived in, but then one day when I was surfing online I came across a guide that showed you how to grow grapes. I must admit it promised a lot of things and the guy who ran the site wasn't very "humble" about how great he though his methods were but the guide was suprisingly cheap and even came with a guarantee so I though I'd pick it up and give his methods a try.
Well it's now 4 years later and I must say my grape vines look wonderful (emphasis on the wonder "full")... I've got more grape clusters growing now that I know what to do with... in fact I simply give a lot of my grapes away to friends and family and I've got plenty for my wine (which I plan on finally sampling this year!). I must admit that this guy's grape growing guide is the reason :)
Can You Really Grow Grapes At Home?
Of course, you can grow grapes at home! Besides the fact they will be a beautiful addition to your garden... grapes are a nutritious fruit that is packed with essential vitamins and minerals that help keep our bodies functioning properly. They are part of a well balanced diet, and of course certain grapes are perfect for wine.In all actuality, anybody can grow grapes from home, but that doesn't mean that they will grow very many or that the vine will turn out good quality grapes that people will want to eat. If you know what you are doing, you can grow up to 40 pounds of grapes per vine! Once again, that isn't 40 pounds of grapes from your whole harvest, but 40 pounds of grapes per vine; now that is something to talk about.
What if I Live in a Colder Climate?
Depending on your region you will be able to plant different grape varieties. For example in a colder climate such as Michigan instead of the traditional white wine grapes you are used to buying at the liquor store (ie: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris etc...) you'll instead have to go with a grape such as Aurore, Cayuga White, Chardonel or Horizon. As for red wine grapes instead of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir you'll have to go with Chancellor, Cascade, Chambourcin or Baco Noir.
What Do I Need to Know Before I Start?
There are a few things you should take care to make sure of before you actually plant your grape vines. First of all, you want to make sure that you are planting your grape vine plants where they will have enough room to grow. If you just want one small plant, that is one thing, but if you are planting several plants, make sure that you have enough room for them to reach and grow. After all, the point of planting grapes is to tend them until they grow into beautiful, tasty grape vines that we can be proud of year after year. You'll want to make sure the soil is fresh and healthy, and that you have enough space to plant your grapes and for them to spread and grow without restriction. You also want to make sure that you prepare your soil properly BEFORE planting the grape vine! How Do I Prune My Grapes?
Pruning is one of the most essential parts of pruning your grapes; it is important to prune carefully and correctly in order to provide as solid a foundation for the growing of your grapevines as possible. At times, it might feel like you are just chopping up your plant, and that is okay because your grape vine has plenty of growing to do in the near future. If you have a new grape plant, prune it down to just one shoot and two or three buds, and the plant will take off from there in growth if you care for it correctly. After that, throughout the life of your grape vine, you have to prune carefully for maximum results. Without proper trimming and care for your grape vine plants, you will not be able to reap the bountiful rewards in your harvest basket year after year after year. When Can I Harvest My Grapes?
As it is with just about any gardening endeavor that involves edible food, harvesting is half the fun when it comes to growing grapes at home. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is picking your grapes too early; just because the grapes are round and the color has changed does not mean that they are ripe enough to pick and eat, although it does imply that day is fast approaching.Depending on what type of grape you are growing, there are different ripening speeds for grape plants, and different ways to tell if they are ready to pick. The best way to tell if your grapes are ready to harvest is to pop a few in your mouth, and it must be a few! If you eat just one or two you could be eating one or two very misleading grapes--and it does happen. Once they are ripe enough to eat and enough of them are pleasing enough to the palate, pick them before they get too ripe.
Another way of telling how ripe your grapes are is to look at the seeds. Round, brown seeds in your grapes imply that there is pretty fresh fruit. When the seeds are still green or very light brown, chances are your grapes are not ripe enough to pick and eat so don't even bother wasting and tasting very many of them.
