Growing Grapes at Home

Every grape has its own characteristics. Time taken for growing grapes at home will vary according to the type of grapevines. The following article will give you a generalized way to grow grapes at home.

Climate
First of all, you have to take into account the kind of climate that is required for growing grapes. Grapes can't be grown in very hot or very cold climate. They require just the right climate as warmth of the sun is needed for ripening them. Besides, frost can cause a lot of problems to the grapes. So take care that grapevine (grape plant) is not planted in winter season. Planting a grapevine should ideally start in the season when the climate is constantly warm. It is recommended that grapes be planted in early spring season.

Soil
Soil is going to provide most of the nutrients for the plant. The soil should be chosen in such a way that it can retain the maximum amount of water. An important factor one must remember about grapevine is that its root tend to grow about three to six feet from the base of the plant. So any other plantation that you intend to do should have at least a gap of eight feet from the grapevine. This is true either when you grow grapes from seed or from rootstock.

Planting
As I mentioned before, grapevines require a lot of moisture. Hence, the roots of the bare rootstock should not be allowed to dry up. Soak them in water for a day, if it is required; but see to it that it is not more than a day as you run the danger of rotting plant. Also, do not leave it out in the open for more than one day as the young grapevine may dry up. Basically you need to plant the rootstock as soon as you buy them from a nursery.

Watering
Grapevines require a lot of water. So for the first few months, a lot of watering is expected. Try to water the plants at least twice a day. This will not only provide water to the plant, but it will also allow the roots to settle. When the plant is old enough, care must be taken though. Allow the extra water to drain. If this does not happen then there are high chances of the plant getting disease.

Fertilizing
How will you know that your grapevine is getting adequate nutrients? All you have to do is observe the leaves of the plant. The leaves of the healthy grapevines are dark green in color. If this color starts fading away then you get to know that grapevine needs fertilizer. There are many chemical based fertilizers available in the market, but personally I prefer compost. Add about 5-6 inches of compost to the soils. This step should provide the required nutrients to the soil.

Trellis
Building up a trellis is very important, as your grapevine starts getting older. The trellis is something like a lattice-work which is used as a support for climbing of the plant. The height of these trellis is important as the grapevines tend to grow to different heights in different season. In winter season, shorter trellis can do, but in summer you need to have larger trellis. I should tell you one thing though, making the vines follow the trellis is very important, but very difficult as well.

Pruning
Pruning the vines in the right way is important. You want the plant to direct as much metabolic energy to the fruit as possible. Due to extreme cold weather the buds of the grapevine tend to get damaged. It would be best, if you prune these buds. The additional shoots that come out, should also be pruned.

Harvesting
This is the most exciting part as you get to enjoy the fruit. Much of your energy has been spent on the care of the plant and time has come to take the fruit. In olden times, the color of the fruit was used to determine the ripeness. If they are rich in color, then they are ripe. But, there are ready-made kits available in the market for testing whether they are ripe or not. There is no greater joy when you pluck away those ripe juicy fruits.

I am sure, growing grapes at home will be a very satisfying experience, as it has been for me.