Did you know that grapes are among the oldest grown and cultivated fruits/ plants? In fact if you trace its history, you will find that it goes way back the biblical times, even before Jesus Christ was born! They were priced then and even now because they are the key ingredient in making wines – one drink that everyone loves so much. And this love for wine and grapes is perhaps the main reason why almost everyone is interested with grape growing information.
The good news for you is that, grape growing information is readily available now. You do not have to spend days interviewing grape growers, vineyard owners and “experts”. Grape growing information is actually available in books, in the Internet, right here! So if you plan on growing grapes at home or in your farm, read on as we give you the basics that you need.
Type of Plant: Grapes grow on vines. Since they are the types that crawl, they need strong support to keep them upright and in shape. They are also generally hardy. So if you live in a no – frost area, the vines can remain green all throughout the year.
Soil and Nutritional Requirement: In the early phases of their life, grape plants need a lot of nutrition. This helps them grow up well and healthy enough to eventually give you the fruits that you want. Be careful not to overfeed them though, fertilizing once a month or once every two months should do.
In terms of soil, grape plants are very partial to soil with good drainage. Although they have the need to be watered thoroughly (especially if you live in a relatively dry area) they hate being drowned. So make sure that you loosen the ground by adding compost to clay or peat moss to sandy soil if necessary.
Maintenance: Prune to promote flowers and fruits. When you do this, target the old stems with thick and old barks as they produce little to no fruits at all. What you need to retain are those canes (stems) that are one to two years old.
You may also want to keep your plants free from birds. This is because the purplish – red color of the grapes are invitations for them to be eaten. So when you are waiting for the fruits to ripen, you can perhaps cover them with a net or if you are not too crazy about that idea, you can always opt to hang shiny objects like old CDs for example, aluminum foil or any piece of metal.
In summary, grape plants are not too needy. They do not really need constant care and attention for them to thrive. As long as you keep them happy with enough food, sun and water, they should be just fine. They can give you the precious and beautiful fruits for your own consumption.
Hopefully those pieces of grape growing information gave you enough knowledge and perhaps courage to help you start your own small vineyard. So good luck!
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