Growing grapes as a hobby, in your own backyard is not exactly tough. You just need the simple know hows – how to plant, when to prune, when to fertilize, where to put them, how to prepare the soil and that should be all good. What you should really think about or consider is which grapes for growing is best for you and your area.
When choosing the best grapes for growing in a vineyard, you basically have to think about two things. First is the zone, or the area where you live and second, what do you want to use the grapes for.
Considering Your Area’s Hardiness Zone:
Zoning is based on each area’s average temperature. And currently, North America is divided into 11 zones. The coldest being zone 1 which is majority of Alaska and the hottest are those areas in zone 11. In relation to grapes, most varieties thrive in zone 3 to 8. Zone 3 to 8 is ideal for these perennials because the temperatures in these areas are not hot enough to wilt or dry out the plant, nor are they too cold to kill the fruits with frost.
Some of the cities belonging to the zone 3 – 8 range include:
- Burlington, Vermont
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Pierre, South Dakota
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Portland, Maine
- Atlanta, Georgia
Now if your city is not listed above, don’t give up just yet because you can always visit your local nursery and find out which specific type of grapes do well in your respective areas/ zones.
Choosing the Right Varieties:
When choosing for the right type of grapes for growing, it is always important to ask yourself: “What do I want the grapes for?” Do you want it for eating? Are you planning to make preserves out of them? Do you plan on making wine from them and so on and so forth. Once you have determined that, then it will be easier for you to pick one out of the vast varieties and hybrids available.
Now if you do not have the slightest idea which to choose, here are a couple of varieties you may want to consider:
- For wine making, you can go for the classic blue Concord grapes or the amber colored Chardonel.
- For eating or for your simple enjoyment, then Golden Muscat can be your best bet.
- And if you want grapes for preserving or making raisins then you can always choose the seedless Marquis – which is actually good for almost everything. If you are not too fond of Marquis, then go for Agawam as this produces red – violet grapes that are not only stunning but exceptionally sweet as well.
Those are the two factors that you may want to consider before choosing grapes for growing. Keeping them in mind is key because if you neglect one of them, you can either end up with a plant that won’t grow or type of fruit that you do not want.
Related Post:
How to Grow Grape Vines in the Right Soil
How to Tend to a Grape Vine Growing on a Trellis
Growing Grapes at Home
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