Agriculture Education

Grape growing can be a really satisfying hobby. All you want to grow grapes is an area in your back yard that well drained and not so rich in nutrients. The grape appears to do much better in poor soil. When planting the vines in a rich soil, the nutrients will go to growing far more leave and nonproducing vines. Whereas with poor soil, what nutrients are in the soil will go toward the production of fruit and much more fruit bearing vines. The best location to plant the vines is on the south side of a hill where there is a lot of air circulation and a lot of sunshine.  Never plant your vineyard in a shady region, since the grapes will need plenty of sunlight in order for the fruit to ripen and be sweet and juicy.

The primary component of grape growing is planting the correct vine for the climate you are in. Constantly check with the local Agriculture Agent to see what type of grapes is greatest for your area. Another place you can get info about what kind of grape to plant is a nearby Agriculture College, or a grape grower in your area. You most likely will be able to come across a vine that is suited for your region and climate. Make certain that where ever you get your information that they know whether or not you are planting table grapes or wine grapes, it makes a huge difference. Table grapes are usually large grapes without seed and thin skins, where wine grapes are little, thick skinned and contain a lot more sugar.

A really critical part of grape growing is the trellis the grapes will climb on. In the wild grape vine climb up trees, buildings and anything that will support them that they can climb. But, you will need your vines low enough that you can pick the grapes when they are ripe. The very best trellis system is to cement post into the ground that is strong sufficient to hold the grapes up even in heavy wind and rain. The post should be braced so they will not lean in any direction. After the cement has set up around the post you can run two rows of stainless steel wire on the post for the vines to run on. When the grape vine get lengthy enough to reach the bottom wire you will will need to train the vines to run the wire by loosely wrapping the vines around the wire. As the vines grow they will wrap themselves tightly around the wire making a great support for the fruit.

In about three years when the vines start to produce fruit you may possibly want to add some fertilizer to the roots of the vines. Make certain the fertilizer is required by taking a soil sample. You do not want the soil to be too rich or the plants will start producing much more leave and vines that are not wanted instead of taking the nutrients from the soil and producing grapes. Also remember you will require to keep the vines pruned for best results. The major thing is to appreciate growing grapes.

Thank you,

S. S. Barnett