How to Grow Grapes

Learning how to grow grapes can be a simple affair or a lifetime passion. It depends on what you want to get from your grapevines. Are you looking for a multipurpose decorative vine to shade your patio, or are you hoping to grow enough grapes to get into wine making as a hobby? The ways in which you want to use your grapes dictate how involved or simple learning how to them can be.

Grapes can be a fun backyard fruit.

Grapes have been cultivated for thousands of years. Archaeologists tell us that the huge vats in Egyptian tombs contained wine fermented from grapes. Many ancient civilizations relied upon grapes or a by-product of grapes for sustenance.

Grapes actually form on what is called second-year wood, so it will be about two years from the time you plant your grapes to the time when you can harvest fruits. Be sure to leave several feet of space between plants. Grape vine roots can spread out in a circle as large as six feet in diameter, so make sure you plant vines well away from underground wires, pipes, and other things that roots can interfere with. Grapes need to climb, and a trellis or other fence is essential for their growth and development.

Choose the variety of grapes to grow based on what you want to do with the fruit. While some varieties such as Concord are multipurpose and make fine table grapes as well as grapes for jams and jellies, other grape varieties are especially suited for juicing, wine making, table grapes, or drying into raisins.

Grapes come in a wide variety of colors, too. You can grow black, purple, red or white grapes. You can even find seedless varieties suitable for eating at the garden center. Choose the variety that meets your needs and that is suitable for your gardening zone. Nurseries and garden centers usually carry grapes that are suited to your local region, so choosing plants locally helps by pre-selecting varieties that will thrive in your location. You may also want to check with your local County Cooperative Extension Office to see what grape varieties they recommend.

Grapes can be grown in most temperature climates. All grapes need full sun, defined as six hours or more per day of direct sunlight. Grapes are particularly fussy about drainage, which is why many gardeners recommend planting grape vines on a sunny slope. The slope helps water drain away from the roots of the grape vines.

Once grape vines are established, they need regular pruning to thrive. Pruning should be done sometime between January and March, with southern climates pruning earlier and northern climates pruning later. You should prune the vines when the winter is almost over, but spring growth has not yet started on the grape vines. Pruning grape vines requires extensive instruction. Ohio State University offers a printable PDF fact sheet on how to prune newly established grape vines.

Once you've chosen your location and purchased your grape plants, it's time to plant them. If you know you won't be able to plant them right away, leave the pots in a sunny location and keep well watered. If you've purchased grape vines in the box containers and you won't be able to plan them right way, place the roots in a bucket of water but be sure to plant them within a day or two. It's important not to let grape vine roots dry out, but it's equally important not to let them soak too long.

Till the soil in the area where you want to plant the grape vines so that not only the planting area is well tilled, but the surrounding soil. Grape vine roots spread out in a great big circle around the main plant, so having the soil nicely tilled helps the roots move through the soil as they grow. Add amendments. If your soil is clay or has poor drainage, add compost and other amendments to improve drainage. Sandy and rocky soil is actually better for grape vines than clay.

Dig a hole as wide and as deep as the pot or container and gently place the plant into the hole. If planting a boxed grape vine, remove it from the box and follow directions. While some gardeners say you can plant the entire thing, box and all, many boxed plants have a plastic liner. While it's true that the cardboard box will disintegrate over time, plastic doesn't, and such containers end up choking the plant.

Be sure to water your newly planted grape vines thoroughly and keep them well watered for the first few months after planting. Train your grape vines up the trellis or fence by tying vines along the supports.

Many pests and plant diseases affect grape vines. They are particularly susceptible to mildews and molds. Treat with the proper fungicides early in the season.

Birds are the biggest culprit plaguing grape vines. They like tasty grapes as much, if not more, than people do! Use bird netting, an open mesh cloth, draped over the vines to keep birds away.

For more information about how to grow grapes, please see:

• Gardening Guides "How to Grow Grapes" PDF download.
• Start Growing Grapes teaches you what you need to know to grow grapes for wine making.

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