Grape growing is one of the oldest human occupation, ancient crops being either eaten as a fresh fruit or used in a range of products like jelly, juice, raisins, and the world famous wine. Wine is a creation of controlling and fermenting fresh grape juice. Grapes are a good option for backyard crops. Grapes are vines and the extent to which they are trained depends on the imagination of the grower. The shapes and sizes to which grapes can be trained are many. Some of these include arbors, fences, and standard trellis systems.
Site selection is an important factor in growing the cold-tender grapes. An ideal site should have a minimum of 160 frost free days. The minimum winter temperature that viniferous grapes can exist in is zero degrees Fahrenheit to minus five degrees Fahrenheit. A small slope within the site is advisable to allow air drainage while well drained soils are more preferred because they help with removing excess moisture. Once site selection is done, you have to select appropriate cultivars. If you are going to use your grapes for wine production, you should grow the kind of grapes that are known for their winemaking characteristics and have better horticultural tastes.
Prepare your vineyard site with great care. Establishing a vineyard will be very helpful if you are planning to mass produce wine. One year before you begin growing grapes, mark off the area and focus on getting the best soil there. Kill all the weeds in the area, cultivate the soil and make any changes suggested by soil tests. The reason you are advised to remove all weeds is because weeds also need a lot of nutrients and water. So if you have weed and grapes growing in the same area, your grapes will suffer due to lack of nutrients. When planting your grape crops, make sure they are in a correctly measured straight line. Plant them from north-south orientation in order to give them the most sunlight. Have a clear idea of what kind of training you want to give your vine and work towards it. Remember, you have only one chance to train them. Before planting, soak the vines in water. Make sure the depth of the hole you make for planting is deeper than the longest roots. Inside the hole, roots should be spread out evenly and pointed downwards.
Your first goal is to establish the plant. So while the vine is still inactive trim the plant back to just one or two canes and keep only two or three nodes on one cane. Once shoot growth begins, cut off everything except for the two strongest shoots. Remember to consistently water the vines and get rid of all flower clusters that arise within the first year. A little bit of fertilizer may also be beneficial for the blooming vine. How the plants are supported could be your decision to make. Usually, in commercial vineyards, a standard trellis, about 6 feet tall, with wires, is used to support the grapes. In addition, ensure proper control of insects and diseases and also animals such as deer and rabbits.
A grape vine that is well established and correctly adapted to its climate will promise fruit production for several decades!
This article was written by Sophie Taylor, a web enthusiast and a copywriter who loves all things around design and technology. She is also the chief editor in her organization. She shares new, exciting and valuable information such as Rose Wine.
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