Grape Vines

Grape Vines
Grapes

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Growing A Grape Vine

Growing a grape vine can be a hobby or a business. As a hobby, growing your own grapes can be very rewarding. It can also be a nice ornament that will enhance the beauty of your yard. As a business, you can make and sell jellies, candies, juices or wines with your harvest. Recently, more and more people are realizing that growing grape vines has many benefits. This has prompted them to learn how to grow the vines successfully. Here are the basic steps:
- Determining the ideal location to plant the vine is one of the most important factors to be considered. Proper irrigation and lots fo sunlight is a must for the area. The grape vine will not be able to grow well if the area is very wet or has clay like soil, which is very dense and will not allow the water to seep in. Another very important factor is to check the soil's pH level. The pH level must be somewhere between 6.5 and 7.5. Nevertheless, asking your local agriculturist how to grow grapes successfully can be a big help.
- Growing a vine is no joke. You will need to give the vines care and attention. They need to be well watered, at least once a week. Ideally, the plant should not be allowed to bear fruit during it's initial year. Controlling the first year of growth will allow the roots to grow strong and healthy. When needed, the grape clusters should be picked out. Sometimes a grow tube is used. This device acts as a guide in growing the grape vine as well as protecting it against animals. However, the grow tube will have to be removed after the first growing season so that the branches can harden.
- An effective pest control system will be very important. Grapes attract many insects, including one of the worst is the wasp. The wasps will destroy the fruits by breaking the skin and eating the flesh. The best way to protect your plant is by making wasp traps or by planting a rose bush close to the vines.
- Growing a vine includes a number of tasks, one of which is pruning the vine. Careful pruning can have a great impact on the amount of fruit and the growth of the vines. In order for the grape vines to grow productively they need to be pruned regularly. If not properly pruned, they will produce very little fruit in future seasons.
- Growing a good strong vine will required you to have knowledge of the weather conditions in your area. You will need more protection from the winter weather than you would need from the sun and too much heat. Growers have found many innovative ways to deal with this. One way is by using a cover crop, which insulates the vines against the cold. Also, covering the ground with hay will help to insulate the trunk.
Beginners who are just starting to learn the process of growing a grape vine may be able to find more help from agriculturists or local growers. These professionals will be able to give you the needed information on how to grow quality grape vines.
Gino Vittone has put together some step by step tips for growing your own grapes. You can find this information here: http://www.grapegrowingguidance.com/how-to-grow-grape-vines/

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