 Growing grapes is an easy and very rewarding thing to do. It is becoming increasingly popular, especially where those varieties used for wines are concerned. To achieve success, the site that you choose to plant grapevines in must be suitable and the soil preparation that takes place must be effective. As well as any other plant being grown, it is of utmost importance that full attention is being given to make sure the vines are properly watered, fed and that any other problems that arise are dealt with effectively and quickly.
Grapes are best grown in a sheltered part of the garden in full sunlight, the best place would be against a south-south west facing wall. Make sure that frost pockets are avoided as this may prohibit the growth of grapevines. Vines can tolerate a number of different soil types but they must have a good drainage system. The ideal type of soil is sandy gravel over chalk. To improve drainage on heavy soils you should add a well rotted organic matter plus grit, more efficient drainage systems may need to be added if necessary. An ideal pH of 6.5-6.8 is required so you could add lime acid soils to increase the pH. Double dig soil if necessary, this can be done by creating a trench the depth of the spade blade and then forking over the bottom of the trench. A light dressing of well rotted manure or compost should be added, plus general purpose fertilizer at 100g per sq meter.
First of all, you should set up a simple support structure, pressure-treated timber posts (2m x 10cm) should be driven into the ground at about 4-4.5m apart. Then stretch a piece of galvanized wire (2-3mm in diameter) between the posts, attaching them by using screw in vine eyes. The first two wires should be 40cm and 55cm above the ground and any added wires afterwards should be doubled up and secured each side of the post at about 30cm intervals from the lower wires.
You should plant grapevines during the dormant season which is from late autumn until early spring. They should be planted at about the same depth to when they were in the pot, do not plant at all if the ground is waterlogged or frozen. In areas that suffer from harsh winters, it is best if the vines are planted during March to allow the ground to recover from possible flooding and freezing. Before planting the vines, make sure the stems are greater than a pencils width so to avoid damage by frost. Release the roots and make sure that they are spread evenly in the hole, and then re-fill with the soil. It is a good idea to cover the base of the vine in a well rotted matter or chipped bark to protect the base buds from frost. During spring and summer, remove the mulch so as to keep from rotting.
|
