Grapes are expensive and for many families, they are an occasional treat, but grapes are not difficult to grow in your garden. You don't need a great deal of space, and you don't need to grow enough to start making your own wine, a few plants grown in containers will provide plenty of grapes for you to snack on throughout the fruiting season. Here's what you need to know to start growing your own grapes:
Create The Right Growing Conditions
Grapevines have roots that spread out horizontally rather than grow deep into the soil. They are also sensitive to waterlogging, so choose containers that are at least 60cm in diameter and make drainage holes in the lower third and base of the containers. The bottom quarter of each container should be filled with pea shingle, which will allow for good drainage, and the rest of the container should be filled with potting soil mixed with compost. This will create a nutrient-rich growing medium that will retain enough water to ensure the roots don't dry out while simultaneously removing the risk of the soil becoming waterlogged.
Choose A Hardy Variety
When you're new to growing grapes, it's wise to start with a hardy variety that will grow well in containers and is resistant to disease. Suitable varieties include Flame grapes, which have juicy flesh and dark red skin, and Dornfelder grapes, which are a heavy cropping variety that produces black grapes. Those with a sweet tooth may want to opt for Lakemont grapes, which have subtle honey undertones and beautiful yellow skin.
Annual Pruning
To encourage hearty cropping each year, you will have to prune your grapevines at the end of the growing season when the leaves have fallen off. The spur pruning method is easy for those who are new to pruning and involves pruning back any shoots that are growing from the side shoots of each vine. The side shoots should be kept, as your grapes will grow along these shoots, but offshoots will only draw away nutrients from your side shoots and can reduce your crop and weaken the side shoots. New side shoots will continue to grow from the main stem and can be left to grow until you feel you have enough side shoots. At that point, you can prune back a few side shoots each year to keep a steady number of side shoots on each vine. New growers often feel intimidated by pruning, but it's really quite simple and grapevines are quite forgiving, so don't panic if you go a little too far with your pruning when starting out.
Grapes are a rewarding fruit to grow and you can start with a single self-fertile grapevine or go all-in and buy as many as you can fit on your patio or around the perimeter of your garden. If you need any advice on selecting a suitable growing medium or caring for your grapevines, your local plant nursery can be a great source of information.
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