Wine And Beer

Growing Grapes at Home

It's true. Growing grapes can be done right in your own yard. You can enjoy the health, emotional and even financial rewards over time from growing grapes. Gardening and other vigorous activities promote wellness and normal blood flow in your body, so if you're a senior or a stay at home, growing grapes in your home is a worthwhile hobby. And of course, if your grape vine thrives and is healthy, you can enjoy grapes for free and sometimes sell your surplus harvest to the nearest local market. Here are some great tips for growing grapes effectively.The first fact that you have to know is that there are certain grape species that can only thrive in certain climates that are appropriate for growing that kind of grape species. You may want to plant Chardonnay and Riesling grapes and dream of producing white wine, but if you are in Florida, that would be impossible. Riesling and Chardonnay are species under Vitis Vinifera, a grape species which requires a long hot season and mild winter. North American countries, France and Luxembourg may be grape-growing countries but Auxerrois ( a grape variety that produces a fruity taste) can only be grown in Luxembourg and Canada. Barbera, which has a tarry flavor, can only be grown in Italy and California. There are sites that are dedicated just to giving you detailed descriptions of grape species for growing grapes effectively.Before getting started, you should know that growing grapes is also like taking care of an infant. Grapes need plenty of sunlight and lots of care. After choosing the type of grapes, check the site and location of your yard whether it has ample sunlight for growing grapes. Competition for sunlight from other taller trees and plants will make your vines sickly. Sunlight is still one of the natural fighters of fungi and other viruses that will attack your grape vines. Check for taller building structures that may hinder sunlight from coming in your yard. Grapes grown with sufficient sunlight are much juicier and better tasting then those grown in dark areas.The type of soil and its mineral content are also factors in growing grapes. The soil should neither be too moist nor too dry. It should also have the characteristic of not holding water in its particles. It's advised to till the soil first before planting any grape root stock. Check and remove broken bottles and other non-biodegradable materials in the soil. Also remove weeds and stray shrubs in your garden. Weeds will only compete for soil nutrients that your grapes need for growth. Because the roots of your grape vines will extend deeper in the ground, removing boulders and other stones will also be helpful. Also, make sure that in growing grapes, the soil does not appear to be eroding as this will only remove the soil mineral content.After sometime, your grape vines will start growing sturdy branches. Thus, there is a need to create reliable trellises and a good fence that will block the vines from further crawling outside your yard. To prevent thicker and longer vines, it is better to prune your vines regularly, probably in the months of February and March. If grape vines are in good positions, one can be certain that they will last until harvest. The best time to harvest your grapes is during an early frost. The cold weather helps preserve the grapes so that they will last longer and unharmed. With these easy tips, hopefully you will be rewarded in growing grapes in your yard. After harvest time, you can do anything to your grape, turn it into a wine, dry it or turn it into preserves and sweets, just possibly anything that could make you happy and fulfilled!