Did you know if you eat one cup of grapes a day it will account for more than a quarter of your daily recommended portion of vitamin K and C? Grapes are full of antioxidants and great news.. you can grow them at home!
Grapes are perennials, meaning with the proper care, you only have to plant them once and they'll come back every year! Some grape plants will even produce for more than 30 years! In my opinion, grapes are a great addition to any garden.
There are three types of grapes to choose from:
(1) American: these grapes are the most cold hardy,
(2) European: these grapes like a warm and dry climate, they're also better suited for making wine, and
(3) French-American Hybrid: these grapes are a mix of the previous two, but they are sometimes less flavorful.
If you're thinking about planting grapes in your garden, remember the following points:
Grapes need full sun: meaning they'll need at least 6-10 hours of sun daily to thrive,
the soil needs to be deep well-drained loose soil: this causes better air circulation for the roots,
before planting, soak the roots for 2-3 hours and then space 6-10 feet a part,
water once you've planted and lay down some mulch to keep even moisture around the vine,
for each vine, dig a hole 12 inches deep and wide, fill the bottom of the hole with 4 inches of top soil and then set the vine into the hole and cover with 6 inches of soil,
you'll want to plant the vine a little deeper than it was planted in it's container,
place some form of support, like a stake or trellis at planting: this will train your grape vine to grow a certain way early on and avoid disturbing its roots, and
your grapes will be ready to harvest in late summer and early fall: remember to test a few grapes before harvesting them all, they wont continue to ripen after you've picked them.
If you're grapes are having trouble ripening, pinch back foliage so they'll get more sunlight and continue to mature.
Now that you have the basics, let's get to planting! Don't forget to subscribe so you receive our latest posts!
Happy planting!
Comments