Articles Search Engine

Grapevines are hardy plants that grow quickly and produce multitudes of fruit, but it takes 3 years before you will be able to enjoy its fruit. There are hundreds of varieties of grapes, and they can be eaten fresh, dried to produce raisins, made into jams and jellies, juiced, or fermented to make wine. Getting grape vines to produce plump, juicy grapes can be a bit tricky, and the whole process begins with choosing the right grapevines for your growing space. Growing high quality grapes is highly dependent on the quality of vines you use from the very beginning. You will be at a disadvantage if you don’t have a clear idea of the quality of vines. Though local nurseries sell grape vines, you need to have some primary knowledge of the kind of grapes you want to grow. You may have an idea of what to buy, but how do you identify the healthiest ones? Before you make your purchase, here are some things you’ll need to consider when buying grapevines. When buying grape vines consider the space you have. Grape vines need a lot of room to grow. It is important to choose an area with eight hours of full sunshine a day. Check labels and ask your local nursery to see which varieties will thrive in your garden for its growing period. Well drained soil is a must for growing grapes. Choose a large plot of land because, grapevines will flourish quickly after planting, but they will not produce fruit for three to four years, depending on the type of grape. The choice of grape varieties is both important and complicated. Advice from neighbors, your County Extension Office or from State Agricultural Experiment Station bulletins can be most helpful. Also ask for recommendations from your local horticultural society. After understanding and considering those mentioned above you can now purchase your grape vine. Vines can be purchased as open cutting grape vines or vines in planting bag. Open cutting grape vines- Proper healing of the graft union should be considered in an open cutting vine. If there is no opening between the rootstock and carrier, it indicates that the area has healed enough. There will be breakage if the graft union has not healed. Openings may also be instrumental in the collection of moisture and it may lead the cutting to rot. Bend the graft vine slightly to check for a strong union. If it breaks easily, it means it is a weak union. You should take good care not to apply too much force as it would cause it to break away. Check the root to ensure that they are not damaged and are well grown. The graft union should not have any extra roots. You need to check this because if there are extra roots you will have to remove them before planting. Extra roots make vines vulnerable to diseases. Next check the bark if it is black. Black bark usually the vine is infected with fungus spores. Buy brown in color for it indicates a healthy plant.

Grape vines in planting bags- It is much more difficult for you to check the root system when you buy grapes in a planting bag. So make sure that the canes are healthy. Be sure that the surrounding soil of the root ball is intact. If that is not the case the chance of the grape vine roots being damaged is high. There are many sources of information varying in levels of complexity for the grape-growers. Most people who sale grape vines are experience and can help you in choosing good vines. Talk to people to learn more. The more information you have the better chance you have of buying the perfect vine.