Growing Grapes In Backyard
How to grow grapes in your backyard.
Growing grapes in backyard. If you have good soil some space to spare and don t mind a bit of annual pruning growing grapes is no more difficult than any other backyard crop. The soil you are growing your grapes in is vital to a thriving harvest from the grapes grown in your backyard. Grapes require a cold spell during the winter but not a killing freeze warmth in spring for flowering and fruit set and heat and sunshine in summer to ripen the fruit. Grapes can be grown in usda zones 4 10 which is to say almost anywhere in the continental united states.
Growing grapes can be done all by yourself without any helps from expert gardeners. Your local extension office can suggest a specific variety whether it be table or wine. Wine grapes usually need a sugar content of around 22 24 sugar or more to be harvested and obtain the right alcohol content of the wine. Growing grapes in the backyard or garden can be a rewarding experience if done correctly.
Table grapes can be harvested between 16 and 18 sugar. When the grapes get to look like green peas it s time to take off the leaves over the fruit. Grapes will do well anywhere they can get sun water and support you can even grow them on a fence row. Grapes love high nitrogen soil so planting them where you have recently grown green beans will give your grapes a head start.
Growing backyard grapes is not difficult but success depends upon choosing the right variety for your climate training the vine and pruning regularly. Also keep the area under the grapes weed whacked so that rain doesn t splash up on the plants. Selecting the right planting site can make growing backyard grapes a lot easier. The birds will love them too so be prepared to put a net over them when harvest time arrives if you would like to keep some of the crop for you.
Grape vines grow fairly fast so you can use them to form shade in your backyard. But you have to know the right ways to plant it so you can successfully grow them and enjoy the fresh juicy fruits as you wish. Knowing how to grow grapes successfully means selecting the right variety for your region. Penn state extension recommends the following conditions for cold hardy grape varieties.
Mature wine grapes produce about 12 pounds per vine and it takes 40 pounds to make 12 bottles. Spring is the right season to plant your grapes so you have to wait for the season to come. Just remember that the vines will most likely outlive the fence. The sun will help to keep problems away.