GARDEN IDEAS
Growing Grapes
Growing grapes in warmer climates is often more straightforward as they need a fair amount of sunlight to produce ripe fruits. In a more moderate climate though, new hybrid varieties will grow well or you could try growing them in a greenhouse.
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The only problem with growing in the greenhouse is that the vine will produce lots of foliage which could shade other plants. Positioning your vines is probably the most important part of the whole operation!
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Buy the plants from a good supplier. Thompson & Morgan (UK) have some delicious varieties including this pack of two!
Grape Duo
Grape 'Cabernet, Grape 'Chardonnay'
Duo of classic winemaking varieties
Ideal for eating fresh, winemaking or making juice
Excellent autumn colour
They can be trained well, and will grow on the side of a house very successfully, although some form of arch or training programme should be put into place, or the vines will get too large and leafy to produce good fruits.
When you buy your vines, check for growing recommendations as there are different types that will grow with less maintenance in different regions.
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Growing grapes in containers keeps the roots restricted and allows the pots to be taken outside or put inside according to the weather. This probably won't be necessary especially if you position the plants well in the beginning. Try growing hybrid varieties specially suited to outdoor growing.
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Growing grapes - planting:
Plant your vine in well worked soil mixed with compost, and prepare the structure or hooks if you are growing against a wall or fence. Water in well. Keep free of weeds.
When flower trusses start to appear, pinch out growing shoots to stop the plant from putting its energy into leaf production. It's the fruit we're after!
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It's a good idea to gently thin out the bunches of fruit when they are quite small. Use a fine pointed pair of scissors and snip out any diseased grapes and let the bunch air a little by also cutting out some of the small branches within the bunches. Growing grapes successfully does take a little TLC :-)
Selected for its disease resistance and excellent quality fruits
Ideal for eating fresh from the vine
An attractive garden feature when trained over a pergola
Growing grapes - care:
Keep watered during the growing season, and watch out for any pests or viruses.
After the vines have finished fruiting and all bunches of grapes have been harvested, prune back the branches that produced fruit.
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In the autumn months, prune again if you want to train your vine to grow over a structure or against a wall.
Growing grapes doesn't have to be a luxury crop any more, and are pretty straightforward once you get going with them. And if you can get the hang of it, try growing a few vines for making wine!