Grape Planting Guide

With the financial crisis taking hold now is a great time to consider grape planting. Once you grow a good crop of grapes you have taken your first step in producing a good wine.

If you are going to the trouble of growing your own grapes how can you be sure that the taste of the wine will be one to enjoy and good in quality? The answer to this question is the quality of the grapes and the planting and growing process. Get this wrong and you are doomed to failure even before the first grapes appear on the vine.

Location, location, location. You hear that all the time when talking about real estate. Selecting the best location is also a key to grape planting. You will need to give your grape vines the best access to sunlight in order to encourage the photosynthesis process. This will fill grapes with sugars which will become alcohol after fermentation. You will also want to ensure that both sides of the vine get the same amount of sun.

As important as sunlight is the type of soil the grape vines are planted in. This is vital to the health of your grape vine. Make sure you have good drainage whenever you plant your crop as grape vines do not like really wet areas or to sit in puddles. Unless your soil is so poor you do not need to use compost or fertilizers on the soil. Small grapes are perfect for making wine. Vines planted in less nutrient rich soil produces small grapes which is exactly what you are aiming for.

First of all you will need to setup a trellis for your new grape vine. Your vines will need to be roughly six feet (1.8 metres) apart and for large crops the vines should planted in rows that are eight feet (2.4 metres) wide. You can expect about one gallon can be produced from each grapevine. Based on how much wine you would like to produce consider that you may have a small crop or you will incur losses due to pests and insects. To have good drainage make sure the holes you dig for the vines are larger than normal so that you have loose soil around the vine.

Early in the first year of planting your grape vines you will need to identify the strongest shoot and tie it with string to the trellis. String is used in preference to wire as it is less likely to damage the plant. You need to then cut any other shoots that you see growing from the roots. The grapevines shed their leaves and go dormant over the winter. This is the perfect time to prune them without fear of shocking them. In spring when new buds appear, select the strongest upright shoots and tie them to the trellis. These shoots will turn into the main branches of the vine and will support the growth of grapes for many years into the future.

A hydrometer will be very useful to help you determine the best time to harvest the grapes. It measures the gravity of the liquids. From the measurements you can tell how much sugar is in the berries. An ideal gravity is between 1.095 and 1.105. It can be purchased from a local winemaking supply shop.

Although grape vines take several years to reach the maturity for making wine, the process is simple and you will be well rewarded for your efforts. reference to wikipedia