Grapevines are not difficult to grow –they like gravel and stony soils, where the soil drains well. They do not respond well to over- or under-watering. As they are woody climbing vines you will need to provide a strong support for your grape plant, such as a pergola or strong fence. To prevent your ripe grapes from being eaten by birds, enclose the bunches in white paper bags – don’t use brown paper bags as they give the grapes a bad taste.
Planting tips
Follow these easy tips for growing delicious grapes yourself:
- Soil preparation: choose a sunny place for your grape plant to grow, where the soil drains well. Prepare a 60 cm x 60 cm hole. Mix some rich compost into the topsoil removed from the hole and put this mix back into the hole. Compost also helps soil retain water.
- Plant correctly: plant the root and stem of the vine about 400 mm deep, leaving about 50 mm of stem above the ground level. Cover the exposed stem with loose soil. New shoots will force their way through the mound of soil and do not need not be covered.
- During the summer, allow it to grow unchecked. Remember to fertilize regularly but try to keep soil fertility at a moderate level – too much fertilizer will cause excessive vegetative growth while too little will decrease the plant’s productivity.
- Always mulch your plants – mulch conserves soil water and is water wise.
