How to start your own vineyard

If you have the space and the sunshine in your yard, growing your own grapevines is such fun! Grapevines used to be a common feature in many backyards, but in the last few decades, the practice has dwindled as grapes are readily available in grocery stores. However, growing your own grapes means you can decide what variety to grow and what kind of fertilizers to use. And they come back every year bigger and better!

Instructions

1. 

   Get some grapevine cuttings. If you know someone who has a vine, just pick up the debris from the early spring prunings. All you need is pencil-thin twigs with 2 or three nodes. Of course, if you desire, you can just purchase plants through mail order or buy them from your local garden center.

2. 

   Place the twigs in warm water with aspirin dissolved in it. This will help keep the tissues open so the water can be absorbed. Keep the container in a warm spot where it stays between 65 and 80 degrees. After about two weeks, you will notice that the buds are starting to swell.

3. Fill little sandwich-sized plastic bags with potting soil and then carefully place each twig in the soil. Give it a little moisture so it is damp but not wet. Gather the bag around the twig, leaving the buds on the outside, and secure with a twist tie.

4. Place in a warm and sunny spot. The buds should continue to swell and actually leaf out.

5. 

   Once the weather has warmed so that the nights do not go below freezing, plant outside in a sunny spot. If you do not have the space to plant in the ground, plant in a large planter in a sunny spot. Keep them well watered until established. They should grow a good 6 feet, and you might even get grapes in your first season, though the experts always say to prune these to encourage better root and branch growth.

6. Pruning is critical for good grape production. At the end of the first season when growth has stopped, prune heavily. For exact instructions, check online for specific instructions for your type of grapes.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish