Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The earth should be prepared as deeply as possible, as once the vine is in, it isn't
going to be moved. If the ground is waterlogged you will need to dig a large hole
at least 75cm deep and put a 15cm layer of brick rubble or gravel in the base to
aid drainage, and this probably means waiting until the next time the tunnel
cover is replaced. Add some well-rotted manure or compost and a handful of a
good general fertiliser to the soil in the planting hole to get the plant off to a good
start. Vines can also be successfully grown in large (at least 30cm) pots of free-
draining loam-based compost (see How to Make and Use Compost, in the
Resources section, for how to make organic growing media at home). As their
roots are restricted they form less-vigorous plants suitable for smaller tunnels,
and can also be trained more easily to suit wheelchair gardeners. Container
plants should not be allowed to fruit in their first couple of years.
Sowing
Grapes are always sold as rooted pot-grown plants and should be planted in
November or December, when they can be pruned without bleeding. Plant them
slightly lower than they were in the pot, teasing the roots out to spread them
around the planting hole, firm the ground down well, and water in. If you want
to grow the vine in a container, plant it straight into its final pot at the original
level and cover the root ball with earth.
Growing
Training the vine is extremely important during the first few years of growth.
Create a solid framework of horizontal wires to which you can tie the side
branches so that the whole plant faces the sun. Don't tie the branches too tightly,
as they expand as they grow.
Grapevines are very vigorous, so put a layer of compost and a sprinkling of a
balanced organic fertiliser around the base of the plant early each spring. In the
case of container-grown plants, gently remove the top 10-15cm of earth and
replace it with fresh compost and again top-dress with a general fertiliser. The
vines should be given a liquid tomato feed every three weeks once they are in full
leaf, increasing to weekly once the fruit sets. As soon as the grapes begin to colour,
stop feeding.
At the end of each growing season it's vital that the vine is pruned in order to
encourage the right sort of growth the following year. There are many ways of
doing this, but a general rule is to cut all the new shoots back by at least 25 per cent.
Harvesting and storage
In the first year the vine is unlikely to bear any fruit at all, and will produce only
a few grapes in year two. You should get your first decent harvest in the third
year, as long as you provide adequate ventilation (see 'Problems', right). After
that, the yield will get bigger every year.
