Advice for growing grapes?
Question:I just planted three grape vines (Catawba, Concord and Niagara), mainly for making wine. I live in southern Michigan. I planted them on a slope (4 foot drop over 20 feet), on the south side of my house, in full sun. I built a trellace for them to grow on. Standing water drains fast from the soil, but a few hours after watering, it is still moist 4" down. The plants are starting to grow leaves, so I must be doing something right. Anyone have any advice on how to maintain this growing process? (i.e. what kind of fertilizer, if any, to add. How much water the vines need etc.)
Answers:
The best fertilizer is a slow release type, like natural compost. Something that will keep the soil at a constant over time. A grape vine is something that will be there for years, so you don't want these chemical fertilizers that are there in abundance one day and washed away the next. Those kind are best for annuals, like a veggie garden.
Watering, it seems that you have good drainable dirt so you really can't over water. At the same time, large vineyards don't water at all. They rely solely on rain fall.
Grape vines are very residual, and it's pretty hard to harm them. The grapes themselves are mostly water. so a good squirt everyday during the dry hot season will be good. I watched my father water every day, and my grandmother never water hers, and there really wasn't much of a difference.
Mine, I'm just getting started, and I've been watering every day. I have two old ones that were dug up from somewhere else, and in two years they were bearing fruit again. And one hadn't in years, because my father was trying to kill it off, he didn't want it any more. I transplanted them again this year because I didn't like where I put them the first time, they didn't bear this year, but they did bounce right back again. I've also been splicing from them, in no time I'll be able to fill my yard.
I have red candice with seed for wine, and a white seedless for the table.
I live out west and have Concords.
What I found with mine, because it's poor soil, is if I soak them about every other night all night they produce great.
In the past they apparently didn't get enough water, but still survived, I never fertilized them.
You may get enough rain there, we are very dry all summer and have to irrigate.
You may get grapes this year.
Good Luck.
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It sounds like your doing great, my grandfather always had grapes growing in the small garden next to the house. We grew up in Ohio, he never had any slope except around the base of the trellis they grew on. He always positioned the dirt around the bottom like huge ant hills. I only remember putting any left over foods, and corn cobs, the corn husk, etc.Out for fertilizer, since we lived in the country, we did it the old fashion way. You know I don't think he used anything except cow dung.
So far though It sure sounds like you know where you are going with this. Best of Luck
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