Growing grapes offers excellent opportunities for the backyard gardener. The hobby requires a lot of time and effort but yields many rewards. In order to ensure the best and most productive plants, a primary consideration is soil.
Grapes can tolerate a wide range of soil including alkaline soils. However, they tend to grow best in well-drained loamy or sandy soils. Heavy clay soils hold water around the roots of the plant. This produces the same effect as over watering. Because grapes have deep root systems, they don't need to be watered as much as other, more shallow-rooted plants. When deciding where to plant the vines, put them where they can be heavily watered but water them infrequently.
Different soils have varying affects on the grapevine. The amount of water in the soil directly affects the water balance in the vine. This is important because water balance affects the heat retention properties of the soil. This is thought to be one of the single most important considerations in selecting soil for planting your vines.
Soils which are particularly sandy will allow water to pass through without enriching the vines. If the clay content is too high the plants will drown because the water will not drain. If the soil is too fertile you will get a high yield but the quality of the grapes will be lower. The best soil needs to be somewhere in-between.
If grapes are overwatered, they often become iron deficient. This condition results in pale, small, yellowed leaves with dark green veins. In the most severe cases, the edges of the leaves dry up and turn brown. The fruit yield is normally very poor in plants suffering from this condition.
Another consideration is the pH value of the soil. Grapes tend to thrive in soil that is slightly acidic. That means that the best soils will have a pH value between5.5 and 7. The pH value of the soil is important because when the pH levels are too low, below 5, the clay particles start to dissolve and aluminum ions are released. These ions prevent magnesium and calcium cations from binding to the soil. This will adversely affect the ability of the plant to produce.
Grapes also grow best in soils that are loose. The ground needs to be loose to a depth of about 3 feet in order to insure that the roots can take hold and nourish the plant.
Once you have selected your site, prepared your soil, and planted the rootstock, you need to devise a soil management plan. Mulching is by far the preferred soil management strategy for backyard growers. You should mulch a depth of 4-6 inches for most vineyards.
Grapes usually lose in any battle with weeds, grass, and other organic matter. You might need to do some basic cultivation work. Just make sure that you dig only deeply enough to remove the surrounding vegetation that is competing with the vines.
Grapes also require nitrogen fertilizer. For most backyard growers, 1 ounce of ammonium nitrate per vine should be applied once the growth begins in the early spring. Spread the fertilizer in a circle around the plant and 10-12 inches away from the trunk. The application should be repeated six weeks later. Just before the growth begins in the spring of the second year, apply 4 ounces in a 4 foot circle around each vine and again, make sure it is 1 foot from the trunk. Apply 4 ounces again in the third year. If the soil also requires phosphorous and potassium, you may find that a mixed fertilizer such as 10-10-10 will be sufficient.
Once established, if you care for your vines it is unlikely that you will need to do any additional fertilization. If you see that the average cane growth is 3 feet or less, you may need to think about adding additional nitrogen.
Following these guidelines should give you a good foundation and set you on your way to a successful vineyard. Enjoy!
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