Growing Grapes

Planning Tips:

Site Preparation:

Planting:

Care & Maintenance:

Harvesting & Storage:

First, check with your local nursery to make sure you are in an area where grapes will grow. They will also advise you which varieties are best. When I was a child in Illinois we had a concord grape vine in our back yard which did produce grapes.
Now I have one in my yard in Santa Clara county in California which is also doing very well.

Next, plant it somewhere that you can have a very good trellis. Mine is made from 2x2s and leans against the side of the house. It supports the almost 100 lbs of grapes every year without falling down. That is just from one plant!

You could also train the vines horizontally along a fence. Every Fall we prune the vines way back to just the thickest ones. It might be a good idea to go to the library and take out some books about growing grapes or buy one at that local nursery.

I sug to mix 1 teaspoon of liquid soap to 1 quart of water, in a spray bottle.I get them at Dollar store for a dollar, if that's not strong enough add more soap, good luck.

"Liquid soap" meaning something like Ivory soap, not harsh dish detergents. I use Dr. Bronner's liquid soap which can be found in some health food stores, supermarkets, or drug stores.

Your "flies" I imagine are Whiteflies. You could also just purchase and organic product like Safer's insecticidal soap and not chance using regular soaps that that can burn leaves once exposed to sun.
Soaps MUST come in direct contact with the pests to be any use because there is no residual effect. You will need to apply more than once because the adult flies will fly off when disturbed. Be sure to hit both tops and undersides of the leaves.
Whiteflies are not easy to control. Good luck!

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Check with www.Jerrybaker.net. He gives you recipes for tonics for pests in the garden, as well as other issues. Most of the ingredients you already have in your home, so the cost is reasonable. I purchased a 20 page phamplet from him more than 25 years ago and had such great success, that I have purchasd several other books. His website has some tonic recipes and you can e-mail him for answers to your specific questions also. I hate to send you to just another site, but I can attest to fact that his advice is sound. Good Luck!

They are perenials. Check with a local nursery.

They're perennials, but some varieties are hardier than others. I've grown Concord grapes in Salt Lake City, but that's too cold, I think, for most varieties. Wasshrunk is right, talk to your local nursery, if possible, or check your zone in a nursery catalog and then look for a variety that will thrive there.

Pruning grapes is another very important part of growing grapes and is beneficial for grape quality. Without proper pruning the amount of grapes produced and the size of the grapes will decrease. After vines are set using a trellis system they should be pruned to one stem and cut back to only a few buds. Pruning can be done in winter, but not during severe winter weather. Over and under pruning will cause grapes to be not as healthy. One particular expert says on his blog about how to grow grapes, that a grape vine reacts to the way you prune. Which means you will have fruit if you prune for fruit and you will have shoots if you prune for shoots.

Another important part of growing grape vines is air circulation; this prevents disease which can occur if the air is able to stagnant. Air circulation will also keep the vines moisture free and dry so there's less chance for fungus to grow. Don't plant grape vines anywhere that interferes with air circulation or movement. As you may see on t v where grape growers prune them way back to about head high ,for more go to "how to grow grapes"lot of info there, Good luck.

Photo Description
This grapevine has taken over my gazebo.

Photo Location
Plum Grove, TX