Do you know how to Grow Grapes
The grape is the most widely cultivated of all kinds of fruits. It is found growing wild on nearly every continent in the world, and cultivated forms have been in vineyards at almost every stage of the world's history. It is the fruit for the masses since varieties can be had which are adapted to almost any condition of soil or climate. Because of the ease with which it can be grown the grape is especially desirable for the home grounds,as it will flourish and produce acceptable crops under conditions where tree fruits could not find room. The grape is one of the most delicious of fruits, and because of the great number of varieties, abtained from an almost innumerable list of ancestors, it can be had in a good many flavors and shades of color, so that all persons can find among the varieties some kinds which is to their liking. There are so many different varieties of grapes that kinds can be had which are adapted to almost any condition, and which will succeed in almost any climate where fruit can be grown. It is easily propagated, easily grown, bears early, lives much longer than the average bush or tree and gives a larger amount of fruit under average conditions of the home garden than any other kind of plant.
Soil and Location
As a rule the grape is not particular as to the soil or location in which it is grown, although some kinds produce better when given special locations. But in general the grape will do well in soils that are rocky, sandy or heavy clay, rich or poor, and under conditions where other fruits would fail. For the commercial plantation, however, this should not indicate that care need not be given to the selection of a site that is adapted to the growing of the grape, and especiallythe kinds which it is intended to plant. Grapes draw heavily on the available fertility in the soil, and the greater the care that is given to building up a good rich soil before planting grapes the better they will respond in fruitfulness.Under general conditions, a clay loam which is well drained will give the best results. The best location is one which has a southern or eastern slope, as in such positions the land is not so likely to be overly wet, and the dews will pass off more quickly than on northern slopes. This is of importance in guarding from the attacks of numerous diseases to which the grapes are liable. Steep hillsides are often made into land in the ruver bottoms. But the proper precautions must be taken under each condition to protect from the troubles both situations will bring. Steep lands are hard to cultivate and to ger over with the spraying machinery,while bottom lands are both frosty and disease producing.
Preparation of Soil
As the grapeis a strong feeder the soil should be well prepared before planting, especially if it is not naturally fertile. It is even best under average conditions to grow some leguminous crop for a couple of years before planting the vines in order to fill the soil with organic matter to improve the texture and nitrogen. when turning under a crop of green manure it should be turned under as deeply as possible and then work down smooth with a disk harrow. It should be remembered in setting a vineyard that it has to last a lifetime and more, and like building a house the more solid the foundation the better will be the super structure. A vineyard which is well planted will be more easily cared for in future years and be more profitable than one which is put in in a hurry.
Planting
On this account the ground should be rich at the time the vines are planted in order to give the young plants a good start. If manure is available, a generous amount of it should be worked into the soil a couple of years before setting the vines, as it will become thoroughly decomposed and in better shape for the reception of the young plants. One-year-old vines are the most satisfactory, unless especially well grown two-year-old vines can be had. The objection that is made to two-year-old vines by many experienced vineyardists, is that they are left-overs which the nurseryman has lined-out and grown a second, or even a third year before being able to dispose of them. The planting should be done as early in the spring as possible to work the soil into good condition. The distance apart to set the vines varies to a great extent with the variety and local conditions, but for the Eastern and Middle Western conditions 6x8 feet apart is the usual distance. Where the soil is especially fertile, and the vines are of a very strong growing varieties, the distance should be farther apart than this. The operation of planting the vines goes a little slower than when planting tree fruits, for as a rule the roots are much longer and the hole smuch be made larger. Before planting, the tops should be cut back so as to leave only about four buds on the new growth, and the roots so that they are about ten inches long. This may take off a very large portion of the root system, but many small rootlets will quickly be sent out to take their place, and the vine will start off more quickly than if the roots and tops are left unpruned, In setting these young vines in the ground they must be set deep, There is little trouble from getting them too deep, as with some other kinds of fruit, for if the roots should be at a greater depth than they can grow, new roots are sent out above them, and the vine goes along in fine shape. Early spring is the best time to set the vines, although it is possible to set them at any time when the plants are dormant and the soil in good condition. In the far North it is generally best to plant the vines in the spring as they will then not be subjected to the long period of dormancy on account of the ground being frozen, and the plants prevented from becoming established. In the Gulf Coast country it is frequently best to plant the vines in the fall, for them to make considerable root growth before spring comes and will then be well established and ready to start off in fine shape. During the first year the vines are in their permanent location they will not be in need of a trellis. With many varieties the only support that will be needed the second year will be just a post to which the vines can be tied to keep them off the ground. By the beginning of the third season there should be some sort of substantial support to which the vines can be tied, In the home grounds an arbor can be made which will be very serviceable in supporting the vines and also quite ornamental, In the commercial plantation a trellis of some sort should be constructed as the vines can then be cared for in better shape,unless the variety is one which makes but a small amount of vine, as is the case with some of vinifera type, There are several styles of trellises usedd for grapes, depending on which of many styles of training are in use. One of the commonest is a two-wire trellis in which the top wire is about five feet from the ground, and the other at about three feet. For training on such a trellis only two canes are allowed to form and these are cut off at the top wire and spread out fan-shaped on the trellis wires. What is known as the Kniffen system has a trellis constructed in about the same manner. One cane is drawn up to the topmost wire, where it is then cut off. At each of the wires two side branches are permitted to grow and one is allowed to run in each direction on both wires to a distance about half way to the next vine. These are not cut off but allowed to remaain as the stock from which the fruiting wood is to come, The fruiting wood is then formed on each one of these arms and drops down, so that tying is not a neccessity. In the Munson system of training three wires are used, one wire run through the posts at about six feet from the ground, and the other two placed at the ends of "T" shaped arms, The vines are trained up from the ground to this wire, and two arms allowed to form, aone being in each direction. The new canes which form each season are then allowed to droop over the outer wires, while the permanent arms of the vine are fastened to the middle wire.
Cultivation
The grape responds to good cultivation, and it is important that the vines be given good cultivation during the first years in the vineyard, and enabled to become well established, after which time the land can be put into soil if so desired. However the best practice is to keep the vineyard in cultivation for the early portion of the season at least, after which time it can be sowed down to a cover crop of some sort.
One of the great advantages of keeping the vineyard in cultivation is because this will bury many of the diseased berries which fall from the branches and also many of the leaves which contain the spores of the mildews and black rot that sometimes causes such havoc in vineyards. If the cultivation is continued during the summer it will also assist in keeping the curculio in check. This is one of the insects which cause the worms in the berries of the grape. Whatever cultivation is given, it should extend under the times it will necessitate a good thorough going over with a hand hoe to get this portion of the soil worked up as thoroughly as it needs to be.
Sex in Grapes
Like the strawberry in some ways, there is a great amount of difference in the different varieties of grapes as to their ability of setting fruit when planted by themselves. Nearly every one who has wandered through the woodland is familiar with wild grape vines which bloom abundantly each spring and fill the air with their delicious fragrance, but which fail to set a singe fruit for the fall harvest, This is nearly always due to the fact that the vine produces nothing but stamen-bearing flowers, less conspicuous and fragrant than the staminate flowers, but which may or may not set fruit, depending on the proximity of other vines. If the flowers of these are observed they will be found to have a conspicuous cone-shaped body in the center surrounding which is a row of small, witheed anthers, usually bent down and under the cone-shaped portion. This central part of the flower is the pistil and ovary, from which the fruit is developed when the flower is properly pollinated. Still other wild vines will be found to have flowers which produce both ovaries and strong, erect stamens and which are therefore called perfect flowers. These vines are able to set fruit without the intervention of the pollen from other vines. In the cultivated varieties the same things are found, in that some vines are imperfect flowered and must have stamen-bearing vines planted near them in order to secure proper fruiting of the vines. These cacts are usually well known to the nurserymen and prominent vineyardists, from whom the amateur can obtain the desired information, in which he has access. Likewise the information is obtainable from the experiment station authorities upon request. Vines which bear the imperfect flowers need to have planted with them the vines of other varieties known to produce an abudance of pollen and which bloom at about the same time.
Pruning
The grape responds to the style of pruning and the manner in which it is done more than any other cultivated fruit. Good grapes cannot be produced on vines which are not regularly and systematically pruned. Yet more vineyards are ruined through improper pruning than in any other way. Too many growers, especially those who do not observe the action of their vines closely enough, expect their vines to do too much. They leave too much fruit-producing wood. In this way the vines continually over-bear themselves, and are quickly exhausted.
The manner of pruning will differ with different varieties. Some need to be left with long canes of fruiting wood, while others need to be cut back to spurs on which have short but strong fruiting canes left, while others will do best when the small short-jointed canes are used for fruiting wood. One thing needs to be borne in mind with the usual kinds of grapes-that is, to keep the bearing wood close to the original trunk or head of the vine. The tendency is for the fruiting wood to get farther and farther away each year, and on account of this habit it is important that the fruit-producing canes be renewed from time to time, by being cut back to the stump. This will cause new shoots to form on the trunk, thereby renewing the fruiting wood. With vines which are trained on a trellis this renewal need not be done until the spurs or canes get out so far they cannot be easily handled, then it will be necessary to head them back, and take a fresh start. The usual systems of training grapes provide for this condition, and in fact, the usual systems are dependent on this one thing for their foundation.
Time to Prune
The grape can be pruned at any time during the dormant season, although it is important to do it sufficiently early in the spring to avoid the excessive bleeding which will sometimes occur. Tender varieties should be pruned in the fall in order that they can be bent over and covered with soil to
prevent their becoming winter killed. Some definite system should be followed in the pruning, and if the grower is outside of a grape-growing community, it will be advisable to learn some system of pruning that is adapted to his conditions. This can be obtained from books treating of the subject of pruning or of grape growing.
In sections where the grape is a commercial crop the system of pruning which gives the best results will usually be pretty thoroughly worked out, and will be the best system to follow.
Now you know how to grow grapes, for wine, jellies, jucie.