вторник, 5 июля 2016 г.

Outdoor Cultivation

Outdoor Cultivation

GREAT GRAPES: Easy to grow, requiring little care and minimal space, grapes are perfect for any Kiwi backyard. Another big problem with growing grapes from seeds is the fact that a very low percentage of the seeds will germinate. Obviously, such extreme temperatures do not lend themselves well to grape horticulture. This is Vitis vinifera 'Fragola.' We are not familiar with this variety in North America and it seems hard to get a hold of. It seems as if the Concord grape is close, but not quite right.

Young grape plants like humid conditions and can be put outside if the temperatures are above freezing. After stratification, take the seeds from the refrigerator and plant them in seed pots and ensure the temperature is about 70ºF (20ºC) during daytime. The four-year-old vines produced more than 35 pounds per vine last summer (after a mild winter). Mature vines of the hardy cultivars can be expected to produce five to 20 pounds of fruit each. You may need to replace some of the dirt you have dug and mound it up underneath the center of the vine for good support.

In the second spring, train the vines as you would for the head system, except head back the cane or shoot when it reaches the lower wire. For whites, you might try 'Phoenix', a muscat-flavoured almost seedless grape, 'Siegerrebe', a dual-purpose grape producing sweet muscat-like fruit, or 'Chardonnay'. Our sources say that un- or underpruned grape vines produce small clusters of tiny grapes. This allows the winemaker, rather than the vineyard owner, to decide how much fruit the vines will carry and when the grapes are ready to begin harvesting.

When you bite into a grape that's warm from the sun and bursting with juice, you'll be hooked on growing grapes on your own. For the first year, pruning is the same no matter how you plan to train your vine; the key is to develop a strong root system and straight trunk. Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon (a popular West Coast grape), but is more cold-hardy and ripens earlier. Temperate climate zones without very harsh summers or humidity are optimum for growing grapevines. I got a lot of my grape vines from 4-H youth fundraisers in my town, usually for $5 apiece.

It is possible to have good success with cuttings from greenhouse-grown mother vines, but only when conditions are optimized with high light, moderate humidity, proper fertilization and nutrient balance, and fungal and insect pest control. Luckily there are many cold-hardy varieties being developed each year, so experiment until you find the perfect vines for your area. New vines can be planted in late winter or early spring - late February to March.

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