Have you ever thought about growing grapes? The vine is not only useful, but also a beautiful and decorative plant, one of the oldest still cultivated today. It reproduces by cuttings or grafting, but if you feel really determined (it's difficult!) And you have a lot of patience (it will take a long time!), You can grow grapes starting from the seed. Read on to learn more!
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choosing the Seeds
Step 1. Choose the right variety
There are hundreds of vine varieties all over the world. To get the best result, you should choose a screw type that suits your needs. Search with the following points in mind:
- The reasons why you decided to cultivate the vine. Maybe you want to eat grapes, make jam, wine, or just need to add a nice vine to the garden. Find the strain that works best for your goal.
- The climatic conditions. Each type of vine is suitable for certain temperatures and geographical areas. Discover the variety that grows best in the area where you live.
- Natural variations between vines growing from seed. There are genetic differences even between vines of the same type, so it is possible that the ones you plant will not give the result you expect. Start your project with an open mind and be ready to experiment.
Step 2. Get the seeds
After choosing the variety of vine to plant, you need to find the seeds. You can retrieve them from the grapes you bought, from a nursery or from another gardener.
Step 3. Make sure the seeds are usable
Examine them to make sure they are healthy and in good condition. Squeeze the seed gently between your fingers. A healthy seed is firm to the touch
- Look at the color. If the seed is healthy, you should be able to see the white or pale gray endosperm beneath the outer tissue;
- Pour them into the water. If the seeds are in good condition, they will tend to sink. Discard any floating seeds.
Part 2 of 3: Prepare the Seeds
Step 1. Prepare the seeds
Take the usable ones, wash them thoroughly to remove pulp or other residue, then soak them in a little distilled water for up to 24 hours.
Step 2. Cold stratify the seeds
Many types of seeds need to be exposed to a cold, humid environment to begin the germination process. In nature, these conditions occur during the winter, when the seeds remain in the soil. It is possible to reproduce the procedure artificially through the layering technique. In the case of vine seeds, it is advisable to start stratification in December (winter of the northern hemisphere).
- Prepare the seed arrangement. Fill an airtight bag (or other container) with wet paper towels, wet sand, vermiculite, or moistened peat. Peat is the best choice for vine seeds thanks to its antifungal properties that would counteract the onset of molds that are dangerous for the seeds.
- Place the seeds in the container. Cover them with about 1.25 centimeters of growing medium.
- Cool the seeds. For an excellent stratification, the ideal temperature must be constantly around 1 ° or 3 °, therefore it is advisable to keep them in the refrigerator. They have to stay in a cold environment for two or three months. They must not freeze.
Step 3. Plant the seeds
In early spring, remove the seeds from the refrigerator and plant them in pots with good potting soil. Plant the seeds individually in small pots, or plant them all together in a larger pot, leaving at least 3.5 inches of space between each seed.
- Make sure the environment is warm enough. Germination occurs without problems when the temperature is around 20 ° C during the day and around 15 ° C at night. Place the seeds in a greenhouse or use a heating mat to keep the temperature in check.
- Keep the soil moist, but it shouldn't be too wet. Spray the top of the soil with some water when it starts to look dry.
- Check for sprout growth. Generally, the seeds take 2 to 8 weeks to germinate.
Step 4. Move the seedlings
When the seedlings have reached 8 centimeters in height, transplant them into larger pots. To make them grow well, keep the pots indoors until the plants have reached 30 centimeters in height; by then they will have developed a good root system and will have produced at least 5 or 6 leaflets.
Part 3 of 3: Move the Screws Outside
Step 1. Plant the vines in the ground
To thrive, this plant needs the right amount of sun, good drainage, and some type of support.
- Choose the right place to bury it. The vine needs 7 to 8 hours of full sun to thrive.
- Leave at least 2.5 inches between plants so they have enough room to grow smoothly.
Step 2. Prepare the ground
This plant needs good drainage. If you have clayey or poorly draining soil, add some decomposed compost, sand, or other types of materials to improve the situation. Alternatively, prepare a raised bed with good sandy loam mixed with compost.
- Check the pH of the soil before planting. Different types of vines need different pH values to thrive (native: 5, 5-6, 0; hybrid: 6, 0-6, 5; vinifera: 6, 5-7, 0). Consequently it is best to plant them in an area with the proper pH level or change it before planting.
- If you plan to plant vines to make wine, also keep in mind that the type of soil affects its flavor.
Step 3. Fertilize the vine after planting it
Two weeks after planting, add a small amount of 10-10-10 fertilizer to the soil around the base of the young plants. Repeat the process once a year, every spring.
Step 4. Prepare a suitable holder for the screws
Plants will need a trellis or pergola to support themselves. The first year, when they are still small, some stakes will be enough to keep them up. When they grow up, it will be necessary to support them in some way. Tie the ends of the canes to the netting and allow the vine to grow along the structure.
Step 5. Take care of the plants and wait for them to grow
The vine takes up to three years to produce the first fruits. In the meantime, constant maintenance and proper treatments are essential to obtain excellent grapes.
- First year: keep growth in check. Choose the three strongest plants and continue to care for them. Pull up the others, so that the remaining vines grow stronger and more luxuriant.
- Second year: use a balanced fertilizer. As soon as the flower clusters grow, you need to cut them. Do not allow the plant to produce fruit just yet, as it will waste energy. Remove the shoots and new shoots that appear near the three main plants. Remember to prune the plant the right way. Tie the new branches to the trellis or pergola without tightening the ties too much.
- Third year: continue to fertilize and eradicate new shoots and any plants. During this year you can leave a few clusters of flowers so that it produces some grapes.
- From the fourth year onwards: keep fertilizing and pruning. From this year on, you can allow the plants to flower fully and finally produce grapes.
- When harvesting, keep in mind that the vine bears fruit on a one-year-old trunk (the trunk that developed during the previous season).
Advice
- Don't expect the seeds to generate the same type of grape they come from. The result may surprise you!
- Grape seeds can be stored with the stratification technique, thanks to which they would remain dormant for a long time.
- If you are not sure how to prune and maintain the vine, ask a gardener or a nurseryman for advice.
- If the seeds don't germinate the first time, store them again with the layering method and try again next season.
