Initial Plant Research

a. I want to grow grapes. Grapes are vine fruits that grow in different ways depending on what breed you decide to grow.
b. The growing season for this plant is spring-summer, but will not produce fruit for a year or two.
c. It can easily be grown from seed, but needs to have a good support in initial growth time so the vine can really climb.
d. The plant can grow quite fast, but will take a lot longer than a semester to produce fruit.
e. The plant grows best by itself. It needs no extra tampering.
f. It would require quite a bit of space depending on the vigor of the previous vine the seeds came from. If the previous plant was not very vigorous, the plant can be grown within 4 feet of another, but it the parent vine was very vigorous, the distance can sometimes be up to 8 feet.
g. Grapes are very hardy plants. They like to grow in deep, well-drained soil. The soil shouldn’t be too nutritious as this can create excess plant growth, which can hinder produce growth. Grapes also like slightly acidic soil.
h. Grapes can grow in very droughty situations once they are settled in. To settle it in a slow drip feed should do the trick, but not too much.

i. This plant grows up a trellis as a vine, and requires a large amount of sunlight to be fertile. Every year or so it needs to be pruned. Up to 90% of all previous years growth should be pruned as to open it up and not shade the vine during the next spring. Depending on the variety, the grapes can be used to create wine, or be eaten raw. The more acidic and sugar filled grapes are more often used for wine. They can also be dried to make raisins, or mashed to create jam.