What You Need To Know To Buy Grape Vines
Well, you’ve decided to finally give in to your life’s ambition of growing grapes in your backyard. That’s great. Tons of people around the world have realized the joys of raising their own grape vines. Sure, it’s a lot of work, but how many good things in life aren’t? You just have to know how to do it right. What this means is that you don’t just drive down to the local nursery and buy grape vines just because that type happens to be cheap. There’s a bit more to it than that.
Ever heard anyone say that a cake is only as good as the ingredients you put into it? Well maybe not, but the principle remains the same. The final product of grape growing, the grapes, will only be of a high quality if your starting material is good. And what is your starting material? Why your grape cuttings of course. If you don’t buy grape vines that are superior in every way, you can be certain that you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage. You can buy grape vines at your local nursery, and they’ll no doubt be able to advise you, but you really should have some idea of what to look for before you even set foot through the door.
If you plan to buy grape vines as open cutting, here’s what you need to know:
Most grape cuttings are grafted. This is one way of ensuring that the characteristics of a particular type are retained. Since this is essentially a joint, you need to make sure that you only buy grape vines in which the graft union is properly healed. Why? Well this is more or less the most fragile part of the plant and if it isn’t healed then it will have a tendency to break. Also, open spaces can allow moisture to accumulate and this can bring about rotting. Test the vine by applying some pressure…not too much though or you’ll damage the thing whether it’s healthy or not.
The roots are also important when you’re ready to buy grape vines. You need to check them carefully for any signs of injury. Actually you need to check all parts of the vine for damage, including the bark. You also need to make certain that the roots are well developed or they’re not going to be proper anchors. If you see roots sprouting from the graft union you may be tempted to put the plant back. That’s up to you. These vines will grow but you’ll need to do a little extra work and cut all the extra roots off before you actually put the plant in the ground.
If you want to buy grape vines which are for sale in a planting bag, you won’t be able to check these things quite as easily. Of course, you’ll also have some of the work already done for you so you make choose to go this route. Since the vine is in a bag, you’re not going to be able to see the roots as well. It is therefore crucial that you check the canes from the previous year to ensure that they are well developed. One important point to note is that grape vines sold in this manner already have a root ball and you must keep this intact when planting.
You don’t need to be scared when looking at grape vines for sale. Most of the time the people doing the selling know a great deal about grape growing and are willing to give you the advice you need. Don’t rely solely on them though. You need to do some preparation for yourself. You can supplement your knowledge with great downloadable books such as The Complete Grape Growing System.