When do grapes fruit

Quick facts Grapes are woody perennial vines. Plant in full sun to provide the heat required to ripen the fruit. Each vine needs about 6 feet of space. Flowers and fruit develop on new shoots called canes. It is possible to get fruit one year after planting. Flowers are pollinated by wind and insects. Vines can be trained to many decorative forms. Annual pruning is very important to keep growth healthy each year. Prune in spring before leaves emerge.

Follow this simple calendar to keep grapevines healthy and productive Tasks When to do them For existing vines, prune before growth starts March Plant bare root grapevines as soon as soil can be worked April, May Rub off any shoots that start growing lower down on the trunk April through June Tie new growth to trellis as needed April through August Inspect vines throughout the season to catch disease and insect problems April through October Plant potted grapevines after threat of frost has passed May, June As fruit ripens, watch for bird damage; cover with netting if needed September, October Harvest fruit based on color and flavor September, October Clean up all fallen leaves, fruit and debris October, November.

Choosing plants The varieties in the table below can be used for juice and jelly and some can be used for making wine. Open all Close all. Grape varieties for northern gardens Grapes with seeds Variety Best use Avg. Blue berries that look and taste like Concord. Excellent hardiness in zone 4; does very well in zone 3. Very juicy yellow-green berries with floral aroma. Can also be used to make sweet wine.

Does well in zone 4; okay in zone 3. Frontenac Wine Late Sept. Small blue berries that ripen late. Can be used to make rose, red and port wines. Grows very well in zone 4; does well in zone 3. Frontenac Blanc Wine Late Sept. Truly white version of Frontenac. Makes very light white wine. Frontenac Gris Wine Late Sept. Small pink berries with a fruity aroma. Makes sweet white wine.

LaCrescent Wine Late Sept. Yellow-pink berries with apricot and honey aromas. Marquette Wine Mid to late Sept. One of the best for making red wine. Swenson Red joint release with Elmer Swenson Fresh eating Red berries are large, crisp, fruity, with hints of strawberry. Grows well in zone 4. Swenson White Wine, fresh eating Yellow-green, juicy berries with a floral aroma. Croix Wine Late Aug. Generally known as a wine grape, but good for fresh eating.

Grows very well in zone 4; okay in zone 3. Seedless grapes Seedless grapes generally don't do well in northern climates. Three varieties that are best for fresh eating and have been tested to grow reliably in zone 4: Mars— Sweet, juicy, blue berries with flavor similar to Concord. Petite Jewel— Red berries with excellent fruity, spicy flavor may be difficult to grow. Somerset Seedless— Pink-red berries that are juicy and delicious.

Hardiest of the seedless varieties. Planting, growing and maintaining grape vines Care for your grape vines from planting and throughout the seasons, year after year. Preparing vines for planting In Minnesota, spring planting is recommended to give the young vines the most time to get established before their first winter.

When watering young vines, saturate the root zone. Apply 5 gallons of water over a 3 x 3 foot area for 1 inch of water. Plants grown in pots require regular watering until the roots become established and the leaves have acclimated to growing outdoors. It's worthwhile to monitor these plants daily to make sure they do not suffer drought stress. By the end of the second growing season, a trunk should be established and your vine is likely to not need additional watering unless specific soil conditions sandy, well drained or prolonged drought dictate the need.

Apply water only to the root zone. Avoid getting grape foliage wet as this can encourage many grape diseases. Reduce watering young vines in the fall to encourage the plant to harden-off its canes to prepare for winter.

Older vines seldom need any watering unless on sandy or other very well drained soils. Feeding and weeding Fertilizer and mulch The first two or three years, each early spring, apply compost around the base of the vines.

Weeding Keep grass and other plants from growing under grapevines. Harvest and storage The best way to tell if grapes are ripe is to taste a few. Protect vines in winter In particularly harsh years, winter injury may sometimes kill much of the vine. Managing diseases, insects and other pests Most insect and other problems can be reduced by planting vines in a sunny location with good air circulation.

Insects and other creatures Japanese beetles. Diseases and other challenges Good air circulation in very important for preventing most diseases. Powdery mildew This fungal disease can infect all parts of the grapevine.

The upper level of leaves often shades lower levels, keeping the leaves from absorbing the necessary sunlight to help the plant develop fruit. Once grapes appear, sun helps them develop more sweetness. Grapevines require well-draining soil to keep the root system healthy. Without strong roots, the vine can't develop fruit.

Grapevines prefer loamy soil, but they can survive in denser soils as long as the grade allows it to drain properly. Tiny bunches of grapes often appear in late spring as the blooms begin to disappear. In Mediterranean climates that tend to have cooler spring weather, the grapes might not ripen until mid to late summer, sometimes into early fall.

Grapes usually develop their color and size long before they are ripe, so you can't use your eyes to tell you when the grapes are ready. Instead, give them a taste. Pop off a grape from a few bunches scattered around the vine and taste them for sweetness. Once the grapes reach the taste you like, it's time to harvest them.

Grapes don't continue to ripen and become sweeter after they are picked, so you must leave them on the vine until they reach the proper level of ripeness. Each year can be different, so don't use the previous year's harvest date by default. At planting time in spring you should reduce these numerous shoots to one , and cut it back to three buds Step 1.

After planting, the vine will begin to grow, and push out new green shoots. Look for a strongly growing shoot, upright or nearly so, coming directly out of the old stem not from the underground root system. Remove the other shoots Step 2. As the shoot grows throughout its first summer, continue tying it up the stake to keep it straight and prevent breaking in the wind.

This shoot will be your permanent trunk , lasting the whole life of the vine, so it pays to keep it as straight and upright as possible. This may seem drastic, but necessary to establish a sound trunk. Most plants are vigorous and will reach the wire easily. If the shoot is longer, tie it to the stake and wire, cut the vine four or five buds beyond the tie, bend the remaining length of shoot down to the wire and tie B. Very vigorous shoots may go well above the wire and put out strong side laterals.

Choose the two laterals that are closest to the wire, tie to the wire, and prune to buds. Tie the main stem to the wire and stake, and cut just above the side laterals C. During the summer , train the new shoots up to the next wire, and remove any new shoots that sprout from the root area or lower trunk. Grapes bear fruit on the green shoots that arise from one-year-old canes. Pruning is based on producing fruit in the current season, and renewing young canes for the next year.

The old canes that produced fruit this season will not produce again. There are several methods used in pruning established grapevines. Cane pruning is the usual system in climates like ours where heat units may not be high and vigorous vines can shade the fruit. In this system a permanent trunk is established, and every year new canes are selected from the head of the vine, where trunk and wire intersect.