For the last seven years, Rashmi Shukla has been growing grapes on the rooftop of her house in Delhi. Interestingly, she grows the grapevines in a grow bag and container.
She says the process is not very cumbersome and grapes can be grown with little care. Rashmi shares 10 tips and techniques to grow these juicy delights at home.
Although grapes can be grown through seeds as well as cuttings, opt for a sapling as it will substantially reduce the time taken for the plant to bear fruits.
If you use seeds, it may take many years before fruiting while a sapling can fruit in three years if properly nurtured.
The rainy season is the best time to grow grapes. Make sure the sapling you buy is healthy.
After procuring the sapling, prepare the potting mix by mixing 50 percent soil with 30 percent compost and 20 percent sand.
After planting the sapling, keep the container in a good sunny place as the grapevines will need six to seven hours of sunlight to bear fruit.
Keep watering the plant every day and add good potassium and boron fertiliser to it every month.
During winter, all the leaves of the tree will fall from its vine. Put those leaves in the pot so that they turn into compost.
The vines will start growing after six months. Let them grow upwards with the support of a wire. Leave the main stem below so that more vines can form at the top.
When the clusters of fruit start appearing on the vine, wrap it with a handkerchief so that the fruits are not damaged by birds.
Keep repotting the plant as it grows. After about two years, it can be planted in a 24-inch size grow bag or pot.