Grape / Munthiri (Green, Layer) Live Fruit Plant

Grapevines not only produce sweet and versatile fruits, but they also add an element of drama to a garden or landscape.

Grapes (Vitis Vinifera) is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus Vitis. Grapes are a type of fruit that grows in clusters of 15 to 300 and can be crimson, black, dark blue, yellow, green, orange, and pink. “White” grapes are actually green in color and are evolutionarily derived from the purple grape. Mutations in two regulatory genes of white grapes turn off the production of anthocyanins, which are responsible for the color of purple grapes. Anthocyanins and other pigment chemicals of the larger family of polyphenols in purple grapes are responsible for the varying shades of purple in red wines. Grapes are typically an ellipsoid shape resembling a prolate spheroid. Plant in full sun to provide the heat required to ripen the fruit.

MAINTENANCE OF THE PLANTATION
Mulching is not usually recommended for grapes because mulch will keep the soil temperature too cool. Grapevines grow best in warmer soil. After planting, water the vines regularly throughout the first year. The root system needs to grow and establish to allow for shoot growth in the first year. Grapevines need some type of support or they will trail along the ground. The support can be an arbor covering a patio for shade or can be as simple as a post in the ground to support the trunk of the vine. Grapevines can also be grown along an existing fence. Virtually any type of support structure will do, provided it is sturdy. Grapevines grow quickly and get quite heavy. Grapevines can be trained and pruned to just about any form and shape.

FERTILIZING
For the first two or three years, each early spring, apply compost around the base of the vines. Grapevines grow vigorously and might need a nutrient boost each year. You may not have to do this as the vines mature; it all depends on what you observe. Do the vines look vigorous and healthy? Maybe you don’t need any fertilizer. Unlike many other plants, it is best not to mulch around the base of your vine as the mulch can keep the soil too cool. Grapevine roots like to be warm

WEEDING

Keep grass and other plants from growing under grapevines. This allows the soil to heat up early in the spring and maintain higher soil temperatures to encourage growth. When plants grow under vines, the soil temperature stays cooler. With grapes, this will delay growth in the spring. Keep the ground under the vines clear of other plants throughout the growing season by hoeing gently under the vines.

PRUNING
Pruning grapes depends on how you decide to grow them in your garden and how much space you have. Fences are ideal to use as support for vines. Vines can also be contained to one stake in the ground. If you have an arbor or pergola, grapevines can be grown over the top to produce shade. For the first year, pruning is the same no matter how you plan to train your vine. The key is to develop a strong root system and straight trunk.Once the trunk has reached as high as you want, and the lateral trunks have been formed, prune the vine each spring before growth begins so the developing canes have enough air movement around them to reduce diseases. There are many different methods and techniques for training vines. You can experiment with pruning vines to see how they work in your landscape.

HARVEST YOUR GRAPES
The best way to tell if grapes are ripe is to taste a few. Many varieties turn color before they are ripe.

• Clip full clusters off the vine with pruning shears or heavy scissors.
• Handle clusters carefully.
• Remove any discolored, injured, or undesirable berries.
• Cool them as soon as they are picked.
• Clip full clusters off the vine with pruning shears or heavy scissors.