Lyla Lindsey
Growing grapes at home in Australia is an easy and rewarding endeavour. The grapevine is a versatile, climbing plant that can be grown in most climates and soils, making it an ideal choice for gardeners in Australia. Whether you're aiming to create a lush pergola or harvest your own fruit, there are a few key steps to follow. Firstly, choose a sunny spot with ample airflow and a strong support structure, such as a fence or trellis. Enrich the soil with fertilisers and ensure good drainage. Plant your vines in winter while they are dormant, and provide regular watering and feeding to encourage healthy growth. With time and care, your grapevines will flourish, providing shade and a bountiful harvest.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Climate | Hot dry summers and cool winters |
| Soil | Free-draining with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Grapes are tolerant of a wide range of soils, including clay and sandy soils. |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Watering | Water deeply, once or twice a week, depending on weather conditions. |
| Support | Trellis, pergola, fence, or patio |
| Planting | Plant bare-root plants in winter while dormant and potted grapes in autumn, winter or spring. |
| Pruning | Cut back hard each winter to maximise harvest. |
| Pests | Not many pests, but prone to fungal issues like powdery mildew. |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing the right variety
When choosing a grape variety to grow at home in Australia, it's important to consider your local climate and how you plan to use the grapes. Grapes generally prefer climates with hot, dry summers and cool winters, and they are prone to fungal issues in areas of high humidity. They can tolerate a wide range of soils, but they do need good sunlight exposure and airflow.
If you're growing grapes for their fruit, you'll need to decide whether you want table grapes, dried fruit grapes, or wine grapes. Table grapes are typically chosen for their large, plump fruit, and popular varieties include "Crimson Seedless" (red), "Menindee Seedless" (white), and "Black Opal" (purple). These seedless varieties can also be dried as raisins. In coastal areas, "Pink Iona" and "Concord" are good choices, while tropical and subtropical areas with humid summers may favour the more humidity-tolerant muscadine grapes.
Dried fruit grape varieties include "Sultana", "Black Muscat", and "Sun Muscat", and almost any table grape variety can be dried as well. For wine grapes, popular varieties include "Chardonnay" and "Yellow Label Chardonnay".
If you're growing grapes for shade, you have more flexibility in choosing a variety, as you're not limited by the size or taste of the fruit. However, you'll still need to consider your local climate and soil conditions to choose a variety that will thrive in your garden.
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Preparing the soil
To prepare the soil for planting, start by choosing a sunny location with good sunlight exposure and airflow. Dig a planting hole twice as wide as the root ball of your grapevine and to the same depth. If you're planting bare-root grapes, create a mound in the centre of the hole to allow the roots to fan out and down. Improve the soil by mixing in compost and decomposed manure. If your soil is clay-based, add gypsum and fork it in well.
For potted grapes, choose a pot that is at least 600mm wide and position it in full sun. Partially fill the pot with a quality potting mix. Remove the shrub from its container and gently tease the roots, cutting away any circled or tangled roots. Position the plant in the pot and backfill with potting mix, gently firming it down. Mulch around the base with organic mulch such as bark chips, sugarcane, or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk.
Once your grapevine is established, it will benefit from regular feeding. Apply a mulch of compost and manure annually to provide nutrients to the soil and promote healthy growth.
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Planting
Grapes can be grown in large pots or in the ground. If you choose to plant in a pot, select one that is at least 600mm wide and has a strong support structure, such as a fence or trellis. Partially fill the pot with quality potting mix and remove the shrub from its container, gently teasing the roots and cutting away any circled or tangled roots. Position the shrub in the pot and backfill with potting mix, gently firming it down. Mulch around the base with organic mulch, keeping it away from the trunk.
If you choose to plant in the ground, select a spot with good sunlight exposure and airflow, as well as strong support for the vine to grow up and long, such as a fence, pergola or trellis. Grapes prefer a free-draining soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH and thrive in climates with hot, dry summers and cool winters. They are tolerant of a wide range of soils, growing in everything from clay to sandy soils. Improve the soil with compost and decomposed manure before planting. Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root ball. As with pot planting, remove the shrub from its container, gently teasing the roots and cutting away any circled or tangled roots. Position the shrub in the hole and backfill, gently firming down the soil.
Winter is the ideal time to begin planting grapevines, as this is when the plants are dormant. Plant bare-root plants in winter and potted grapes in autumn, winter or spring. Protect emerging foliage from frost.
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Training the vine
Training a grapevine requires a strong support structure, such as a fence, trellis, or pergola. The vine can grow up to 4 metres tall and wide, so ensure there is ample space for it to grow. It is also important to choose a spot with good sunlight exposure and airflow.
When training a vine over a pergola, start by guiding the main stem up the side of the structure and then cut it off to initiate spread. Train the stems along the sides of the pergola and then cut again to stimulate long vines that will run across the beams. Secure the vines to the pergola to form a framework.
To establish a productive vine, create two 'arms' or 'cordons' extending from either side of the trunk. The height of these cordons will depend on whether you are using a low trellis or a high pergola. These arms will bear fruit. It is important to remove any lateral shoots that emerge from the main trunk to maintain a straight trunk.
While it may be tempting to prune excess foliage, it is important to allow the vine to keep its leaves, as they are necessary for the vine to make carbohydrates and fuel growth. However, pruning is necessary to maximise fruit production. Prune the canes back to 2-8 buds each year and thin the canes and bunches to encourage larger grapes. Up to 90% of growth can be removed annually.
Grapes are susceptible to fungal infections, especially in humid climates or when plants are grown too closely together and left unpruned. To prevent this, spray the vines with a fungicide after they have shot, when the shoots are around 20 cm long. Repeat this process every few weeks until the weather becomes hot and dry. Avoid spraying the vines with any substances during flowering.
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Pruning and maintenance
Pruning and training your grapevines is essential to their growth and maintenance. In the first year, prune off all new growth except for one shoot, which should be cut back to just two buds. This helps create a strong trunk to support future growth. You can then train this shoot to grow up a support structure, such as a trellis or pergola.
As the vine grows, you will need to remove any lateral shoots that spring out from the main trunk to maintain a straight trunk. You can train the vine to grow along a trellis, pergola, or fence, depending on your space and preferences. If growing over a pergola, train the main stem up the side of the structure and then cut it off to initiate spread. Train stems along the sides of the pergola and then cut again to stimulate long vines that run across the beams. Tie them to the structure to form a framework.
Throughout the growth period, you will need to prune the canes back each year to at least 2-8 buds to ensure a good crop. You may also need to thin canes and bunches to encourage the growth of large, plump grapes rather than a mass of tiny berries. Once the vine is established, up to 90% of the growth can be removed each year to maximise fruit production. Pruning is also important to prevent fungal issues, especially in areas of high humidity or when plants are grown too close together.
Grapes fruit on the current season's growth, so it is important to cut them back hard each winter to maximise your harvest. However, do not be too hasty with pruning excess foliage, as the vine needs leaves to make carbohydrates and fuel growth.
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Frequently asked questions
Grapes are not fussy about soil and can grow in everything from clay to sandy soils. They prefer a free-draining soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. They thrive in climates with hot, dry summers and cool winters, and they need a lot of sun. They also need a strong support structure, such as a fence or trellis, to grow up and long.
First, choose a spot with good sunlight exposure and airflow. Dig a planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the shrub from the container, gently tease the roots and cut away any circled or tangled roots. Position in the hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down. Water it well. Mulch around the base with organic mulch like bark chips, sugarcane, or pea straw, keeping it away from the trunk.
Popular grape varieties include "Thompson Seedless" (a yellowish-green colour), "Crimson Seedless" (a pale red colour), "Black Opal" (purple), "Maroo" (black), "Ruby Seedless" (black), and "Autumn Black" (black).
