FROM THE VINEYARD!!!

Growing grapes at the backyard is more fascinating than growing tomatoes. My tomato plants withered completely due to accumulation of mealy bugs.  But, the plant gave a good yield of plump berries! Grapes grow mostly in temperate regions. Growing them in hot climate like in Chennai is more challenging…

To add some colors to my garden, I went to a plant nursery. There were lot of plants looked fresh and most of them were newly arrived in the morning. Dazed, I picked up the grape vine from the corner. I wasn’t sure whether the grape vine will sustain the hot weather. Almost for three months, I didn’t see any growth except two vines spreading out. I’ve been watering them regularly to keep the soil moist.

I thought building a trellis would be of great help to the plant. So, built a trellis using some bamboo sticks and made the grape vine to climb the trellis. I added a mixture of cow manure and red sand to the soil.

The grape vine has spread so quickly and it almost covered the entire trellis in a month. Closely, after eight months, the first flower bloomed and withered off quickly. I’ve heard that first flower will always be a false flower. So this time, without much expectation waited for another bloom.  A week later, I saw 4 to 5 sprigs of blooms and this time, they formed into tiny green berries. It took a month for the berries to ripe. Indeed, it required plenty of sunlight for the berries to ripe.

The fruit wasn’t acidic and it tasted better! Regular pruning is required to keep them healthy. There were no major pests as I spray Panchakavya liquid once a month.

And, my friends were greatly surprised to see my little vineyard!! To conclude, the fruits of labor ensued sprigs of tastier berries..

With Luv,