Can Grapes Be Grown in Pots? A Detailed Guide to Potting, Repotting and Fertilizing

Grapes are a very popular fruit, and many people now like to grow fruit at home. Today I want to introduce to you: can grapes be grown in pots? How do you pot them, change the soil and fertilize them? What are the specific methods?

Grapes can be grown in pots. The specific methods are as follows:

I. Potting Soil Preparation

1. Container selection: available containers include clay pots, ceramic pots, purple clay pots, wooden pots, plastic flower pots, etc., and you can choose according to your conditions. For potted grapes in the first year, a container with a rim diameter of about 20-25cm can be used, and after 2-3 years, a container with a rim diameter of 30-40cm can be used. This can be determined according to production volume and site space.

2. Potting soil requirements: loamy soil that is loose, fertile, and rich in organic matter and calcium is required. You can also use local materials according to the specific conditions of each area, choosing growing materials that are widely available, low in cost, free of pests and diseases, and pollution-free. Commonly used materials include leaf mold, peat soil, garden soil, sand and gravel types, bone meal, expanded chicken manure, etc.

3. Potting soil preparation: commonly used formulas include ① 4 parts leaf mold, 3 parts garden soil, 3 parts coarse sand, 0.5 part bone meal. ② 7 parts garden soil, 2 parts coarse sand (or furnace slag), 1 part expanded chicken manure, 0.5 part bone meal.

4. Potting soil disinfection: after the potting soil is mixed evenly, spray it evenly with a 0.1% formalin solution (500 ml of medication per cubic meter of potting soil). Then seal it with plastic film, and after fumigating for one full day and night, remove the film, air and sun it for 3-4 days, and then it can be put into pots for use.

II. Potting and Repotting

After the flower pot is selected, it is best to soak it in 1% bleaching powder water for 5 minutes, take it out and let it dry, then fill it with sterilized growing soil. For the seedlings used for potted grapes, cuttings can be directly inserted into the flower pot to grow into seedlings. When taking cuttings, it is best to insert 2 cuttings per pot so that you can select and keep the better one, and keep the potting soil moist at all times. You can also use 1-3 year old grape plants and transplant them into the pot with a soil ball before budding. When transplanting, the branches and vines of the plant should be heavily pruned, generally selecting and keeping 1-3 strong branches and vines. In the year of transplanting, the focus is on restoring tree vigor, cultivating tree shape, and laying a good foundation, and do not let it bear fruit first. After the plant grows in the pot for 1-2 years, the original container space can no longer meet the requirements of root growth and development, and the nutrients in the potting soil gradually decrease. Therefore, the container needs to be changed from small to large, or the potting soil needs to be replaced. This work is generally carried out when the dormant period is about to end and before growth begins. When changing pots or changing soil, part of the dead roots should be cut off, and water should be given immediately after the change to help the plant recover its growth.

III. Training and Pruning

1. Single-trunk form: suitable for small and medium-sized potted plants. In the year of planting, set up a bamboo pole or No. 8 iron wire in the center of the pot, about 1m high. After the new shoots sprout, select and keep one robust shoot as the main vine, tie it to the bamboo pole, and pinch the tip when it grows to 80-90cm; for the secondary shoots that later emerge, except for the top one which is allowed to grow, all the rest are repeatedly pinched by leaving 1-2 leaves. During winter pruning, well-ripened branches and vines can be cut and kept at 50cm. After sprouting in the second year, keep 3-5 robust new shoots on the main vine, and the remaining buds should be removed in time. During winter pruning, each new shoot is pruned by leaving 2-3 buds as a fruiting mother branch. After budding in the third year, each fruiting mother branch keeps 1-2 new shoots, and thereafter short pruning is carried out every year.

2. Fan-shaped form: in the winter of the year of planting, new shoots above 60cm are cut short and kept as the trunk; in the second year, a new shoot is kept every 10-15cm and tied obliquely; during winter pruning, they are short-pruned into fruiting mother branches with 1-3 buds; in the third year, each fruiting mother branch keeps 1-2 fruiting branches to bear fruit, and the new shoots and fruit clusters are evenly distributed on one plane, and as the tree body grows larger, the flower pot is enlarged and the fan surface is expanded.

IV. Fertilizer and Water Management

1. Fertilizing: the principle of fertilizing potted grapes is to apply less but frequently. For potted seedlings that have not yet borne fruit, generally start when the seedling height is about 20cm (that is, 6-7 leaves), and apply cake fertilizer water once every 7-10 days until the end of September. For potted grapes that have already borne fruit, in order to ensure the requirements of fruit development, it is best to apply once every 5 days, and after the fruit is harvested, apply according to the potted seedling method. Note that after each application of liquid fertilizer, water should be given immediately. Potted grapes can also be given foliar feeding. The method is: in the early growth stage of potted grapes, spray a 0.1%-0.3% urea solution 2-3 times; starting from the fruit enlargement stage, spray a 0.3% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution 3-4 times every 7-10 days.

2. Watering: when watering, the water temperature is best close to the potting soil temperature. It is advisable to water before 10 a.m. and after 4 p.m. The water quality should be good, and the frequency of watering should depend on the season. Generally, in early spring when the temperature is low, water once every 2-3 days; as the temperature rises and evaporation increases, water once every 1-2 days; after the temperature gradually decreases in autumn, the frequency of watering gradually decreases again, and keeping the potting soil moist is advisable.

3. Overwintering management: overwintering management is mainly to prevent potted grapes from freezing damage and drying out. Protective measures can be chosen according to local conditions. After winter pruning of potted grapes, remove the pot stands, water thoroughly, dig a trench or pit and bury them, with a burying depth of 30-50cm from the ground surface. They can also be placed in a corridor or on a balcony and covered to overwinter. No matter where they are placed, you must check the potting soil and keep it moist, and the temperature is best at 0-5°C.