When organizing a grape business, you can go in two ways: growing vines in open ground and in a greenhouse. In certain places, it is almost impossible to obtain a harvest without greenhouses. Grapes are a heat-loving crop. But you can’t depend on weather conditions to make your profit. Therefore, we will consider both options for cultivating tasty berries.

Planting and caring for grapes in greenhouses

In some regions it is impossible to grow grapes in open ground. The way out is a greenhouse.

Equipment for greenhouse farming:

• homemade or ready-made greenhouse with windows for ventilation;
• drip irrigation system to maintain optimal soil moisture levels;
• devices for heating and lighting.

Features of agricultural technology:

Daytime air temperature during bud break is 10-14°, night temperature is 8-10°. During the growing season and flowering – 24-26° (day), 14-16° (at night). During the development of bunches and ripening of berries - 28-30° (day), 18-20° (at night).

1. Forcing grapevines in greenhouses begins in February-April. You shouldn't do this before, because... a lot of money is spent on heating and lighting.
2. The dormant period for grapes is 2-2.5 months. At this time, the temperature in the greenhouses is maintained at 0-5°.
3. Growing grapes at home cannot be called a short-term investment. It requires a certain amount of patience. Since the first harvest can be obtained no earlier than in the second year.

If you arrange beds for herbs and vegetables in the free space in the greenhouse, the investment will be returned faster.

Growing grapes from cuttings using the accelerated method

Traditional cultivation of grape seedlings from cuttings produces a harvest no earlier than the 3rd year. But greenhouses allow you to grow a good vine from cuttings in the first year, and get a harvest in the second. Only on condition that the cultivation of grapes from cuttings will be carried out using special technology to accelerate the growth of the vine.

The whole secret lies in the depth of planting of the cuttings. All literature describes that it needs to be planted at least 50cm deep so that winter frosts do not kill the grape root. But if you plant the cuttings in the spring to a depth of only 5-10cm. (this is enough to get a reliable and viable taproot system), then in the fall you can already get several meters of vines. And next year there will be a good harvest. While traditional technology during this period gives only 50 cm, a maximum of 1 meter of grapevine.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE! Since cuttings are planted at a minimum depth, soil moisture should be controlled to prevent drying out, which will kill the plant. Cuttings die for only two reasons:

1. Shoots dry out if there is a lack of moisture.
2. The roots rot from lack of air.

Do not forget about devices for opening additional access of oxygen to the soil (the most basic thing is that a tube is stuck into the soil to a depth of 10 cm next to the root). After all, oxygen will not only preserve the root system, but will also absorb the intensive growth of the vine.

When propagating grapes, you can get a harvest in the first year, but this method is not cuttings.

Katavlak is the propagation of grapes by layering from a whole bush by placing the vines in the ground at a distance of 1.5-2 meters (as shown in the figure). This method of replanting gives a small harvest in the first year and is more reliable than cuttings.

Growing and caring for grapes in open ground

It is better to locate the vineyard on the warmest and sunniest part of your land. This culture loves light and light sandy soil.

Preparing beds and planting grapes:

1. The distance between rows is 2-3 m. Between bushes of medium-sized varieties is 1.5-2 m, for vigorous plants – from 2 m.
2. Planting pits are prepared half a month before planting seedlings. The size of one hole is 80*80*80 cm. They dig and immediately water thoroughly so that the soil settles a little.
3. The finished pit is filled with humus (2 buckets), sand for drainage and lightness (bucket), fertile soil (2 buckets), and wood ash as the first fertilizing (1 kg). This whole mixture is mixed and poured with two buckets of water. The remaining volume of the pit is filled with fertile soil.
4. Trellis are installed along the ridges to support the bushes. They can be made from acacia branches up to 3 m long. The bark is removed from them and the surface is burned. The lower part, which will go into the ground, is doused with hot resin. The ground part of the branches is painted. This preparation will preserve the structure for a long time. The trellises are placed at a distance of 3-4 m. A wire is pulled between them in increments of 40 cm.
5. Grape seedlings are planted in holes at an angle of 45° to the trellis. Sprinkle with clean soil, shaking the bush slightly so that the roots take the correct direction. Water generously.

Further care for grapes:

1. The grapes are watered after planting (4-5 times per season, more often if there is drought). On the second day after watering, be sure to loosen the soil.
2. Regular care and pruning of grapes is carried out.
3. Preventive treatment against diseases and pests (3-4 times after the buds open, but before the berries begin to grow). And pruning the vine (to reduce the load on the bush and obtain larger clusters).
4. Preparing the vine for winter.

Grape varieties for open ground and greenhouses

The plan for your own grape business is simple: purchasing seedlings, planting, growing and caring for them, harvesting and selling. To get good grapes, you need to purchase high-quality planting material.

Different varieties of berries are suitable for open and closed ground. For any type of business organization, it is better to give preference to bushes with a closed root system.

Grape varieties for open ground:

	Ripening time	Features of berries	Min. temperature	Advantages	Flaws
	115-120 days	White berries with a harmonious taste, large clusters (500-700 g).		High yield and good taste	The market is saturated with this variety; on the second day after harvest, the berries become covered with spots.
Laura (Flora)	110-115 days	White berry with a harmonious taste, large clusters (600-800 g).		Good yield (up to 30 kg per bush), excellent transportability and pleasant taste	The predominance of female flowers, which is why the grapes are poorly pollinated; bushes are sensitive to stress from inflorescences and clusters
Kishmish seedless	125-130 days	Pink berries with dense pulp and a light nutmeg aroma, cluster weight - 200-600 g		Good transportability, tasty berries without seeds	The variety is demanding on the quality of agricultural technology and is susceptible to diseases
Codrianca	110-118 days	Dark purple berries in large clusters (400-600 g)		Good transportability, rapid ripening, preservation of taste for a long time	The variety suffers from peas
Nadezhda AZOS	120-135 days	Red-violet berry with a sweet and sour taste, bunch weight - 500-800 g		High yield - up to 70 kg per bush, long-term preservation of presentation	Ripens at a time when the market is oversaturated with grapes

Laura and Arcadia are also suitable for growing in greenhouses.

Varieties for greenhouse farming:

	Ripening period	Characteristics of grapes
Song (White Miracle)	105-110 days	Large white berries with fleshy juicy pulp, bunch weight - up to 1 kg	Disease resistance, good transportability	Responds to stress with inhibited development
Bulgaria is sustainable	115-125 days	Large amber berries with a pleasant muscat taste	Greenhouses have very high yields and pollination rates	Insufficient resistance to mildew, low frost resistance
Transparent	110-125 days	Nipple-shaped large berries of yellow color, pleasant sage-nutmeg flavor	Excellent yield, berries contain few seeds (2-4)	When bushes are overloaded with crops and in dense plantings, the ripening period is delayed
Frankenthal (greenhouse black)		The berries are medium-sized, black with a reddish tint, with dense skin	Pleasant taste, good ripening	Sensitive to mildew

Ways of implementation

Channels for marketing grapes:

• vegetable market;
• grocery store;
• wineries;
• juice production enterprises.

The search for distribution channels should be done two months before the harvest.

It's easier to sell grapes out of season. And you can get it in greenhouses. During the season, implementation is more difficult. The market is overflowing with berries. In order for there to be demand, you will have to either reduce the price or offer the buyer an exquisite variety of grapes with high taste.

There are also grape varieties that do not lose their taste and beneficial properties when quickly frozen. With the help of freezers, you can significantly increase the shelf life of grapes so that they can be sold during the most economically advantageous periods of the sales seasons.

Grape varieties for freezing

Based on numerous experiments, the best grape varieties were identified that are suitable for freezing and subsequent storage:

• Sevan;
• Ichkimar;
• Milari;
• Kakhet;
• Karmir-Kahani et al.

The main feature of varieties for freezing is the peculiarity of the berries, which are colored and have hard pulp.

The technology for quick freezing of grapes occurs in several simple steps:

1. Sorting and culling of damaged berries.
2. Short-term freezing at temperatures from -40 to -45, for 4 hours.
3. Continuous storage at minus 18-20 degrees.

An interesting fact is that with this technology for storing special grape varieties, not only the taste of the berries is preserved, but also biologically active substances with vitamins. Even after 8 months of storage, the grapes received high marks during control tastings.

We choose a grape variety that will sell well later.

Berries are the most prized on the market. And if making money on strawberries and raspberries is problematic, growing and harvesting grapes will cost much less. The harvest is large, there is a minimum of care. And it often costs more than raspberries. And if we take into account the unprecedented vitality and durability, it becomes clear that in terms of earnings this is the most promising crop.

Choosing a variety - abundance without choice

The basis of any good harvest is the variety. It is not for nothing that winegrowers-farmers who, having mastered the most primitive basics of cultivation technology, receive a good income. The main secret of their well-being is a tenacious plastic variety.

If you decide to make money from grapes and not sell seedlings, then you need to limit yourself to 3-6 varieties. You don’t need any more - you will get confused in the intricacies of care. Plant less - there will be no stability in yields, and pollination will require at least three varieties.

General requirements for market varieties

1. Considering that a farmer can devote a maximum of a couple of hours a day to grapes, preference in any case should be given to varieties and forms that are resistant to diseases and have increased winter hardiness. Their advantages over unstable ones are undeniable, since with minimal amounts of processing and insignificant labor intensity of frost protection, the probability of obtaining a 100% harvest is much higher.

2. High-standard, long-sleeved, arched formations, formations with visors enable the winegrower to grow powerful, highly productive bushes, which allows obtaining a harvest of high marketable standards. The average yield of such plantings is 25-50% higher than that of short-armed ones.

If the yield of bushes in such progressive plantings is not high enough, then it is necessary to pay attention to the agricultural technology of cultivation. Often the reason for low productivity is non-compliance with the recommended pruning lengths for fruiting vines, allocating significantly smaller feeding areas to the bushes than necessary; in the abuse of mineral fertilizers and watering.

However, the further away from the warm waters of the Kuban, the less acceptable and tenacious such formations are. Be that as it may, you need to know the varieties that can grow five-meter vines in one year: Original, Light, Shahinya Iran, Arched...

3. The main income comes from either varieties of very early ripening (Rusven, Vostorg, Arkadia, Laura, Galbena no, Vostorg oval, FV-3-15, R-65, Timur, Jubilee of the Kherson summer resident, etc.) or late ones with good keeping quality ( Tair, Jubilee of the Crane, Kriulyansky, etc.).

4. It is a good idea to give preference to large-berry, large-growing varieties that have an attractive appearance, original color and shape of berries (Arcadia, Laura, Kesha (FV-6-5), Kesha-1 (FV-6-6), V-70-90 , In Memory of Negrul, Flamingo, Kodryanka, Original, etc.).

Choosing varieties

Now we start choosing varieties - we go to the market and see what grapes catch our eye - Arcadia, Laura, Kesha, Talisman, Original, Shahinya Iran, Flamingo, Svetly, Gift to Zaporozhye, Kodryanka, Kuban, Anniversary of the Kherson summer resident, Cherrel, Strashensky, Cardinal, Kishmish radiata, Rhizomat...

That’s a bit much... Now let’s figure out whether we have any experience with grapes. Of course, there is, but we’ll still get rid of labor-intensive and capricious Cardinal, Rizomat, Strashensky.

Let's figure out whether we are ready to spray our plantation after every rain, or not after every rain, but then we need access to the latest and most effective fungicides. No? Recline Arkady, Shahin of Iran, Radiant Kishmish.

Do we live in the middle zone? Or we don’t have a cellar for storage. Late varieties will also have to be discarded Tair, Jubilee of the Crane, Kriulyansky, Flamingo, Frumoasa albe...

Now there is a special requirement. It is unlikely that, having planted a large plantation, we will be able to collect and sell the entire harvest in a couple of days. Therefore, varieties that are suitable for us will be those that can hang on the bushes for months after ripening without loss of quality and, at the same time, be unusually transportable. But I must warn you that the longer you delay cleaning, the more the wasps, birds, fungi, and thieves will get.

There are very few such varieties, and first of all: Laura, Kesha, Talisman, Delight, Gift from Zaporozhye, Anniversary of Kherson summer resident, Kuban, Galbeno know. Let's add a couple of proven unpretentious and productive varieties: Pleven, Baklanovsky, Elegant super early, Kodryanka.

And a couple of reliable sultanas No. 342, Kishmish Novocherkassky, Rusbol improved. Let's add not very capricious, but beautiful - Original, Gift to Ukraine.

When you come to a farmer or nursery with such a list, ask how they behave in your area. HONEST sellers will honestly warn you about all the intricacies of each variety. Just put minuses and pluses next to each one; cross out the one that has too many minuses.

Grapes contain huge amounts of fructose and glucose. In addition to winemaking, it is widely used in cosmetology and cooking. Since ancient times, viticulture has been considered a profitable business, however, it is worth noting that this plant is very thermophilic, that is, the most favorable soil for its cultivation in Russia is the regions of the North Caucasus.

In areas where a temperate climate prevails, early grape varieties can be grown more or less successfully. In order to successfully grow it, it is necessary to constantly maintain the temperature within +25-30°C. If the temperature is lower, the growing season will be too long, and early varieties will ripen already during the ripening period of middle or even late varieties. If the temperature decreases to 8-10 °C within 1.5-2 weeks, there is a possibility of losing the entire crop. Thus, growing grapes in Russia without the use of cultivation facilities is impractical.

Proper use of greenhouses allows you to grow even southern grape varieties with rich flavors and magnificent appearance.

Advantages of greenhouse cultivation

1. The quality of greenhouse grapes is significantly higher than the quality of grapes grown in open ground, due to the fact that they are less affected by pests.
2. When growing grapes in greenhouses, the active use of chemicals is not required.
3. During the cold season, when the overall grape yield decreases, through the use of greenhouses it is possible to maintain a high level of grown volume.
4. The use of greenhouses is actually the only way to obtain a good grape harvest in the northern regions of the country.

Construction of a greenhouse

Statistics show that the arched type of greenhouse is the most popular for viticulture. In order to effectively use the greenhouse throughout the year, it must be built on a foundation. The components of the structure, as a rule, are metal pipes, frames and profiles. Polycarbonate is most often used as transparent walls. To avoid getting the base wet in the greenhouse, it is necessary to install a drain.

The price of making a custom-made greenhouse with an area of ​​100 square meters. m will be about 5-5.5 thousand dollars. If you set out to make it yourself, you can save 2-2.5 thousand dollars, but to build it yourself you need to have quite a lot of experience, otherwise the constructed greenhouse may not have the necessary characteristics.

Separately, it is worth noting the moment of ventilation. The fact is that the growth of greenhouse plants can stop not only if the temperature drops, but also if it rises strongly. In particular, at a temperature of about 40°C, plants begin to die, since at this temperature various microorganisms become active and have a detrimental effect on the plants, so on hot days the greenhouse must be ventilated periodically.

Today there are two solutions to this problem.

Firstly, you can manually open and close the windows, but this requires increased control.

Secondly, you can use various automated ventilation systems. Their price ranges from 50-100 dollars. However, it is not recommended to completely rely on the mechanism; it is better to use it as a kind of safety net. By the way, automated systems allow you to quite accurately regulate the temperature at which the window will open, as well as the limit of its opening.

All modern ventilation systems have approximately the same principle of operation, which consists in the fact that an oil-filled cylinder, under the influence of high temperature, expands and pushes out the rod, which in turn opens the window through a system of levers. After the temperature drops, the opposite effect occurs, causing the window to close.

The second essential point in arranging grape greenhouses is the installation of an irrigation system. Grape greenhouses use a drip irrigation system, the purpose of which is to maintain an optimal level of soil moisture. The daily water intake should be supplied in at least two to three doses. The cost of such a system will be approximately 100-200 dollars.

Grape varieties

Some novice entrepreneurs mistakenly believe that all grape varieties are suitable for greenhouse cultivation. However, statistics show that some varieties, in particular “Dekabrsky” and “Vostorg”, have better performance if grown in open ground.

Greenhouse grape varieties include:

1. Alphonse Lavallee;
2. Burmunk;
3. Zala dende;
4. Leopold III;
5. Violet early;
6. Foster (Greenhouse White);
7. Frankenthal.

The cost of one grape seedling is $20-30.

Growing

The peculiarity of planting grapevines is that they must be placed at the same distance from each other. Seedlings should be planted along the side walls of the greenhouse.
The best time for planting is from mid-February to April. You can start about 1.5 months earlier, but for this you need to install an additional greenhouse heating system.

When growing, the following temperature conditions must be observed:

1. Bud opening: during the day – 10-14°C; at night – 8-10°C.
2. Growth and flowering: during the day – 28-30°C; at night – 18-20°C.
3. Rest: During the day – 0-5°C.

Grape diseases

Grape bushes, like any other plants, can get sick. To prevent serious consequences, it is necessary to prevent diseases or eliminate them in the early stages. Diseases of grape plants are infectious and non-infectious.

Infectious diseases involve infection of healthy grape bushes from plants already infected with viruses, bacteria or fungal pathogens. The danger of infectious infection is that it can lead to complete loss of seedlings.

Such diseases include:

• Gray rot;
• Chlorosis;
• Necrosis;
• Anthracnose;
• Cercospora;
• Escoriosis (black spotting), etc.

When such diseases are detected, it is advisable to localize and destroy the source of infection; it is also important to observe quarantine.

With non-infectious diseases, there is no chance of infection of new bushes. Such diseases include shedding of berries, rubella, browning of leaves, etc. Their main causes are:

• External factors;
• Unfavorable soil conditions;
• Damage to bushes;
• Lack of nutrition.

Costs and payback

To start a business growing grapes in greenhouses you need about 14-15 thousand dollars, including:

1. Construction of a greenhouse, warehouse and utility room - 11-12 thousand dollars;
2. Purchase of tools – 1.5 thousand dollars;
3. Purchase of seedlings – 1.0 thousand dollars;
4. Other – 0.5 thousand dollars.

The market price of 1 kg of grapes, depending on the season, ranges from $2-6.5. Considering that the grape yield is about 5 kg/1 sq. m. The estimated return period for the initial investment is about 4-5 years.

The duration of the return on investment in this business is due to the fact that during the “hot” season it is quite difficult to sell grapes, especially if there are no agreements with supermarkets and greengrocers. During this period, beginning winegrowers have to greatly reduce the price of their products, otherwise the likelihood that they will not be sold at all increases.