The way you grow hybrid grapes depends upon the varieties you choose. Growing hybrid grapes may mean having to deviate from the traditional grape growing methods. If you’re passion is to grow grape vines in your backyard either for wine or eating, I suggest that you look into hybrid grapes. These have been bred to get the best of the tastes of the European grapes combined with the resistances and winter hardiness of the native grape species. Whatever your growing conditions are, you’ll find a hybrid grape variety that is adapted to your area and needs.
Growing hybrid grapes is becoming more popular for wine and eating. This popularity comes from the fact that hybrid grapes can be grown in areas where the traditional European grapes can not survive. Because more and more people are growing grapes in their backyard to produce their own vintage wine, it also comes about.
What are hybrid grapes? The European grape species, Vitis vinifera, is extremely susceptible to this louse.
Native American species of grapes had evolved with the pest and were resistant to its attacks on the vine’s roots. In an effort to save the wine industry in France, some individuals began to cross breed the American and european species to obtain new varieties that had the wine characteristics of the European grapes and the resistance to the phylloxera louse and other diseases that the American grape species possessed.
It is from these breeding programs that the original hybrid grapes were grown. Today, wines made from some hybrid grape varieties even rival the wines made in California and other traditional wine producing areas.
The way you grow hybrid grapes depends upon the varieties you choose. Some varieties’ growth habit resemble their American parents while others grow like their European parents.
European varieties and hybrids that take after them tend to grow upright. These varieties will need a vertical shoot positioning trellis system that allows you to tie up the shoots as they grow upward.
You can find a hybrid variety that will grow in almost anywhere in the United States. The right hybrid grape variety for your location is dependent upon the percentage of native species found in the cross.
Grape hybrids often are known by only the breeder’s number. These named varieties have shown their worth over many years and are usually being used to make wines commercially where a name is important on the label.
Growing hybrid grapes may mean having to deviate from the traditional grape growing methods. You will have to get to know the grape varieties you grow and adjust accordingly.
Some hybrid grape varieties mature their fruit in 135-140 days while others need 170 days or more to get ripe. The goal is to have ripe fruit so be sure that you’re not growing a long season variety in a short season.
Hybrid grapes also vary in how winter hardy they are. Or a southern adapted variety if you live where there’s hot humid summers and long growing seasons.
Most of the grape varieties that you buy locally at a greenhouse or nursery are eating varieties. You will need to go online to find wine varieties for sale.
I suggest that you look into hybrid grapes if you’re passion is to grow grape vines in your backyard either for wine or eating. These have been bred to get the best of the tastes of the European grapes combined with the resistances and winter hardiness of the native grape species. Whatever your growing conditions are, you’ll find a hybrid grape variety that is adapted to your area and needs.
