Seed preparation
Use seed from fully ripe berries of seeded varieties; seedless table grapes have no usable seed. Wash all pulp off so the seed does not go mouldy in storage or stratification.
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Fruit vine growing guide
Grape seeds are dormant and need about three months of moist cold before they germinate. Seedlings make vigorous vines, but their fruit differs from the parent, so treat seed-grown grapes as a long-term experiment or rootstock.
Use seed from fully ripe berries of seeded varieties; seedless table grapes have no usable seed. Wash all pulp off so the seed does not go mouldy in storage or stratification.
Not needed. Dormancy is broken by cold, not by nicking the seed coat.
Essential. Mix seed with moist perlite, sand or peat in a sealed bag and keep it at 2-5 °C (36-41 °F), for example in a refrigerator. In a study of the Karasakız grape, 30 days at 4 °C gave only about 5-10% germination, 60 days or more gave clearly better results, and 90 days gave about 47% without any hormone treatment. The USDA manual recommends up to 4 months for spring sowing.
Optional. Indian research at IARI found that leaching seeds in running water for 12-16 days raised germination to about 72-73%. Some European nurseries also soak stratified seed for 12 hours before sowing.
Move stratified seed to warmth. In the Pakistan Journal of Botany study seeds germinated in a greenhouse averaging 22 °C (72 °F). In tropical India sow chilled seed in the cooler months so seedlings are not hit by peak heat.
Shallow; cover the seed thinly with fine mix or sand.
A free-draining seed mix or perlite-based compost in deep cells or pots.
Keep evenly moist; do not let pots stand in water.
Give bright light as soon as shoots appear so seedlings do not stretch.
Germination is gradual over several weeks. Researchers check trays weekly for about 10 weeks before counting.
Move seedlings into individual deep pots once they have a few true leaves, and give each a small cane.
Plant young vines in full sun, in free-draining soil at least 1 m (3 ft) deep with pH 6.5-7.0, at the depth they grew in the pot. Put the support wires or trellis in place first.
In the first year let one strong shoot grow up its cane and remove weak side shoots. Start training to wires once the stem is woody.
For a known variety use rooted hardwood cuttings taken in late autumn or winter, or buy grafted vines. Grow from seed for rootstocks, breeding or curiosity.
Grape is a vine and needs wires, a pergola or posts before it starts climbing.
In temperate climates prune in winter while dormant. In tropical India vines are pruned twice a year, in December-January and May-June, and fruit about four months later.
TNAU lists Muscat (Panneer), Anab-e-Shahi, Thompson Seedless, Arka hybrids and others for Tamil Nadu. In cool climates grapes need a warm, sheltered, sunny wall or a greenhouse to ripen.
Seedling vines take several years before they flower, and the first crop shows what kind of grape you have.
Chill grape seed for about three months, then sow it warm to raise your own vines.
Yes. Keep them moist at 2-5 °C (36-41 °F) for 60-90 days or longer. With only a month of cold, very few germinate.
Rarely. Seedlings are genetically mixed and usually give different, often poorer fruit. Named varieties are grown from cuttings or grafts.
Most table grapes are seedless. The RHS also advises against pips from supermarket fruit because of plant-health risks; use clean seed from a known source.
