How to grow Grape (Greenhouse)
in the UK

Growing grapes is a proper project, to be honest, but there's nothing quite like picking your own sweet bunches from the greenhouse. It's a hard one, definitely for those who fancy a bit of a challenge, but when it works, you'll be proper chuffed with yourself.

Sowing

You're looking to sow grape seeds in March or April, starting them off inside in pots. Pop them about 1 cm deep in some good seed compost, keeping them nice and warm, around 18-20°C, maybe on a heat mat if you've got one. It takes a good while, about 170 days from seed to first harvest, so patience is key. The best way, like I say in the GrowMore CookMore app, is to get the roots planted outside the greenhouse, with the vine trained to grow inside; gives them plenty of room to stretch their roots properly.

Growing on

Once your little grape plants are big enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots. When they're a bit more established, get them ready for their permanent home. Remember that trick: plant the roots outside the greenhouse, then train the vine to come inside through a small opening. This gives the roots a steady temperature and moisture, while the vine gets that lovely greenhouse warmth. Make sure you've got strong supports in place for the vine to climb, it'll get heavy.

Looking after it

Grapes need a fair bit of looking after, especially in the greenhouse. Keep the soil consistently moist, but not waterlogged, and give them a good liquid feed every couple of weeks once they start fruiting. Maintaining a bit of humidity in the greenhouse helps, you know what I mean. Thin out the bunches of grapes a bit to get bigger, better quality fruit, and if you're not seeing much action, a gentle hand-pollination can really help.

What goes wrong

You'll need to keep an eye out for a few common blighters. Red spider mite can be a real pain, so keep the humidity up and inspect the leaves regularly. Mealybugs can get in there too, looking like little bits of cotton wool. Mildew can also strike, especially if the air circulation isn't quite right. Planting a bit of basil or marigold nearby can sometimes help deter a few things, like I say, every little helps.

Harvest

Your grapes will be ready for picking from August right through to October, depending on the variety and the weather. You'll know they're ready when they've got a good colour and taste sweet. Cut the whole bunch off with some secateurs rather than picking individual grapes, it keeps them fresher. They don't store for ages, to be honest, so keep them cool and dry and try to eat them fairly quickly. A cracking handful of grapes, straight from the vine, can't be beaten.