Growing your own grapes is a rewarding hobby whether you’re a wine enthusiast, want to can your own jelly, or just want a shaded arbor to lounge under. To get the healthiest vines that produce the most fruit, consider companion planting with grapes. Plants that grow well with grapevines are those that lend a beneficial quality to the growing grapes. The question is what to plant around grapes?
Companion Planting with Grapes
Companion planting is an age-old art of planting different plants in close proximity to each other to benefit one or both. There may be mutual benefits or only one plant may profit. They may repel pests and disease, nourish soil, provide shelter to beneficial insects, or shade other plants.
Companion plants may act as natural trellises, retard weeds, or help retain moisture. There are a number of plants that grow well with grapevines. Be sure to choose companions for grapes that have similar growing requirements.
That is, grapes need full sun with warm to moderately warm temperatures, consistent water, and well-draining soil, so their companion plants should too.
What to Plant around Grapes
Excellent companions for grapes include:
In the case of hyssop, bees love the flowers while the rest of the plant deters pests and improves the grape’s flavor.
Geraniums also repel pests, such as leafhoppers. Blackberries provide shelter for beneficial parasitic wasps, which also kill leafhopper eggs. Clover increases soil fertility. It is an excellent groundcover, green manure crop, and nitrogen fixer. Legumes act in much the same way and can give you a second vertical crop yield by planting them once the grapevines are established.
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The beans then trellis up through them. Other plants make good companions for grapevines due their pest repellant qualities. These include aromatic plants such as:
Grapes don’t just get along with herbs and flowers. They do well planted under elm or mulberry trees and coexist peacefully.
Note: Just as people don’t always get along, such is the case with grapes. Grapes should never be planted near cabbage or radishes.
FAQs
GRAPES: Hyssop is beneficial to grapes as are beans, peas, or blackberries. Keep radishes and cabbage away from grapes. Planting clover increases the soil fertility for grapes. Chives with grapes help repel aphids.
What do you put around grape vines? ›
Fertilizer and mulch
The first two or three years, each early spring, apply compost around the base of the vines. Grape vines grow vigorously and might need a nutrient boost each year. You may not have to do this as the vines mature; it all depends on what you observe. Do the vines look vigorous and healthy?
Can you plant basil with grapes? ›
Basil can repel bad insects away from your grapes. Basil and marigolds make great companion plants because they benefit from each other's qualities.
Can you plant different grapes next to each other? ›
The less vigorous table types and the more vigorous wine varieties should be planted 6-8' apart. Muscadine grapes should be planted 12-15' apart. All of the table and wine-type grapes are self-fruitful; but when you plant different grape varieties close together, they're apt to cross-pollinate each other.
What is the best land for growing grapes? ›
Well-drained, deep, fertile loams are excellent, yet grapes thrive on soils containing clay, slate, gravel, shale, and sand. Gravelly soils generally drain well, and they absorb and reflect the sun's warmth, providing heat for the vines.
What happens if you don't prune grape vines? ›
Why You Need to Prune Grape Vines. To put it simply, pruning grape vines allows the plants to get enough sun. If you let your vines grow freely, shoots and clusters will overwhelm the plant and create barriers that block the light.
What not to plant near grapes? ›
When grown together, cabbage and grapes can stunt each other's growth, which is likely due to the fact that these water-loving plants compete with each other for soil moisture. Other brassica plants, like cauliflower, broccoli, and kale, may also not be the best choices for growing near grape vines.
Is it OK to put mulch around grape vines? ›
In answer to your question, mulch is not recommended for grapevines in general, as grapes require extremely well drained soil and mulch tends to retain moisture and keeps the soil cool. Keeping the surface clear allows the ground temperature to increase and encourages growth of the vine.
Is Epsom salt good for grape vines? ›
For prevention of magnesium deviancy, Epsom salts can be applied at a new plant at the rate of 4-6 ounces for older vines. Spread the salt over a 6 foot circle. For the first year it is a critical time for your new grapes.
What helps grapes grow? ›
Grapevines do best with full sun - about 7 or 8 hours per day. Less light leads to lower fruit production, poorer fruit quality, increased powdery mildew, and fruit rot. Grapevines will grow and produce well on a wide range of soil types, but good drainage is very important. Roots tend to grow deep – up to 15 ft.
Growers use several methods to increase cluster and berry size: cluster and berry thinning; trunk girdling; and gibberellic acid sprays. Gibberellic acid is a synthetic plant growth regulator and is not available to home gardeners. Some increase in size can be achieved by cluster and berry thinning and trunk girdling.
What is the best support for grape vines? ›
For most training systems, grape vines must have support. This can be in the form of a trellis, arbor, or possibly a fence.
What plants are good with grapes? ›
grapevinegal
- To Deter Pests: 1) A combo of Oregano, Basil, Rosemary and Allysium. 2) Geraniums. 3) Roses were traditionally grown alongside grapevines in hopes of being attractive to pests. ...
- For Healthy Soil: 1) Hysopp. 2) Mustard.
- For Beauty: 1) Forget Me Not ground cover with Grape Hyacinth. 2) Catmint and Creeping Jenny.
Most table and wine grapes will produce good crops if only one variety is planted. They are self-fertile and wind pollinated. The fruiting season can be extended by planting varieties that ripen at different times. Ripening dates may vary by as much as two weeks each year, depending on the weather.
How much space do grapes need? ›
Basically, you need a large, open, sunny space with good soil. Grapes need about 50 to 100 square feet per vine if growing vertically on a trellis or arbor. They need about 8 feet between rows if planting horizontally in rows. Plus, seven to eight hours of direct sun each day.
Where do grapes like to be planted? ›
Grapevines do best with full sun - about 7 or 8 hours per day. Less light leads to lower fruit production, poorer fruit quality, increased powdery mildew, and fruit rot. Grapevines will grow and produce well on a wide range of soil types, but good drainage is very important.
What kind of trellis for grapes? ›
Cold-hardy grapes grow vigorously and thus are particularly well-suited to high wire cordon trellising, as it requires less labor and investment as the season progresses. A high wire cordon training system consists of 1 to 3 wires, with the top wire strung anywhere between 4 and 6 feet above the ground.
Can roses be planted near grapes? ›
Compatability. The first reason that roses and grapes are often grown together are that they are extremely compatible. They have very similar irrigation, sun, and fertilizer needs and they tend to do well in similar soils and climates.
