Growing grapes with aquaponics

Added on 12 March 2020

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Home gardeners grow many varieties of grapes that are eaten as fresh fruit, made into jellies and desserts or used for home-brewed wine. American grape varieties (Vitis labrusca) and European grape varieties (Vitis vinifera), as well as hybrids of the two species, can be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10. Aquaponics presents the opportunity to grow grapevines without worrying about soil quality or providing the correct nutrients because it uses soil-less growing media and a fish tank of nutrient-filled water.

Aquaponics

Aquaponic systems are used to grow plants and fish together, conserving water and eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers. The waste-water from fish tanks is pumped through grow beds, where plants, such as grapevines, are planted in soil-less clay aggregates. The waste-water provides nutrients to the plants' root systems. The roots clean and filter the waste-water by absorbing what they need to grow and returning clean water to the fish tank. Water is added to the system only as the water level in the fish tank drops due to evaporation, and fertilizers are not required.

Planting Grapes

Seeds from grapes do not reproduce the same variety of fruit as the vine from which they came. Growing a specific variety of grape that has known characteristics requires either propagating a grapevine using dormant or hardwood cuttings, or purchasing a small grapevine that has rooted. Cuttings root well in an aquaponic system without the need for rooting hormones, and young plants that have rooted can be placed in the system's grow bed after using water to wash all of the soil from the roots.

Aquaponic System Design

Design the size of an aquaponic system by using this guideline: 1 pound of fish and 7 gallons of water for every 1 square foot of growing area. Plants grown in aquaponic systems need only one-half the square feet of growing space as plants grown in soil. When planted in soil, grapevines are spaced a minimum 6 feet apart. When grown in an aquaponic system, the grow bed must contain at least 9 square feet, which requires a 45- to 50-gallon fish tank. The most stable aquaponic systems, use 250-gallon or larger fish tanks, providing enough nutrients for several grapevine varieties.

Structural Support and Pruning

Healthy grapevines take up at least 50 square feet of arbor or trellis space when fully grown, and plants grown in aquaponic systems can grow more vigorously than plants grown in soil because of the system's continuous supply of nutrients. The arbor or trellis also needs to be able to hold the weight of the full crop of fruit. Constant attention to pruning, which trains the grapevines and keeps their growth in check, is necessary.

Source: Homeguides
Photo by Eva Fan on Unsplash