How to Make Grapevines Sweeter

Grape growing is among the oldest of farming practices in the world. Early man first gathered grapes from wild vines to make wine. Later, men cultivated grapes as a way of making the grapes larger and sweeter. Grape growers have since pioneered cultural practices that enhance grape growing. The sweetness of grapes is a result of a combination of factors including grape variety, soil type and cultural practices. You can improve the sweetness of grapes most directly by following good cultural practices.

Pruning shears
Scales

Instructions

- 1
  Prune grapevines in early spring. Grape vines that grow naturally produce too many grapes and are unable to properly ripen. By removing up to 90 percent of your grape vine, you will produce grapes that ripen properly and are sweeter.
- 2
  Remove all vines so that only three or four buds are left on each vine. These vines are known as spurs. Weigh the wood that you have removed.
- 3
  Shorten the grape vine so that it has only 30 buds left on it for the first pound of weight that you removed, and 10 additional buds per pound of vine weight that you removed.
- 4
  Remove leaves near the exterior of the vine to allow sunlight to reach the grapes. Sun-ripened grapes are sweeter than grapes that do not receive sunlight.
- 5
  Pick an individual grape in the bunch and taste it before harvesting. Grapes sweeten and become ripe long after the grapes darken in color. Once grapes taste sweet enough, they are mature and ready to be harvested. If grapes do not taste sweet, leave them on the vine longer.

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