So easy to grow grapes inside

Grapes and peaches are two fruits that are permanent features in our greenhouse, and if you only realised how easy they are to grow!

First and foremost, they’re true survivors under the protection of an unheated greenhouse, even though the overnight temperature has dipped to minus 6 Celsius during recent winters.

There are two vines, “Black Hamburg” and “Madeleine Angevine”. The former was planted decades ago, the latter is 15 years old, and both are self-fertile, producing good crops every year. Buy a one metre high, pot grown plant now and within three years fruit production will begin.

In terms of value for money, with care its life span will cover an aeon. The iconic “Black Hamburg” at Hampton Court Palace, was planted during Lancelot “Capability” Brown’s time there (1768) in charge of gardens, and still crops prolifically.

An 1840s edition of “Gardeners’ Chronicle” advises digging a hole, dropping in a dead sheep, and backfilling, planting your vine in the process. Thankfully, the modern approach is to incorporate composted material before planting.

Initial training involves selecting one, possibly two, main stems (rods) to grow overhead, the length of a greenhouse. Prune back to two buds any side shoots that appear during the process. A mature plant has all lateral growths pruned the same way during dormancy. Look for new shoots now and anticipate embryo grape flower bunches emerging within six leaf joints of the rod. Stop any growth beyond that point.

The “Peregrine” peach by comparison is so easily cared for. It’s self-fertile but we help the process anyway by dusting the lovely pink February flowers with an artist’s brush or cotton wool. Thin out the resulting fruits to encourage fewer, bigger peaches.