Growing grapes at home is actually quite similar to how they do it in larger vineyards. The only thing that makes them different is the size of the vineyards. There are a few things that you should consider if you are interested in growing your own vineyard, both by larger vineyard growers and home growers. Perhaps the most important factor is paying attention to your growing vines. This includes making sure the soil is prepared correctly, pest control, pruning, weeding, watering, and ensuring proper sunlight. For those who grow home vineyards, the most difficult parts are the pest control and the pruning as it gets tedious.

Pruning is simply cutting the vines as this can encourage them to grow more. The type of grapes you are growing can depend on the pruning that is needed. Hybrid grapes are hardier during winter month, and they are also resistant to the many diseases. They also produce less foliage as opposed to the traditional types of grapes.

It's important to prune your vines as this is a great way to remove canes or spurs from the first year or previous years. New canes are produced on the vines each year. However, if you prune too much of the vine, you will have more foliage and more crop due to more vines growing. This can be a disadvantage as more foliage is produced, and this means your vineyard will be shadier. This in turn gives your vineyard a bad environment for the vines to grow in. Vines require an adequate amount of sunlight in order to grow and to remain healthy.

For those who are growing a vineyard in their yard, remember to be careful when pruning as this can prevent any injuries. When you are removing older shoots from your vines, you can turn to a hand pruner as this allows you to get more done and effectively as well. If you notice any large wood on your vines, you can remove them with a handsaw or a lopper.

Home growers may end up dealing with birds, insects, and in some cases deer. There are grape berry moths, Japanese beetles, rose chafers, and grape leafhoppers that thrive on grapevines. You can control these types of pests with insecticides; however, grapevines have the ability to withstand a little damage from insects. The only time you should use them is when you notice larger portions of leaf areas or grapes being damaged.

Birds can cause more damage to your vineyard though. Birds have the ability to completely damage your crop, but they are always easier to frighten away as opposed to insects. For home growers, you can control birds by using barriers such as nets. However, if you decide to do netting, you are going to have to take them off before the winter months in order to prevent any kind of damage to your vineyard.

Visual repellents such as aluminum plates, fake hawks, snakes, or owls can be used as well to scare birds off. There are odor repellents that come in handy too and are effective when controlling deer. When the spring months approach, food tends to be scarce for deer which makes home grown vineyards a perfect target for them. A human's scent can also be used or you can use dog hair as well as soap to help control them and keep them away. Coyotes are also effective to keep predators away.