Grapevine growing is new in Uganda and is not yet wide spread. Grape plants take a few years to grow and create a strong enough root system to support fruit production.
Due to local demand, grape production is increasing season from year to year as more farmers start growing it. Farmers who are already in grape farming are actively encouraging other farmers to start grape growing for better livelihood in Uganda.
Types of Grape Vines
- Vitus Vinifera
- American Varieties
- Hybrids
Areas that grow Grape Vine
Kanungu, Kabale, Mbarara, Rukungiri, Kasese, Bushenyi
Uses Grape Vines
- It can be used to produce wines like Red Wine, Grapes Vines, White Wine and Grape juice
- Grapefruits contain monoterpenes which is believed to help prevent cancer by sweeping carcinogens out of the body.
- The farmers gets cash from the sale grape fruit
- Grapes are also a rich source of resveratrol which inhibits the enzymes that can stimulate cancer-cell growth and suppress immune.
- It is an inexpensive source of vitamin C.
- Grape juice is used to make jelly
How to grow Grape Vine
Growing grapevine trees takes a lot of time and naturally wants to be spread out. One should be careful while pruning to encourage grapevine to grow straight up into a tree formation. Trees are crafted from the thick, woody. They can reach 12 to 46 inches tall and require a lot of water for fruit production.
Steps to follow when planting Grape Vines
- Choose a type of grape to grow and you should know the climatic and soil conditions in that area and the purpose for planting the grapes.
- While handling grape rootstock, don’t let their roots dry out.
- Plant your chosen grapevines by giving them space like about 8 to 10 feet apart.
- For grapes to thrive and grow, they need a location that has good drainage, like; rocky, sloping land.
- Give grapes enough water to grow, especially on the first couple of months they were planted.
- To grow grapes one needs to cultivate a large sized area by the base of the plants because roots of one grapevine can actually spread out about 3 to 6 feet from the plant’s base.