Having a vineyard has lots of perks and rewards.
First, it could provide you with good income from selling grapes or products made from grapes such as wine, jam, jellies, raisins, or prunes.
Second, having easy access to vineyard grapes whenever you want allows you to enjoy fresh fruits and the best quality grape products.
And also, you can enjoy grape picking with your family and friends.
Here are some tips that you should know in harvesting vineyard grapes.
oYou should know, as a vineyard owner or even as a grape or wine lover, that the best time for harvesting grapes is autumn because this is the season when all of your hard work and patience finally pays off.
oThere are so many technical and scientific things that you have to know and observe before you can pick vineyard grapes.
For instance, you should know the optimum level of sugar and acid and also the development of tannin.
Not only that but you should also consider the taste, pH level, and the ripeness.
Some of these factors can be observed by just looking at, feeling, and maybe smelling the grapes.
But some need a special kind of measuring device to accurately know the amount of each factor.
oThere are two ways to harvest vineyard grapes.
First, you can use a machine that would do the job for you and second is you can do it yourself with laborers and family or friends.
The advantage of machine picking is it is faster.
However, it is not picky and will pick everything that it can pick-rotten or low quality grapes, unripened grapes, branches, leaves, stems, nests of birds, and many other things that it can pick.
Handpicking takes time, but you can be sure that you will only choose the best grapes that you will need for whatever reasons.
oIf you are going to make wine, handpicking is the preferred method.
It is also preferable if you have a small vineyard and you do not want other fruits go to waste.
oIf you plan to pick them yourselves, gather people to help you.
You can ask your family or friends to help you pick grapes.
Give each of them a pair of clippers.
You will also need crates for all of those grapes that you have picked.
The crates should be placed nearby so that the harvesters will not have a hard time gong back and forth from the vines to the crate.
oAfter you have prepared all the tools, you can now start clipping bunches of grapes.
Make sure that they are appropriate for your purpose.
Make sure to brief the other hand pickers before you send them to your vineyard to avoid unnecessary waste.
oClip the grape bunches carefully.
Do not damage the big vines or you will not have anything to harvest next season.
You should also transfer the grapes to another container where they will be more protected.
Do this carefully to prevent bruised grapes, which will diminish their value, especially if you are planning to sell them.
oAfter picking all the grapes that you need, you can now sell them or start making wine or other grape products, whatever your reason is for planting grapes.