My husband's family grew a grape arbor at the old ranch North of Tucson. Its branches and leaves offered protection from the wind, and a shady, cool spot in the summer. Over the years the arbor grew to form an outside room, a place to come and dip a drink of water from the burlap covered Mexican olla. There was no air conditioning in those days, so people created a respite from the sun under the living limbs of the grape. Support for the vine consisted of old pieces of pipe and timber with 2 X 4's used to brace the heavy over-growth. When the grapes were ripe you had only to reach up and pluck a few growing from the ceiling of this ramada. A few years ago, Charley, my husband, planted some Thompson seedless grapes at the base of the supports of our porch. The vines create a canopy of shade which filters the hot afternoon sun. It is a lovely place to sit and unwind in the evening after the demands of the workday.
The grapes are trimmed back each fall to avoid the messiness of the dry leaves and bark pieces blowing onto the porch. This pruning is necessary to produce new growth for the following season. Grapes are hardy and will form substantial thick knobby bases. The limbs will be strong with shreddy bark.
Birds eat most of our grapes before they are ripe. Neighbors encase their grapes in paper bags until they are ripe to protect them from the birds. So grapes can be used as a food source and as a living arbor. The plants have aggressive growing habits so an arbor can begin the first year of transplant. The vines can be trained on a planned support system constructed to individual specifications.
The growing vines offer a perfect habitat for birds. Their nests are difficult to see and provide an undisturbed environment for nesting.
One year we noticed bees landing on the plants and the leaves were being chewed, leaving small circular holes. Upon close inspection, you can see the bees carrying off a small portion of the leaf clutched in their tiny "feet." The grape leaves are a favorite material used to construct their nests. The leafcutter bees return each year and gather the leaf material for a short period of time. The leaves look a little untidy in appearance, but this harvesting process by the bees does not seem to injure the plant in any manner. The bees do not notice the human spectators and are really of little bother. Vites arizonica grape will be found growing along the creek beds in the state. The grape plants prevent soil erosion and some browse for forest critters. This plant is a smaller version of the commercial grapes. Coronado National Monument park headquarters has the Vites arizonica growing along the porch in front of the Visitor Center. Wreaths are easily constructed from the vines of the wild grape. A favorite family outing for us is to sit along the stream bed with the children weaving the vines into wreaths to be used as gifts for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The only tools required are snippers to cut the vine, gloves, and an imagination of the forms envisioned.
When trimming and pruning the grapes at the end of the season, save the green vigorous canes you remove for transplanting. Grape seedlings can be started with these 6 to 8 inch pieces. Just place them in a bucket of soil and water occasionally. You will have additional grape vines to plant in the spring. Southern Arizona is becoming a popular location for the growing of commercial grape varieties used in wine making.
A brochure, Growing Grapes at Home, is available at the Cooperative Extension offices that lists the varieties and pruning techniques for successful grape growing in our area.