Can Sweet Grapes Be Grown in the Tropics?

Question

I am interested in growing grapes at home. But as I live in Singapore, a tropical country, I am unsure if grapes can survive here. We always have lots of sun, lots of thunderstorms, and the climate is very hot. Most of us live in high rise buildings and can only plant seeds in pots along the corridor. Some grape species thrive here, but they are too small, sour and green. I would like to grow sweet purple ones. Could you share with me some tips, like the size and width of the pot, and how long it takes for the grape to germinate and fruit? Thanks!

Answer 1

Grapes typically do not grow well in the tropics for one of two reasons. Diseases of grapes (such as black rot, downy mildew, powdery mildew, pierce’s disease, etc.) run more rampant in heat and high humidity. Lack of dormancy is the other issue – grapes require dormancy to get them to grow and bear. However, I have read that grapes can be forced into dormancy by withholding water and nutrients from the vine to slow it’s growth and manually defoliating the vine by hand or with chemicals. It may not be impossible to grow sweet grapes in the tropics but it will be very challenging to say the least.