Germination of Chilean Red Grape Seed

Variety

• Since Chile grows many dozens of grape varieties, there is not one grape variety called a Chilean grape. However, the red país type, a sweet wine grape, is very common. This round grape, a variety of the Vitis vinifera, is the mission grape of California or the criolla grape of Argentina that was originally from Spain. A popular table grape is the red globe grape from Chile. All of these grapes have seeds that you can plant but the offspring might not be completely true to the parent fruit.

Stratification

• Grape seeds are dormant until they go through a period of cold called stratification. Usually, this involves a period of three months of temperatures around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Since this is the temperature of most refrigerators, storing them in the vegetable drawer is an easy chilling place. Make sure that they stay just slightly moist during this time.

Sprouting

• Once you remove the seeds from the cold storage, the increased temperature stimulates the seed into growth. Plant the seeds in small containers of damp peat moss in a sunny area where they will start to grow at 60 degrees or more. These seedlings will grow outside in a permanent location as soon as the danger of frost is passed.

Moisture

• The seeds will most likely germinate if they are kept moist. If you allow the seed to dry out, the embryo will likely die before or just after sprouting. Too much moisture, though, and the seed might develop fungus growth, which can also kill it.