Ornamental grapevines are in season for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year).

These days, ornamental grape growers in the southern part of the province are focusing on caring for, pruning, and selecting fruit, preparing to bring their potted ornamental grapevines to market for the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026.

Grape capital during the Lunar New Year season.

Currently, the southern part of the province has over 1,000 hectares of vineyards, considered the grape-growing capital of the country. Over the past 10 years, grape farmers have collaborated with research institutions to breed and produce several suitable grape varieties for ornamental purposes during the Lunar New Year, bringing relatively high income to grape growers.

Farmers growing ornamental grapevines are busy selecting branches and pruning fruit.

Mr. Le Ngoc Hoai, a member of the A8 Ornamental Grape Cooperative (Ninh Phuoc commune) and a seasoned grower of ornamental grapes, said: “Getting the grapes ripen to the perfect red color for Tet (Lunar New Year) requires meticulous care. Right after the Lunar New Year, grape growers begin potting the vines to help them take root. After one month, growers create iron frames for the vines to cling to and grow upright. When the vines begin to sprout branches, they continue to build support frames with steel wire to create an aesthetically pleasing shape and ensure the plant is stable when brought indoors for Tet. In addition, watering and fertilizing are carefully controlled to ensure the grapes ripen evenly and turn a beautiful color at the right time. These potted ornamental grapes, laden with ripe red grapes, symbolize good fortune, wealth, and peace for the homeowner.”

At Tri Ha Grape Farm, owned by young farmer Nguyen Dinh Tri in Lang Ngua village (Do Vinh ward), we were impressed by the lush, green potted grapevines with their many plump bunches of fruit. According to Mr. Tri, since the beginning of the year, the farm has prepared nearly 700 potted grapevines for the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026. However, the floods at the end of 2025 caused many grapevine areas to be submerged, weakening many potted grapevines, slowing their growth, and even causing them to wither and dry up. Thanks to his years of experience in grape cultivation, he has managed to restore about 200 pots to supply the market this Tet holiday.

Mr. Le Ngoc Hoai takes care of the ornamental grapevine pot that a customer ordered.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Tri said: “To have beautiful ornamental grapevines for sale during Tet (Lunar New Year), starting from the beginning of 2025, I selected the healthiest cuttings from my fruit-bearing grapevine garden to graft onto pre-planted rootstocks in pots. The soil for ornamental grapevines is a mixture of sawdust, burnt rice husks, and organic fertilizer to create a loose, porous soil that helps the root system develop healthily and keeps the grapevine alive for longer. At the same time, the grapevines are shaped into many eye-catching forms such as: wind turbine blades, single-tiered circles, three-tiered circles, etc. After shaping, the mature grapevine branches are pruned and watered to stimulate new shoots, flowering, and fruiting.”

Preserve the red color of grapes for spring.

Speaking with us, Mr. Le Ngoc Cuong, Director of the A8 Ornamental Grape Cooperative (Ninh Phuoc commune), said: “From the beginning of 2025, cooperative members prepared nearly 10,000 potted ornamental grapes to serve the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026. However, due to heavy rain and the floods at the end of the year, about 80% of the potted grapes were damaged. After the water receded, members applied many technical solutions to save the grapes. Potted grapes that could recover were prioritized for care to ensure green leaves and even fruit clusters. From the beginning of January 2026 until now, many customers from provinces and cities have contacted us to place orders. Currently, the price of each potted ornamental grape ranges from 600,000 VND to 2 million VND, depending on the number of layers and fruit clusters.”

Caring for ornamental grapevines at Tri Ha Vineyard.

According to Dr. Phan Cong Kien, Deputy Director of the Nha Ho Institute of Cotton Research and Agricultural Development ( Ministry of Agriculture and Environment ), immediately after the floods in November 2025, the institute coordinated with local authorities to guide farmers on techniques to save flooded grapevines. To date, most vineyards have recovered and are growing well. However, some areas of ornamental grapevines, due to deep and prolonged flooding, have not yet fully recovered. Currently, the two main grape varieties transferred by the institute many years ago, the restored Red Cardinal and NH01-152, continue to be chosen by farmers for ornamental grapevine cultivation due to their advantages of being easy to shape, growing vigorously, producing many beautiful clusters of fruit, and having eye-catching colors.

Members of the A8 Ornamental Grape Cooperative are trimming grapevines.

In the cool morning air, amidst the lush green vineyards, many farmers are meticulously pruning and trimming the fruit of their ornamental grapevines. The plump green bunches gradually turn red, signaling the arrival of spring. With diligence and creativity, these ornamental grape growers hope for a successful harvest for Tet (Lunar New Year), bringing stable income and a fulfilling, prosperous holiday.

MA PHUONG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202601/nho-kieng-vao-vu-tet-e4b644e/