How to Look After Grapevines

Water each grapevine with a soaker hose to prevent wetting the foliage. Provide young grapevines 1 to 1-1/2 inches of water every week from spring through summer. Provide mature vines 7 gallons of water every day during the summer fruiting period. After flowering, apply 4 gallons every three to four days. During the winter, water the soil only when the top 2 inches dry out.

Spread a thick layer of organic mulch around the grapevines to retain soil moisture and keep the roots cool. Organic mulches such as wood chips, pine bark and grass clippings look attractive and deter weeds. Maintain the thickness of mulch throughout the year.

Pound a 6-foot wooden post 3 to 4 inches behind each grapevine in the beginning of the second year. Install each 2-by-4 post 10 to 12 inches in the ground, and position it 3 to 4 inches behind each plant. Run two lengths of high-tensile wire between parallel posts in each row, spaced 3-1/2 and 6 feet above the soil.

Select two healthy, sturdy canes from each grapevine in the beginning of the third year and attach these to the wire along the left and right of the post behind it. Trim each cane down to three buds and secure to the wire with elastic ties. Clip off growing canes in between. Ideally, each grapevine should feature two growing canes at each wire. Remove suckers at the base of the grapevines along with all other canes but the fruiting canes. Continue to prune canes or shoots that grow between the parallel wires. Discard clippings and trimmings to prevent disease.

Feed each grapevine 1/4 lb. of 10-10-10 fertilizer during spring of its second year, before the buds swell. Spread the fertilizer in a circle around the plant's base, 6 inches from the trunk. Feed each vine 1 lb. of fertilizer during spring.

Examine grapevines for pests such as grape berry moth, grape root borer, Japanese beetle and grape flea beetle. Spray pest infestations with horticultural oil, neem oil or registered fungicide.