How to Keep Grapevines

Growing grapes is a rewarding gardening activity. It requires more work and patience than growing many other varieties of fruit, as any appreciable yield will not be realized until a grapevine's third season. Annual pruning and fertilization are necessary to promote the overall health and productivity of your grapevines. Grapevines have specific soil requirements that need to be addressed as well. Anyone considering growing grapes should opt for a soil analysis by a professional or university lab prior to planting.

Grapevines
Planting tools
Fertilizer and lime
Stakes and wire
Pruning tools
Bird netting

Instructions

Growing Grapes in Your Backyard
- 1
  
  A professional analysis will tell you where your soil is deficient and how to correct any imbalances.
  
  Sample the pH of your soil. Grapes require a pH between 5.0 and 6.0. Add lime to your soil accordingly as recommended by the results of a soil analysis.
- 2
  
  Rows of grapes planted too closely together will compete and make more work for the vintner to maintain.
  
  Select a spot where your grapevines will receive full sun. Purchase healthy plants from a reputable source, and plant in the early spring, spacing each vine 6 to 8 feet apart. Rows between grapevines should be 8 to 10 feet.
- 3
  
  When calculating the amount of nitrogen content in a bag of fertilizer, remember that the first number represents the percentage of nitrogen in a bag, not how many pounds of it are in the bag.
  
  Apply fertilizer to the newly planted grapes approximately two weeks after installation. Apply 10 pounds of a fertilizer with a 10-percent nitrogen content, such as 10-10-10 or 10-6-4, per each 100 feet of rows.
- 4
  
  A two-rowed trellis system for grapes allows for maximum production and relative ease of harvest.
  
  Install the stakes and wire for the grapes to grow on. Stakes should be located 16 to 24 feet apart with two rows of wire spanning between them. The bottom row of wire should be 36 inches above the ground, while the top should be 60 inches above the ground.
- 5
  
  Pruning grapes after they have set bud will impede their growth, so make sure to do it before they break dormancy.
  
  Prune your grapevines in the early spring, or anytime during the dormant season. Remove all shoots between the wires, and cut back shoots to the main stem along the lower wire. Repeat annually.
- 6
  Apply bird netting over the grapevines if it's practical. Birds can be a common pest for grapes, and this will help to protect your crop from scavenging.

How to Make Grapevines

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Growing Grapes

How to Keep Grapevines

Instructions

Growing Grapes in Your Backyard