How to Grow Norton Grapes

Design a vineyard that best exposes the Norton grape vines to available sunlight. Select a well-drained location -- Nortons die in standing water -- and assure that the plot receives sun all day. Map out rows 10 to 12 feet apart. In hilly areas, run grape rows across a hillside rather than up and down to discourage erosion.

Dig up and turn the soil with your shovel to prepare for planting. Work in compost. Add lime to very acidic soil. Purchase one Norton grape plant for every 8 feet of planting row. Do not worry about local growing conditions; Norton grapes adapt to almost any condition as long as they have sufficient water and light.

Dig a hole for each Norton grape plant. Stand the plant in its planting hole and lightly pack the soil around it. Water the young plant just after planting. Water daily until the plant begins to grow. Apply a balanced fertilizer after four weeks. Do not worry about treating the plants for disease or protecting it from cold. The durable Norton variety is hearty to at least -20 degrees Fahrenheit and nearly immune to all diseases.

Pinch or snip off all cane shoots except for the two strongest per Norton grape plant; this should be done during the first growing season,. Stake each Norton plant when it begins to grow. The second season, construct a frame of posts, 16 feet apart, for two strands of galvanized steel wires at 3 and 6 feet in height. Select the strongest of each plant's canes, and clip off the other. When the cane develops shoots, clip off all but the strongest four shoots at each wire level. Attach these to the wires, running two shoots on each wire level in each direction.

Prune each plant's shoots to three or four buds in late winter of the third growing season. The fourth season, prune to six buds and expect fruit. Fruiting begins in year four and continues for decades as the plant produces its small, almost black fruit with intense flavors. Attach the grape vines to the wires as necessary to support the grape crop.

Taste grapes for sweetness; ripe Nortons taste "grapy" with a hint of elderberry. Harvest when sweet, and store any uneaten grapes at 34 degrees Fahrenheit for up to eight weeks.