Concord Grapevine Care

Planting

• Plant grapevines in early spring, as soon as the ground has thawed and there is no more threat of frost. Space plants 8 feet apart if you intend to use a trellis to support your grapevines, and 4 feet apart if you will use an arbor. This allows optimal spacing for the vines to grow up and across the support system, while also ensuring that the vines are far enough apart that they do not compete with each other for food, water and sunlight.

Support

• Concord grapevines without support will grow across the ground, limiting air and sunlight penetration and raising the risk of rot. For this reason, you should establish a support system for your grapevines. Trellises look like fences, stretching across most of the gardening area, and the vines grow across the bars at different levels with the fruit dangling down. Arbors are taller rather than long, and the vines twist and wind their way upwards as they grow. Either option works for growing Concords, so choose according to the space you have in your garden.

Food and Water

• Concord grapes generally do not need watering beyond what is provided by rain. However, in a drought or an exceptionally hot summer, check the soil each day. If the soil feels dry to the touch 1 ½ to 2 inches deep, water the area deeply until the ground is thoroughly moist but not forming puddles. Fertilize the plants with balanced fertilizer. Apply 8 oz. of fertilizer to each plant immediately after planting, 1 lb. just before the spring bloom in the second year and 1 ½ lbs. every year afterward.

Pruning

• Prune grapevines in the spring as soon as the threat of frost has passed but while the vines are still dormant. Remove any broken, dead or damaged branches and roots. During the first year after growth, prune off all but the strongest cane, so that all food and water focus on the strongest grower. In subsequent years, remove damage as well as about 1 foot of growth from the previous year to allow for room and nutrients for new healthy growth in the coming season.