How to Plant & Grow a Grape Vine

Select a variety of grapes to grow. Look at your soil and climate conditions as well as what you'll be using the grapes for in order to choose the best variety for your purposes. Some varieties are better for making juice and wine while other varieties are better for snacking. The number of frost-free days and the average temperature during the growing season are also important factors to consider when choosing a variety.

Choose an appropriate location. Grapes need full sunlight, high temperatures, windbreaks and good drainage, so they do well on south-facing slopes.

Work the soil with a hoe, a cultivator and a shovel to remove weeds and add peat moss, compost and/or aged manure to improve soil quality.

Remove all canes, the mature, woody shoot of the grapevine, except the most vigorous one. Trim off any broken or excessively long roots with pruners.

Dig a hole large enough to be able to spread the root system out without bending the roots and plant the vines at the same depth as in the nursery, being careful not to plant too deeply. Plant in spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Space the vines about 6 to 8 feet apart.

Spread the roots and cover them completely with soil.

Erect a 5- or 6-foot trellis for each vine.

Apply nitrogen fertilizer to the base of the vine two weeks after planting at the rate of 1 lb. per plant, and mulch to the depth of about 4 to 6 inches to deter weeds and conserve water. The fertilizer should not come in direct contact with the trunk.