What is the Number of Grapevines to Plant Per Acre?

Plant Strength

• Moderately dense plantings result in healthier grape vines. According to Wine Business Monthly, grapevines grow denser leaves and roots when planted closer together. Root density actually increases up to 8,000 vines per acre. Denser roots and leaves mean stronger, healthier plants that are more resistant to disease and pests.

Fruit Density

• While dense plantings increase vine and root density, they can result in lower fruit yields, since the increased leaf and vine growth shades the fruit and reduces development. According to the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, grapevines planted with a row spacing as low as 5 ¼ feet and a very close plant spacing produced significantly fewer grapes than plants grown with approximately 6 feet in between rows and 3 feet between plants.

Grape Type

• Growers of wine grapes often plant vines closer together than growers focusing on table grapes. Wine growers prefer fewer fruits with a higher sugar content, while table grape growers prefer higher fruit yields. Grapevines planted closer together often produce fewer, sweeter grapes. However, according to Wine Business Monthly, excessively close spacing can actually decrease grape sweetness. When plants produce overly dense foliage, the leaves shade the fruit, resulting in poor quality grapes.

Variable Spacing

• According to Wine Business Monthly, different soil types and vine rootstocks require different vine spacing. Some commercial vineyards now use variable grapevine density, choosing specific rootstocks for specific soil problems such as poor drainage or lower fertility, and adjusting vine density accordingly. Wine Business Monthly notes that this technique works best for cordon-trained vines. Cane-pruned grapevines may be planted using variable spacing, but must usually be placed closer together than cordon-trained grapes.