How to Make a Trellis for Interlaken Grape

Grapes are majestic, old-world plants that grow in wide-ranging vineyards. They require long sunny periods and do best in areas that offer at least 150 days of frost-free growing. Interlaken grapes are a seedless variety that ripen earlier but are somewhat less hardy than other varieties. These grapes require support and air circulation from a trellis or arbor system, and do best when they're trained up from a young age. Instead of buying a costly trellis system, gather some supplies and build your own.

Treated poles (8 feet by 3 to 4 inches)
Wire (8 to 11 gauge)
Wire clippers
Shovel
Tape measure
Felt ties

Instructions

- 1
  Dig holes for the posts of the trellis system 1 foot behind the row of interlaken grapes. Place the posts within 20 feet of each other, at your discretion, and use as many as you need to cover your rows. Dig the holes 2 to 3 feet deep and pack soil in around the bases of the poles to secure them in the ground.
- 2
  Wrap the end of a length of wire three times around the top of the first pole and run it to the next. Wrap the wire around this pole and move to the next, until you come to the end of the row. At the final post, cut the wire off and secure it.
- 3
  Repeat the wire process to build a second level 2 feet below the first. Most grape trellis systems have two to three wires, so feel free to put a third wire below the second, but make sure that it's at least 1 foot off the ground.
- 4
  Tie grape canes and shoots to the wires when they're long enough to reach, using soft felt ties. Always tie main canes and vines rather than leaves or flowering stems when you're training grapes. When the vines get long enough, they'll grow along the wires on their own.

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