How to Grow a Grapevine Over the Pergola

Add one to two shovels per plant of rotted organic matter such as leaves, compost, or manure to amend the soil in the planting area next to the pergola. Work the organic material into the soil using a garden spade or fork.

Dig out a planting hole 6 inches from the side of the pergola. Make the planting hole as deep and slightly larger than the root ball of the young grape vine. If the grape vine has arrived bare-root, trim off any dead or diseased looking roots. Plant the grape vine in the winter, ideally between November and December.

Remove each grape vine from its nursery pot and place it in the planting hole so that it is the same depth in the soil as it was in the planting pot. If the vine is bare-root, spread the roots out in the planting hole so that they are not twisted back. Fill in the soil, pressing it down as you go to press out air holes.

Water after transplanting and for the first year after planting to keep the soil damp. After the first year, grapes need water only in severe drought conditions.

Prune the grape vines right after planting. Use a sharp pair of pruning shears to remove the top third of each cane. Remove any suckers or offshoots from the plant.

Remove all but one or two strong vertical canes to begin training the grape vines to grow over the pergola. Screw an eye bolt into the pergola at the level of each cane. Attach the canes to the eye bolts using anti-rust wire. Begin this training the year following planting between January and March while the vine is in its dormancy period.

Prune the vines each year between January and March by removing any canes that are growing away from the pergola. Attach canes to the pergola using eye bolts and wire.

Apply one 10-ounce application of a 10-20-20 fertilizer in the spring for each plant.