Staking Up Grape Vines

Grapes need strong structural support for heavy fruit crops and ease of pruning. "Training vines to a trellis increases the amount of leaf area with full sun exposure, which leads to increased yields and better fruit quality," according the University of California Davis Cooperative Extension website. Traditional grapevine trellis structures consist of wires supported by metal posts or wooden stakes with or without crossbars. Vineyard supply stores carry fittings, stakes and endposts. Most grape varieties are spur-trained. Plants are spaced 8 feet apart for best growth.

Crossbar trellis with wire supports
Plastic-coated wrapping wire
Garden gloves
Heavy-duty pruning cutters

Instructions

- 1
  Stake a new grapevine during its first season to the wire support that stretches horizontally between support posts. Tie the main trunk to the wire with plastic coated wire. Shoots develop from buds on the main trunk.
- 2
  Retain two shoots that grow 2 to 6 inches below the wire during the next growing season. Train each to grow along the wire. These two shoots become the fruiting canes. Remove flower clusters and suckers on the main trunk below these two canes.
- 3
  Prune in the second winter back to seven or eight buds on each cane. Fruit is produced on the 1 year old canes from these buds.
- 4
  Shape grapevine development on mature plants by continuing to remove upright growing buds on the two main horizontal branches. Allow selected buds to grow downward. Tighten wire supports each summer as fruit becomes heavy.

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