How to Grow Grapes on Fertilized Ground

Prepare the soil and plant grapevines in spring around the last frost of the year. Grapevines do best with 50-degree to 60-degree Fahrenheit starting temperatures, while warmer soil temperatures make amendments and planting easier.

Find a plant site with at least 10 feet of space for each grapevine, where each vine will get full sun all day, good air circulation and quick drainage year-round. Grapevines do best on south-facing slopes where they get drainage and protection from cold northern winds.

Nourish, loosen and dilute the soil before planting. Dig 6 inches of rich organic compost into the top 10 to 12 inches of soil in 2-foot-wide sites for each plant. Place the sites every 10 feet in the row. Grapevines do best with adequate growing room and deep, loose soil for root development.

Plant grapevines hardy to your growing zone for best success. Plant the vines in holes as deep and twice as wide as their root balls, and spread the roots out at planting. Fill the holes carefully with amended soil for best root-to-soil contact, and water each vine with 1/2 gallon of water. Put the grapevines on a schedule of 2 inches of water every week.

Prune each grapevine down to one main cane with 5 to 12 growing buds. This encourages best new growth. Give the grapevines a trellis system for eventual growth and training.

Fertilize each grapevine the week after planting. Give the vines 8 ounces of granular 10-10-10 fertilizer each, in a circle around the base of each plant. Keep the fertilizer granules 6 to 12 inches from the bases of the plants to avoid burning. Mix fertilizer into the soil, then water.

Lay organic mulch such as wood chips or pine bark over the soil around the grapevines. Mulch adds nutrition to the soil over time and protects the grapevines from drying.