Grapevine Planting Instructions
Growing grapevines in your own garden can yield varieties such as Thompson Seedless, Flame Seedless or Concord. These grapes are relatively simple to grow in several types of climates and are tasty when squeezed in a juicer or eaten as a healthy snack right off of the vine. In addition, grape leaves and vines actually can come in handy for craft projects such as wreaths. Just a few steps can help you to plant grapevines successfully. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Jar
- Shovel
- Gardening shears
- Sphagnum peat moss
- Wheat
- Rye
- Barley
- Drip hose
- Nylon twine
- Bamboo stakes
- Trellis
- Arbor
Instructions
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Select the proper time of year to grow a grapevine in your climate, with early spring generally the best season in which to grow this fruit. You will need 165 to 180 days of frost-free temperatures to grow and harvest grapes. Choose a location that features moist, well-drained soil. Collect a sample of soil and take it to your county extension office to be tested for its level of acidity and basicity. Grapevines require a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5.
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Dig a hole that is about 24 inches to 36 inches deep. Make sure the hole is wide enough so that the grapevine's roots can spread out slightly.
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Place the grapevine into the hole. Trim off some of the roots if necessary to fit the entire root system into the hole. Mix sphagnum peat moss in the soil with which you plan to fill the hole again, as this peat moss will improve the soil's quality. Apply a cover crop such as wheat, rye or barley to the ground around the vine, which will help to maintain the grapevine's roots and keep out most weeds.
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Apply water to the grapevine using a drip hose. Check the moisture of the soil once a week to determine if it needs water. If you can pick up a clump of soil and squeeze it into a ball using your hands, it is moist enough. If the soil feels dry to the touch, it needs water.
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Tie the grapevine to bamboo stakes to train the vine to grow upward during the first year. Prune the grapevine in early spring after its first year. Use nylon twine to tie the vine to a trellis or arbor, which will act as a support for the vine, before vine growth begins a second year. Keep the vine 8 feet away from another grapevine if you plan to train multiple vines on a trellis. The distance can decrease to 4 feet if you are training vines on an arbor.
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Tips & Warnings
Do-it-yourself soil testing kits are available at lawn and garden shops, plant nurseries and hardware stores.
References
- Photo Credit Soul/Lifesize/Getty Images
