How to Tend to a Grape Vine Growing on a Trellis

Grape vines will naturally grow on a variety of structures like fences, trees or walls. Therefore it is important to establish a well-constructed structure that your grape vines can use as an anchor. A trellis system is important because grape vines cannot support the weight of a full harvest by themselves.

There are many different ways to build a trellis. Some trellises are built for functionality while others are meant to add to the landscape of the home. They can be simple or complex, and you can build it yourself or contract the job out to professionals. It all depends on the taste of the grape grower. A trellis can come in an array of different shapes and sizes in order to suit the needs of the grape grower. They can be made out of a variety of different materials such as iron, pre-treated wood, stainless steel, PVC pipe, or aluminum. The height of the trellis depends on the area where the grapes are growing. Shorter trellises are used in colder climates, since a trellis that is shorter has a better chance of withstanding winter weather. It also makes it easier for the grape grower to prepare the grape vine for winter. Taller trellises can be used in warmer climates. Shorter trellises use posts that are about three feet high while larger trellises require a post that is about eight feet high. While every trellis system is different, there is one thing that they all have in common - they must be sturdy and well made. Since a grape vine usually takes a few years to produce any grapes, the trellis system is going to be in place for a while.

The trellis system should be placed in the yard so that the grape vines will be exposed to a good amount of sunlight and good air movement. Natural sunlight and good air movement are huge factors in ripening the grapes and controlling grape diseases. After you have found the best location for your trellis, you should cement the posts that will support the trellis into the ground. Some grape growers secure their trellis posts by using catch wires anchored to the ground or by placing another much shorter post set in the ground next to the main post. The posts should be set into the ground about eight feet apart. Two rows of galvanized steel wire should be run between the posts. The first wire row runs along the bottom of the posts about three inches from the ground. The second wire needs to run along the top of the posts. A staple gun can be used to staple the wires in place.

As soon as your grape vines starts growing, you will want to start training them to grow on the trellis. This can take years. The main shoot that is growing should be tied vertically to the trellis. You can use string to do this. String will not damage the shoot like wire could. Grape vines grow very slowly, and after the next dormant period, two shoots from either side of the main shoot should be tied horizontally to the trellis. These shoots will serve as the base for the fruit.

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The Annual Life Cycle of a Grape Vine

In this article, I want to share with you the importance of understanding the annual life cycle of the grape vine. Often new grape growers make the mistake of thinking that if they prune their grape vines during the dormant season, they have done enough to ensure their grape growing success.

Off course, pruning a grape vine is important, don't get me wrong, but there's so much more to growing grapes, than simply just pruning.

A single manipulation, like pruning, is only part of the bigger picture when it comes to growing grapes but to be a successful grape grower, you need to know what to do during each and every stage of the annual life cycle of the grape vine. Leaving out one important manipulation, like leaf pulling as in the previous post, can result in having poor quality grapes or even no grapes at all.

The annual life cycle of a grape vine:

The first signs of bud break in spring.

This time of the season, the shoots that develop, are very susceptible to frost damage so you need to protect it from frost damage. It is also the best time to plant your new grape vines.

Depending on your climate, the first leaves will open about 4 weeks after bud break. Your grape vines are still very susceptible to frost damage, so protect them. With some very fruitful varieties, the first grapes will be visible as well. This is the time when the grape vine starts building up energy through the process of photosynthesis.

When the shoots are about 5 to 6 inches in length, your need to spray for powdery mildew. Protect the surface of the small leaves from diseases to maximize photosynthesis. And as soon as the flower clusters developed, it is imperative that you keep your vine fungus free.

Now it's time to do suckering (removing of unnecessary shoots) and also to remove water shoots to ensure all energy goes into forming and developing the flower clusters. On some very fruitful varieties, you can start reducing the crop by removing flower clusters before they start flowering. Your grape vine's shoots should be well developed by this stage.

Flowering:

About 10 weeks after bud break, depending on your climate and variety, the first flower clusters will start to flower. Flowering or blooming is the stage where the pollination and fertilization of the grape vine takes place,to develop the grape berries.

While the grape vine is flowering, the ideal climate is mild, wind-free days with no rain. Unwanted climate conditions (rain, too hot or too cold days, and lots of wind), can prevent proper pollination and could result in too compact bunches or too loose bunches with only a small number of berries per bunch

Grape vines are very susceptible to powdery and downy mildew during this stage, so keep your spray program up to date.

Fruit set:

Just after flowering, the grape vine goes through a stage we call fruit set. During this stage, all the fertilized flowers will start to develop into berries and those that didn't, will fall off. The conditions during flowering will greatly determine how many berries will develop and how many not.

During fruit set, it is critical that you grape vines don't dry out too much as this is the stage where cell division takes place. The more cells that will develop, the more there are to enlarge (next stage) and the bigger berries you grape vines will bear.

Cell enlargement:

During this stage the cells that developed in the previous stage (fruit set), will increase in size and it is a crucial time of the year for developing larger berries. Your grape vines will start to use more water as the berries increase in size.

Once the berries are the size of a pea, the thinning out of bunches by hand or chemically will ensure loose bunches, with larger berries and less diseases. You absolutely must ensure that your grape vines are not water stressed during this stage.

Some varieties are very susceptible to sunburn or scald and most of the damage to these varieties takes place during cell enlargement. Maintaining a closed canopy will help prevent sunburn.

Colouring (Veraison):

Veraison is when the berries start to soften and turn colour and signal the beginning of the ripening process. Normally takes place around 40-50 days after fruit set. The early stages of veraison is where you will notice a dramatic increase in berry size.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this is around the end of the July into August and between the end of November into January for the Southern Hemisphere. During this stage the colours of the grape take form-red/black or yellow/green depending on the grape varieties. This colour changing is due to the chlorophyll in the berry skin being replaced by anthocyanins (red wine grapes) and carotenoids (white wine grapes). In a process known as engustment, the berries start to soften as they build up sugars.

Some varieties tends to have poor colour, so opening up the canopy and removing leaves around the bunches, will help colour development.

Berry maturity:

Many home growers make the mistake of thinking the grapes are ready for harvest when it start

to colour. The colouring of the skin is a good indication that the grapes are nearly ripe enough

to harvest, but not ready yet.

The ripeness of grapes is measured in Degrees Brix (symbol °Bx). This is a measurement of the mass ratio of dissolved sugar to water in a liquid. A 25 °Bx solution is 25% (w/w), with 25 grams of sugar per 100 grams of solution. Or, to put it another way, there are 25 grams of sucrose sugar and 75 grams of water in the 100 grams of solution.

There is an instrument called a refractometer, that measures the sugar levels of the juice squeezed from a few berries. This instrument unfortunately is quite expensive and only if you plan to make your own wine, I would recommend buying one.

Dormancy:

It should be close to winter now, and the leaves of the grape vine will start to change colour and fall off and your grape vine will go into rest (dormancy). During this time of the year, the grape vine accumulates carbohydrates in the canes, trunk and roots of the vine for the upcoming growing season.

This is the time of the year when the grape vines need to be pruned. In colder climates, it is best to wait until early spring, before you prune the grape vine.

Danie has been in the grape growing business for more than a decade. He owns an export grape farm and with his award-winning quality grapes, there simply isn't a better place on the internet to get all your grape growing questions answered. Go check out his site at http://www.my-grape-vine.com

Grape Planting

Bunches of morsels filled with sweet, juicy goodness -- that is what most people think of grapes. Grapes are actually berries, and grow in bunches numbering between six and an amazing 300 individual fruits. Certain varieties are used for making wine, and others are meant for eating.

Those meant for wine are called wine grapes, and those grown for eating as-is are called table grapes. Grapes are grown all over the world. Being one of the most popular fruits all over the world, a branch of plant science has been devoted to grapes. Viticulture deals with everything about grapes: from old breeds to new hybrids, from seed to harvest, and everything else about grape planting.

Centuries of growing grapes has yielded fruitful results. Now the question of how grape planting should be done is preceded by the question "What do you plan to use them for?" This question refers to whether you plan to grow wine grapes or table grapes. The methods are mostly the same, but the difference lies in the specific requirements.

Table grapes are the simpler of the two. Table grapes are expected to be juicy and sweet. We also expect them to have smooth and unblemished skins, and have plump, full appearances. The first step to ensuring this is to make sure the soil is rich and fertile, and if it is not, make it so.

More nutrients means the grapes will grow larger and faster. Grapes have a lot of water, so a steady flow of water is needed by table grapes. On the other hand, grapevines do not fare well when soaked in water, so make sure that the soil is loose enough or has enough sand to ensure good drainage.

Fertilizers may be used to make the soil richer, but be careful when doing so. The grapes' flavor is affected by whatever chemicals there are in the soil, so care must be taken when using fertilizers. Excessive fertilizers or the wrong kind of fertilizers can make the resulting crop bitter or sour. Picking them at the peak of ripeness means you get the sweetest, juiciest fruits. Pick too soon and you will get sour grapes. Do not pick them too late either, as they would start losing water and spoil too quickly.

Grape planting for wine follows the same basic steps as table grapes. Differences lie in the soil to be used, the amount of water to give, and special techniques applied to wine grapes. There are a many different kinds of wine, each coming from specific kinds of grapes. These grapes will have different requirements to develop the flavors and characteristics sought after in wine.

Sweeter wine grapes produce lighter, sweeter wines. These wines would often have lower alcohol contents than the darker counterparts. Grapes grown for these wines require soil similar to that of table grapes. They will also have quite a bit more water in them, and this result in lighter-bodied wines with sharper notes.

The other way to go with wine grapes is to grow them in harsh conditions. Grapes grown in poor soil, cool climates, and with little water are smaller but have strong flavors. These concentrated grapes are then used to produce wine that has more complex layers of flavor, fuller bodies, and headier bouquets. They will not be as sweet, and also often have higher alcohol volumes.

An interesting technique to note is green harvest, where immature bunches of grapes are picked. With its potential for the next generation decreased in number, the plant then puts its effort into making the remaining grapes as best as they could be.

This is useful in regions where ideal conditions produce grapes in huge quantities, but with little character. If you are interested in knowing more, other techniques and specifics on grape planting can be found in books and the World Wide Web.

Eddy Lee is grape growing and wine making expert. For more great tips on grapes planting and make wine visit http://www.winemakinganswers.com

How to Plant and Grow a Successful Grape Vine

Doesn’t the thought of relaxing with a bottle of great tasting wine sound luxurious? The thought of sipping on wine that you made yourself sounds even better. Planting and growing a successful grape vine is not as complicated as it might seem, and it is the first step in making this dream a reality.

It is up to you to decide how large you want your vineyard to be. If you are just getting started it is a good idea to plant only a few vines. And by a “few”, I mean ten. It takes about ten vines to make homemade wine since most homemade wines are made in five- gallon batches. You can obtain year old bare-rooted dormant grape vines from a nursery to start off with. Typically, these vines have been grown by the nursery in their fields. The vines are usually sold in early spring which is a good climate for grape vine planting. The early spring rains will benefit your grape vines and give them a chance to settle in before the growing season begins. But until your vines are ready to be planted, keep the vines moist by spraying them with water.

Planting your vines is quite easy and straightforward. You will need to dig a hole large enough to contain the root system. The buds on the vine should not be covered with soil. Gently hold your vine in the hole while you tap the soil down lightly. This allows any remaining air pockets to be removed from the soil. If you leave a slight depression around the base of the vine, it makes it easier to water them. After the vine is well planted in the soil, you do not need to water the dormant vines if the soil is damp.

After your vines begin to show signs of life you will need to make sure that your soil remains moist. Sometimes if you get a few good soaking showers, you may not have to water your vines. But if the rainfall in your area is weak, you will need to add water to your vines. Sandy soils need to be watered more often. Clay-based soils need to be watered less often since clay absorbs and retains water longer. With any kind of soil, proper soil drainage is required. With the proper drainage, you do not need to worry about too much rain soaking your vines.

Another aspect of growing a successful grape vine is ensuring that your vines get the right amount of sunlight and air flow. You should not plant your grape vines near trees or structures that can block sunlight and prevent air circulation. In order for plants to undergo photosynthesis, they need sunlight. Photosynthesis is the process that converts carbon dioxide into sugar. It is the sugar within the grapes that becomes alcohol after fermentation. As a result of poor air circulation and too little sunshine, grapes can suffer from fungus disease problems.

Growing a successful grape vine can be a reality for you. Be prepared to give your vineyard year-round attention. It can take up to three years for a grape vine to produce a crop of grapes but, when you have put the time and effort into your vines, the rewards from your first group of grapes will be that much sweeter.

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