How to Plant Grapes

If you love wine and would like to try your hand at making your own "house wine", then you need to start your vineyard off well by learning how to plant grapes so that they will thrive and flourish.

Grape vines are usually grown from cuttings or bare root plans, and these plants or cuttings are generally planted during early spring. It will take about three years for the vines to be productive enough for you to make wine, and getting them started off right is crucial the the future success of your vineyard.

Step One: Find a Location for Your Future Vineyard

There are a few crucial factors to finding the proper place to plant your grapes. First, the area needs a lot of sun, so that the fruits will ripen well. Next, you should make sure that the area does not have any hidden cold pockets, as this can damage the fruit and slow growth and ripening. Ideally, you will find a beautiful south facing slope with plenty of space to plant your grape cuttings.

Do not worry if the soil is not super rich in organic matter. Grapes have been grown for centuries in soil that may be considered marginal for other agricultural purposes. You do, however, need to make sure the soil drains well. Grape vine roots will rot if the soil is not well drained, so this is crucial to the success of your vineyard.

Grape vines will be the most productive if they are grown on a trellis system. You should construct the trellis system prior to putting the grapes in the ground. Grapes actually grow to be quite large plants, and you will spacing your grapes at least five feet apart (some do eight feet apart, or more), and the number of plants you have will determine how long your trellis system needs to be. You should also orient your grape rows from north to south, to ensure the vines receive the most light as they grow.

You can expect that each vine will produce at least five to ten pounds of grapes (although there some experts have systems for growing grapes for wine that produce over forty pounds of grapes per vine). Ten pounds of grapes can produce about a gallon of wine, so you may want to think about this in terms of how many gallons of wine you are interested in producing a year and plant that number of vines.

After you have constructed your trellis, you are ready to move onto the final step: ordering your grape cuttings and planting the grape vines.

Ordering Your Grape Cuttings

There are many online retailers of different bare root grape plants suitable for wine making, but you should order in advance to make sure you get the variety you want and that it arrives when you are ready for it (early spring, for most locations). You can also plant grapes from cuttings you have received from a friend or neighbor who grows grapes.

Planting the Cuttings in the Ground

When your grape cuttings have arrived, you should decide on the spacing you will be using (at least five feet, often more) and then dig a large hole in the ground for each cutting. The cuttings should be planted in deep, wide holes so that the vine's roots can spread and grow easily.

After you have put your vines in the ground, you should water them and then cover the ground with a layer of leaf mulch to preserve moisture and prevent the vines from drying out. This is very important, as the vines tend to be quite fragile during the first year. However, do make sure the site is draining well, other wise the roots will rot in the ground and the plants will die.

You have now learned the basics of how to plant grapes for wine, but there is a lot more you will need to learn about how to grow grapes to make sure your vineyard is success. This includes learning how to train your vines to the trellis, how to prune them to make sure you have bumper crops of good tasting grapes, and then the process of turning grapes into wine as well. But with your newly planted vines you will be off to a great start, and hopefully in a few years you will be producing your own homemade wine!

Visit the How to Grow Grapes website for some more useful resources and tips!