Home & Garden Gardening

Grape Trellis Types - 3 No Brainer Points to Consider Before Construction Begins

The grape trellis types used in supporting vines is an essential part of the growing process and it is vital it is installed correctly.
Insufficient planning and poor construction can mean complete failure of dreams of producing your own crops of wine grapes.
Whatever your plans be they a couple of vines or a full scale vineyard, certain considerations must be taken first to ensure success.
No small part of that success depends on which of the grape trellis types a grower picks for his grapevine.
Here are a few very important points any grape grower should think about at the planning stage.
Location.
A small scale operation is just a few vines in your own back yard or garden.
With this size you could just as easily grow vines over a simple framework.
These kinds of constructions go by a variety of names such as arbor, gazebo or pergola.
Although their designs maybe slightly different they tend to be ornate and will suit the growing of vines over them very well.
For a full scale vineyard, longer stretches of trellising will be required.
The layout of the landscape, rises, slopes etc.
and wind too has to be accounted for.
Anything that will have an effect of the ability of your crops to thrive and prosper.
Design.
While an ornate and pretty arbor will suffice for a couple of vines a much more robust design is essential for a larger operation of many grape producing plants.
During the first couple of years new vines will be sparse as they become established and trained.
From year three onwards as they flourish with abundant crops, each vine's weight will increase under a burden of woody growth, foliage and fruit.
That is a lot of weight to bear and a trellis has to be robust enough to cope with that burden.
Even simple designs can be strong providing they are constructed properly.
Some other important matters that need to be in mind when thinking about any grape trellis types is ongoing plant care such as annual pruning, weeding and irrigation as well as ease of access for harvesting fruit.
Construction.
There are many different grape trellis types and styles to choose from.
The important thing is to pick the best suited for your purpose and affordability.
Any kind of trellis has to be strong and robust enough to support the vine's weight and be durable enough to last perhaps for twenty years or more.
Established vine plants should not be disturbed by attempting to build a replacement trellis frame around and under them because you used inferior materials that perished to quickly.
Most grapevine supports are built from timber, metal stakes or wire or a combination of any of these depending on the design and style decided upon.
While cost of materials is important it is also necessary to consider if the trellises are to be a do-it-yourself job or a professional installer will be employed.
There is a lot to think about but it is much wiser to take some time to really ponder the final design and materials to be employed before anything gets started.
That way the chances of wasting time, money and hard work as well as risking your precious grape plants may be nipped in the bud.


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