When planning the site of the grape vineyard you should consider climate, soil, water availability, location, disease incidence. A crucial aspect of vineyard planning is to match the site with the appropriate grape variety. The combination of the site characteristics and the grape varieties establishes the potential quality, and productivity of the vineyard.
Site Selection
Part of selecting the site for growing grapevines is deciding how many grapes, or how much wine you want to produce. Consider these assumptions... · A mature grapevine yields anywhere from eight to twelve pounds of grapes. · Eleven or Twelve pounds of grapes will make a gallon of finished wine. · Grapevines should be planted 6 feet apart, and the rows should be 10 feet apart. 100 grapevines would make a vineyard of ten rows with ten vines in a row. When computing the dimensions of the vineyard, six feet must be added around the outside for end posts and space for mowers and other equipment. If you try to plant the grapevines closer together you will find that the yield isn't as good as vines planted farther apart. As a home grower, achieving top yields per acre may not be as important to you, so you can leave more or less room as your situation requires. Multiply the length of each row by the width of all the rows to get the number of square feet the vineyard will take up.
Growing Season
Temperatures during growing season are very important to your site assessment. This is due to the temperatures influence on grape ripening and the quality of the grapes produced. A general estimate for a grape growing season is April 1 through October 31. You will get almost no shoot growth at temperatures of 50 degrees or less. So, depending on the region you live in your growing season could be start before or after April first, and extend beyond October 31. Grape varieties with early bud break should be avoided in regions with a high early frost risk.
Sloping Land Is Generally Ideal
Ideal land for a vineyard is on a slope, oriented anywhere from the southeast to the southwest in cooler areas, or northeast to northwest in hotter climates. The best spot for the vines is the third quarter up a hill. This will allow cooler air to settle at nights and keep the frost off your grapevines. This is not to say that some very fine grapes and wines aren't grown on flatter ground, but if you have an option a hillside is considered better growing area.
Location
Your location assessment should begin with road access. Can you access your grape vineyard via roads? You should also consider your proximity to winery clientele. Another consideration should be if there is a temporary labor supply nearby during harvest season. If you are going to have a tasting room for your vineyard you will need to make sure you are in relatively close proximity to a population that would generate adequate tourist traffic. You will also need to consider parking for your tourist traffic. - This of course assumes you will be planning for a wine producing vineyard. If you are just growing grapes at home for table grapes, or for yourself - this type of planning is unnecessary.
Site Selection
Part of selecting the site for growing grapevines is deciding how many grapes, or how much wine you want to produce. Consider these assumptions... · A mature grapevine yields anywhere from eight to twelve pounds of grapes. · Eleven or Twelve pounds of grapes will make a gallon of finished wine. · Grapevines should be planted 6 feet apart, and the rows should be 10 feet apart. 100 grapevines would make a vineyard of ten rows with ten vines in a row. When computing the dimensions of the vineyard, six feet must be added around the outside for end posts and space for mowers and other equipment. If you try to plant the grapevines closer together you will find that the yield isn't as good as vines planted farther apart. As a home grower, achieving top yields per acre may not be as important to you, so you can leave more or less room as your situation requires. Multiply the length of each row by the width of all the rows to get the number of square feet the vineyard will take up.
Growing Season
Temperatures during growing season are very important to your site assessment. This is due to the temperatures influence on grape ripening and the quality of the grapes produced. A general estimate for a grape growing season is April 1 through October 31. You will get almost no shoot growth at temperatures of 50 degrees or less. So, depending on the region you live in your growing season could be start before or after April first, and extend beyond October 31. Grape varieties with early bud break should be avoided in regions with a high early frost risk.
Sloping Land Is Generally Ideal
Ideal land for a vineyard is on a slope, oriented anywhere from the southeast to the southwest in cooler areas, or northeast to northwest in hotter climates. The best spot for the vines is the third quarter up a hill. This will allow cooler air to settle at nights and keep the frost off your grapevines. This is not to say that some very fine grapes and wines aren't grown on flatter ground, but if you have an option a hillside is considered better growing area.
Location
Your location assessment should begin with road access. Can you access your grape vineyard via roads? You should also consider your proximity to winery clientele. Another consideration should be if there is a temporary labor supply nearby during harvest season. If you are going to have a tasting room for your vineyard you will need to make sure you are in relatively close proximity to a population that would generate adequate tourist traffic. You will also need to consider parking for your tourist traffic. - This of course assumes you will be planning for a wine producing vineyard. If you are just growing grapes at home for table grapes, or for yourself - this type of planning is unnecessary.
My name is Josh Lawrence and I've been an avid grape lover and grower for as long as I can remember. I started http://HowDoIGrowGrapes.com/site-planning-for-growing-grapevines as a free resource for you and others who wish to explore the Grape Growing hobby and get the most out of caring for valuable grape plants.
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