Backyard Grape Trellis

[grundle]

I am going to be building a grape trellis in the backyard this weekend. It will be right next to my garden, and will be 24 feet long. That gives me space for 4 vines at 6 foot intervals. I have read that you can get about 8 to 10 pounds per vine when it is fully trained and properly pruned.

I saw an estimate that it will take about 13 - 16 pounds of grape to make one gallon of wine. That means I can get roughly 3 gallons or 10 bottles (at 750ml each) of wine per year.

I will try to take many pictures while I am working on this so that anyone who is interested will have a build along ready for use.

[crashdive123]

Looking forward to seeing your progress. One of my customers has them (about the same size you are planning). Theirs is nothing more than a heavy gauge wire strung between the posts.

[grundle]

Looking forward to seeing your progress. One of my customers has them (about the same size you are planning). Theirs is nothing more than a heavy gauge wire strung between the posts.

Yep, that is the basic idea. I am following a schematic that says you should tie down the posts and tighten the wire to 250lb. I think I will spend most of my time pounding the posts into the ground.

But this is practice for when I get more land. When I have the space I will be putting in longer rows, with something called a "split canopy" system. With longer rows you have to change up your end post design so that it can anchor the tension better. It is pretty cool reading about the designs, but for 24 feet I really don't have to over-engineer this effort, but there are some things I want to practice for when I take on a more serious project.

[Rick]

It has been my experience that digging holes for the poles is much easier than pounding them in the ground. Just sayin'....

[Ken]

Good luck with it, Grundle. Let us know when the wine is ready for Q.C. review.

[grundle]

I finished the trellis...but I can't find my darn camera!!! Until I find it I can't post part 2.

[crashdive123]

Oh sure, lure us in with expectations of fruit and libation....no camera....sheesh. (walks away kicking chat)

[Ken]

It has been my experience that digging holes for the poles is much easier than pounding them in the ground. Just sayin'....

Unless you have one of these.......

[grundle]

Oh sure, lure us in with expectations of fruit and libation....no camera....sheesh. (walks away kicking chat)

What I mean to say is that I took the pictures, but then my wife did a super job cleaning and my camera disappeared. So, I have the stuff, but I just can't download the pics until I find it. Maybe tonight if I am lucky

[Ken]

What I mean to say is that I took the pictures, but then my wife did a super job cleaning and my camera disappeared. So, I have the stuff, but I just can't download the pics until I find it. Maybe tonight if I am lucky

Have you checked in the washing machine? That's where I found my USB drive.

[Rick]

And my pocket survival kit. The good news is, it did. Photon light and all.

[Chris]

I would think the estimate of 8-10 pounds is on the low end. My solitary grape vine will probably do that this year, it's 3rd year in the ground, once it is fully established I'd expect far more.

One hardy kiwi vine can do 250 pounds btw.

[grundle]

I would think the estimate of 8-10 pounds is on the low end. My solitary grape vine will probably do that this year, it's 3rd year in the ground, once it is fully established I'd expect far more.

One hardy kiwi vine can do 250 pounds btw.

That is interesting. I did some research and the estimates were mostly in agreement on 8 - 10 pounds per vine.

I think also that maybe the trellising system plays an important part in how much yield you get. I am using a "four-arm" kniffin trellis, mainly because of the ease of use. I saw another system called the "Lyre" trellis that just looked cool, I may try that one someday too. The kniffin system basically allows three feet in two levels on both the left and right side of the vine. So each shoot that goes down one of the wires is an "arm".

Well, anyways pictures are worth 1k words, I'll get them up to illustrate.

My mother vine spent its first 3 years in a pot, and is now enjoying its first year planted in my back yard. I have already noticed more clusters than ever before. I attribute this to the pruning that I did last year, and the unimpeded root space.

Chris, how have you trellised your vine?

[Chris]

On a fence.

Vine goes up fence, one arm in each direction (well, eventually, as it is 3 years old each arm is not yet fully established). Espaliered kinda.

How much does a cluster of grapes weigh? I think about a pound, fully loaded. My vine has buds for one cluster every foot, plus a few more on the trunk.