The first two years of life do not require support for grape seedlings. But in the future, for normal growth, they need support like a trellis. Such designs are easy to create, as a result of which they can be made with your own hands.
Brief overview of the article
- Purpose of trellises
- Key varieties of grape supports
- Single-plane supports
- Biplane supports
- Other types of trellises
- Columnar trellis
- Half-arch
- Arch
- Pergola
- What are grape supports made of?
- Recommendations for selecting material and support options
- The role of size and height of supports
- Features and techniques of tying vines to a support
- Photo trellis for grapes
Purpose of trellises
Trellising devices are necessary for:
- vine growth control;
- maximizing productivity;
- making it easier to collect fruits and care for the plant;
- saving and proper organization of the garden area.
It is worth saying a few words about wooden trellises. They are distinguished not only by functionality, but also by decorativeness. Wooden support nets for grapes can also be used to zone or decorate the garden space.
Key varieties of grape supports
Two types of trellises for grapes are most popular among gardeners - single-plane and double-plane. You can tie one or several plants to one support. It is also acceptable to plant vines in a row.
The only thing experts advise is to avoid placing grape bushes of different varieties next to each other.
Maiden liana
Maiden grapes
This is a large deciduous (less often evergreen) vine belonging to the grape family, also known as virgin ivy. Almost all varieties have dark green foliage in summer, which turns bright purple in the fall.
The length of the shoots of girlish grapes can reach 10-20 meters. With its help you can get spectacular landscaping on walls, any high supports, fences and buildings.
Single-plane supports
The result of tying grapes to a single-plane structure will be the development of the bush in one plane. This type of support consists of a series of pillars, between which a metal wire is stretched. Pros:
- low manufacturing complexity;
- relatively low cost;
- facilitating plant maintenance;
- the possibility of planting flowers and vegetables between the rows of trellises.
The downside is that it is impossible to tie a large number of bushes to one support. It is also undesirable to use such structures for placing vigorous varieties of vines - there is a possibility of thickening the plantings, which will negatively affect the yield.
A single-plane trellis is suitable for cultivating technical varieties or producing cuttings. For growing table grapes, it is recommended to choose a different support structure.
Choosing a location for a vineyard
It should be understood that the trellis is not a temporary structure. It is installed for many years. This means that choosing a location for a vineyard should be approached responsibly. Find a free area on the site that is well lit by the sun. The rows of supports should be oriented in the server-south direction. This method allows you to achieve uniform illumination of the plant throughout the daylight hours.
These trellises are a prime example of how you can use the empty space between rows. As you can see, it is densely planted
The required gap between rows cannot be less than 2 meters. If the plot is small and we are faced with the task of using all its space as efficiently as possible, the row spacing can be used, for example, for planting vegetables. But in this case the trellis design should be single-plane.
Biplane supports
This trellis consists of a pair of vertical support devices per row of vines. As a result, the bush develops in two planes at once. Pros:
- this design allows you to maximize lighting, ventilation and pollination of plants;
- the use of a two-plane support ensures higher quality grapes.
The photo of these trellises shows that they can be:
- straight;
- in the form of the Latin letter “V”;
- in a "Y" shape.
When choosing the type of device, you need to focus on the varietal characteristics of the grapes.
Introduction
Grapes are a vine with long, thin and very flexible shoots.
If they have nothing to support them, the shoots and berries will end up on the ground. They will be eaten by insects and small animals, the amount of sunlight will be insufficient, the plant will not be able to develop and will quickly die.
Therefore, to effectively grow grapes, it is necessary to provide them with optimal conditions. These include installing support structures called trellises.
Columnar trellis
It is distinguished by its simplicity of design, does not require the use of any special circuits, and is divided into one- and two-plane. Creation algorithm:
- Dig the required number of holes. Minimum depth – 0.6m.
- Install pillars in them.
- Fill the holes with soil/concrete mixture and compact them.
- Pull the wire horizontally, maintaining a distance of 0.5 m between the wire rows.
Half-arch
The semi-arched support for grapes is distinguished by a curved top, similar to a canopy. It creates shading, as a result of which it is appropriate to install a bench or table under it.
It is recommended to choose such designs when the vineyard area is limited. They involve growing plants in one row, and it is permissible to simultaneously plant several types of vines with different ripening periods.
Pergola
This variation of an arched grape support can be made of wood or metal. Used for powerful hybrids. It looks like several arches united by a lattice ceiling. Advantages:
- provides high-quality lighting for each leaf;
- allows the bunches not to come into contact with the bush, which has a beneficial effect on the health of the grapes, and also simplifies its assembly;
- facilitates the treatment of vines with special preparations.
Useful tips
- To make your site look beautiful even after the grape leaves have fallen and the trellis posts are exposed, you can paint the pipes of the supports to resemble birch trees. The view will be very aesthetic.
- Some gardeners try to use special plastic nets to arrange trellises. For example, a trellis net for cucumbers. This option has some minor positives. Namely, the speed of installation and the absence of the need to tie up the vine during the summer growing season. The vine itself will cling to the mesh and stretch upward.
- But the option with plastic or steel mesh (for example, chain-link mesh) has a very big drawback. When the vine becomes intertwined with such a net, the process of autumn pruning will be very complicated.
- To prevent the racks from falling inside the trellis under the weight of the grapes, they can be supported with an ordinary wooden log with a diameter of about 7 cm and a length of 90 - 100 cm.
Sedatives for medium breed dogs source.
What are grape supports made of?
Before you make a trellis for grapes, you need to stock up on the necessary materials. Supports for the vine are made by:
- Made of wood. Wood is characterized by softness, so it is easy to process. However, in order for wooden structures to look most impressive, the wood needs to be polished. In addition, it is worth remembering that this material is not durable.
- Fittings. It is customary to make the top of arched support devices from it. Due to its flexibility, it cannot be used in the manufacture of rigid structures.
- Pipes. The rigidity of such material does not allow it to bend. Therefore, it can be used to create supports for any structural solution. The grape support made of profile pipes is durable and of excellent quality.
Some craftsmen manage to make a trellis from gypsum plasterboard profiles, PVC pipes, etc.
Wire
The support wire must be durable and not subject to corrosion. The grapes can grow for about 50 years. Therefore, it is better to choose high-quality materials once than to carry out repairs several years later.
The metal thread must have a high zinc content. This increases the service life of the wire by 3 times. The metal density should be about 230 g/m². Such material elongates by only 5%. This is a good indicator that allows you to grow heavy grape branches on a trellis.
The wire may also contain carbon. This also has a positive effect on its durability. The thread does not rust or sag. It will rarely need to be tightened.
Recommendations for selecting material and support options
When choosing a material and design solution for a trellis device, you need to be guided by a number of points:
- By weight. It is better to use lightweight materials - they are easier to work with.
- Dimensions. Depends on the type of trellis.
- Rigidity. The material must be rigid and not bend - this is the only way the support will support the vine.
- Durability. A metal support will last the longest; a wooden one will deteriorate faster.
- The size of the garden. If the area is limited, it is better to install one- or two-plane structures.
- Financial opportunities. Moreover, it is recommended not to save money, but to immediately build a high-quality trellis.
The role of size and height of supports
The geometric parameters of grape trellises depend on several factors, of which we can highlight:
- selected type of support;
- region;
- vineyard size.
For example, the standard height for one- and two-plane structures is 1.5 - 2 m, for arches - 2 m or more.
If you live in northern latitudes, then the trellises should have a height of 1.8 - 2.2 m. Do you live in the south? You can make them a little taller.
Features and techniques of tying vines to a support
When gartering a grape bush, you need to consider the following:
- During work, it is forbidden to bend the branches excessively, so as not to block the access of nutrients to them.
- To tie the vine, it is recommended to use a special wire rope covered with paper.
- To properly tie the bush to the support, you need to pass the garter flagellum in a figure eight. This way the branches will not be damaged by the wire.
- For grapes with buds, laying in an arc or horizontally is necessary.
A do-it-yourself grape trellis allows you to keep the bushes healthy and also get a high-quality and rich harvest. It can also become a decoration of the landscape or a means of zoning it.
It can also be used when growing other plants, for example, raspberries and climbing flowers. Therefore, it is useful to master the skills of creating it in artisanal conditions.
Bush formation
There are several ways to shape a grape bush. The fan-sleeve approach is recognized as one of the most convenient. Seedlings should be buried in the ground so that the upper eye is underground at a level of about 7-10 cm. In this case, the likelihood of a trunk forming is significantly reduced. With this method of planting, the vine bends easily to the soil.
If it is necessary to give the bush the correct shape, molding is carried out over several years. In the first year, you need to grow 4 healthy, strong shoots. Weak vines are removed immediately. In autumn, the plant is shortened to 80-100 cm in height.
Next year, the grapes are gartered in the spring. The fan principle applies. On these branches you need to grow 2 more shoots. The eyes should be removed immediately after swelling. Only the top two sprouts are left. If the harvest appears, there is no need to leave more than half of the bunch on the sleeve. In autumn, the buds on the lower shoots are removed.
In the third year, you need to tie up all the shoots horizontally. On the replacement shoot, you need to cut off the inflorescences. Only two remain. One of them is directed away from the center. He will become a replacement in a year. In autumn, a harvest of about 5 kg or more is harvested.
Having considered what size trellis for grapes you need to choose, you can properly grow this crop on your site.
