Grape vines can be grown in almost any type of soil and climate. The Know How to Grow Grape Vines will give you the information you need to when it comes to planting, growing, and harvesting the fruit from your grape vines.
The planting of bunch grapes should be should be accomplished in January or February. The vines should be planted in rows 8 feet apart and space 12 feet apart. The vines should be planted the same depth as they were growing in the nursery. The vines should be planted in sandy loam soil. Bunch grapes do not produce well in heavy clay soil. If your vines are grafted the graft union should be 2 inches above the final soil level. The bunch grape requires a long growing season. The best climate for bunch grapes is relatively high summer temperatures and low atmospheric humidity. Furthermore the ripening season should be free from rain and midwinter temperatures.
A good grape for planting in the southeastern United States is Muscadine Grape. The Muscadine is well adapted to the warm, humid conditions of the southeastern United States. The vines grow and produce well when planted in full sun on fertile, well-drained soils with good water holding capacity. The soil pH of the soil should be adjusted to 6.5. The vines should be planted in soil tilled to a depth of 20 to24 inches. The vines should be planted 1 inch deeper than the grew in the nursery. The plants should be planted about 20 feet apart, with the rows being about 12 feet apart. A trellis system will need to be built for the grape vines to run on.
The trellis system for running vines should be built out of at least 4 inch post about 8 feet tall, with 5 feet sticking up out of the ground. The post should be placed about 20 feet apart in rows about 12 feet apart. The end post should be braced well. When the grapes are in full production the trellises will be carrying a great deal of weigh. The last thing you want is for your trellises to break and hit the ground with grapes almost ready to pick. After setting all your post run a run a number 9 galvanized wire about 3 inches from the ground. The top of the trellises will have two wire running side-by-side about 4 feet apart. This type trellis gives the grape vines plenty of running room.
The best time to plant the Muscadine vines during the winter while the plants are dormant. The plants will need regular pruning. The grapes grow from new growth produced from buds on the previous season