How to grow a grape vine

The best way to learn how to grape vine is to learn how not to grow a grape vine.   I’m serious, pick out the location where you want your grape vine, dig a hole and put it in the ground.  The worst that can happen is your vine didn’t grow.   Who cares.  In that case, pull out your dead grape vine, put it in a vase and laugh about it with your friends the next time they are over. 

Chances are though, as long as you have a healthy dormant grape vine and as long as you put it in the ground the right way (roots go down, haha) you are going to at least have some form of success. What your vine grow for a year and trust me you will have even more questions than you do now.

Here’s your little list for getting that vine in the ground.  I am going to focus on what is important

• Buy a bare-root dormant vine
• Remove all the weeds around the vine at least two feet in all directions.  Keep those weeds off the vine throughout the entire growing year.
• Get some fertilizer or compost down the year before if possible.  If someone told you that vines don’t need food, they were lying.   
• Dig hole, vine in hole, put dirt back in hole.

Remember, this is your first vine.  It doesn’t have to be perfect.  Each year you are going to learn something and apply what you learned the next year.

If you want to be the best grape grower, you have to make mistakes feeling at times like the worst grape grower.

Now that you have your first vine in the ground, it’s time to start researching mildew control, installing a trellis and how to keep your neighbours from eating your grapes a week before harvest.

All that can wait though.  Have a glass of wine. It’s time to celebrate the beginning of your vineyard!