Grape Vines for Sale

If you’re in the process of starting up a vineyard, you’ll know what a tremendous investment it can be. There are not only resources to consider but a whole heaping lot of money too. If you don’t have a good site for planting grape vines then you’re dooming your venture before it’s even started.

There are a lot of things that you need to consider when evaluating a site for suitability for planting grape vines on the scale of a vineyard. You have got to able to answer the flowing questions:

·        Is the site prone to flooding?

·        What are the minimum and maximum temperatures I’m likely to encounter?

·        What kind of snowfall can I expect?

·        Does the soil have good internal drainage?

·        Am I going to have to set up an irrigation system or is there enough rainfall?

·        How steep is the slope?

·        Is there a natural windbreak or will I need to set up one?

Let’s go a little further into some of the things you should take into consideration when choosing your site.

Check your soil:

Grape vines get their nutrients from the soil. It is therefore crucial that the soil can meet their needs. The ideal area for planting grape vines is one that has a thin top soil and subsoil which exhibits both a sufficient level of water retention but also good drainage. The soil should extend to a depth of at least two feet without any obstructions.

The reason why so much emphasis is put on drainage when learning how to grow grapes is the fact that root rot is all too likely if rain water is allowed to accumulate around the roots and displace the surrounding oxygen. If this happens it can kill the vine. Subsoil which shows a mottled or dark grey color usually indicates poor drainage. On the other hand, subsoil which appears bright and of a uniformly brown color usually had good drainage.

If your soil appears very sticky then there’s a good chance that you’ve got too high a clay content and too much water is likely to be retained. The best soil for planting grape vines are those which have a texture ranging from sandy loams to silty-clay loams.

Don’t forget the water:

When planting grape vines, it is essential that a proper irrigation system is set up. This is especially important if the planting season is dry, in which case the vines will definitely need a supplemental source of water. Proper watering increases the odds of survival a great deal. In addition, mature vines must have enough moisture throughout summer to ensure proper growth and ripening of fruit. They also need water so that they can develop suitable buds for the next year’s crop.

Consider your slope:

Steep slopes are obviously more prone to soil erosion. Very steep slopes can also pose a barrier to the use of various types of machinery. The orientation of the slope can also be a problem. South facing slopes often exhibit earlier spring growth and this can bring about an increased risk of frost injury. However, north facing slopes tend to be a bit cooler and this has the potential to delay vine growth enough to avoid such injuries.

Another way of avoiding frost injuries is by planting grape vines on a slope of approximately 2 to 3 percent. The science behind this is the fact that as cold air moves down, it draws warmer air from the higher layers. If you’ve got your vineyard planted in a low area, that’s where the cold air is going to settle, and this can damage your fruit.

You’re not going to be able to just uproot your plants and carry them somewhere else if you realize that you’ve chosen the wrong spot. That’s why you need to take the needs of your particular grape variety into consideration before you get around to planting grape vines.