Spring Planting and Care for Grapevines: A Few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Southwest Yard & Garden
by guest writer, Dr. Gill Giese, NMSU
Extension Viticulture Specialist
Guest author Dr. Gill Giese (NMSU Extension Viticulture Specialist) and regular author Dr. Marisa Thompson (NMSU Extension Horticulture Specialist) are both based at the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Los Lunas. Find links to more information and Dr. Giese's blog below.
Planting hole is large enough to accommodate roots on bareroot
grapevine. Notice the hole is “stale” because it was pre-dug about two weeks
before the vines were ready to plant. It should be “refreshed” with a hand rake
or similar tool so the roots have a chance to grow out laterally. Photo
credit Dr. Gill Giese.
1.
How big should the planting hole
be?
The hole pictured above is about
two feet wide and deep—perhaps a bit of overkill—but the hole should be big
enough to accommodate the roots and provide adequate space. This wide hole will
help to prevent the dreaded “J-rooting,” when the vine’s longer roots get bent
into a J shape to fit the hole and will likely never thrive and will die
prematurely.
Use the same soil you dug out to
fill the hole, without any amendments. After planting, the graft union should
end up about 4 inches above the settled soil line.
Adding fertilizer to the planting hole is not advised when
planting bareroot or potted grapevines. Wait 2–3 years until the vine gets
established, and add a complete liquid fertilizer only if needed. Always be
sure to read labels and follow directions. Remember that the European cultivars
like our alkaline (high pH) soils but the American types do not. The latter
will likely benefit from a chelated iron product since iron is minimally
available in high pH soils.
2.
How do I “line up” the new vines
in a row?
An easy way to set up for planting in rows is to use a string
secured with bungee cords between line posts, with plastic flagging tape tied
at 4 ft intervals to mark where holes should be dug (see photo above). This method
allows almost perfect alignment and spacing of newly planted vines without
getting in the way of the process.
Photo credit Dr. Gill Giese.
3.
How cold-hardy are different
types/species?
There are many types and species of grapes that can be
successfully cultured in the home garden/vineyard. The most vulnerable or least
cold-hardy are the European grapes Vitis
vinifera, the grape that is most common for wine grapes (Cabernet
Sauvignon, Chardonnay, etc.) and many popular seedless table grapes (Thompson
Seedless, Princess, etc.). Concord and Niagara are popular “American” grapes
and are of the Vitis labruscana
species. And then there are hybrids. American types are the most cold-hardy and
hybrids are intermediate between American and European types.
Visit the blog version of this column for a chart showing the
variable cold hardiness of various cultivars (https://nmsudesertblooms.blogspot.com).
Also visit the blog by NMSU Extension Viticulture Specialist Dr. Gill Giese to
follow grape research projects around the state (https://nmsuloslunasasc.blogspot.com).
For more information on cultivars recommended for New Mexico, check out the
recently revised NMSU Extension Guide H-309, “Grape Varieties for North-central
New Mexico,” at https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/H309/welcome.html. Lots more info on grape-growing can be found at https://aces.nmsu.edu/ces/viticulture/.
This table is from Freezing and Survival
Mechanisms of Grapevines, by Dr. Imed Dami of Ohio State University, and is
contained in the publication Understanding
and Preventing Freeze Damage in Grapevines, available at https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/2217/UnderstandingPreventingFreezeDamage.pdf?sequence=1.
4.
Should I use grow tubes?
Grow tubes are usually white or other colored plastic and a foot
or so tall. There are advantages and disadvantages to using grow tubes. Many
commercial growers use the tubes to protect the young vines from herbicides
they apply to control weeds. This is the main reason for their use in that
setting. If you can control the weeds manually without damaging the trunks with
weed whackers, the grow tubes are not necessary. Weedeater disease, as it’s
called, is a death sentence. Below are some advantages and disadvantages listed
for your consideration:
Advantages
· Increased
vine growth via:
o
Increased temperatures when ambient temperatures are cool
o
Protection from the wind
· Protection
from critters
· Protection
from herbicide spray (and reduction in labor costs)
· Decreased
water use requirement
· Some
are reusable
Disadvantages
· High
temperatures may melt wax on grafted vines and could compromise the graft union
· Diseases
and insects can proliferate in tubes and be hidden from view. For this reason,
some nurseries will not guarantee plants when grow tubes are used.
· Weeds
in tubes can be a hassle because they’re hard to access
For more
gardening information, including
decades of archived Southwest Yard & Garden columns, visit the NMSU
Extension Horticulture page (http://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/),
follow us on social media (@NMDesertBlooms), or contact your County Extension
office (https://aces.nmsu.edu/county).
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