How to Plant Vines

The Lilacs were in bloom when the planting was done.

This is the box I received from Double A Vineyards on 4/21/09.

Inside the box were the vines, a receipt, planting instructions, and instructions on how to use Blue X Grow Tubes.

The vines are packed in a plastic bag.

I took the bag out of the box.

The bare root vines are vey damp, and the roots are surrounded with wet shredded newspaper.

When the vines were separated, they had a slight twist to them. The vines were restored to their original straightness, once they had a chance to unwind.

I ordered 17 Noiret...

15 Traminette...

and 18 Corot Noir, for a total of 50 vines.

I planted one cultivar type at a time, digging all the associated holes before starting to plant. I also soaked the bare roots in a bucket of water for an hour or so prior to planting. This is done to rehydrate the vines.

If you look close, you can see the vines soaking in a bucket of water on the wagon. The roots will be tangled, so you need to separate them before planting.

The holes are ~18 inches deep, and about the size of a 5 gallon bucket.

I try to make a small mound in the bottom of the hole, and then spread the roots around, heading them in different directions. Then I add a little bit of soil, and pack it down.

Then I throw in a shovelful of compost.

Add more soil, and make sure the roots are still separated. At this time, you need to make sure the height of the vine is targeted to be in the correct position, then fill the hole to the top.

I use a plumbob and tape measure to ensure the vine is planted in the correct spot under the trellis wires, and that the vine spacing is correct.

I then compress the soil with my foot.

This is what the vine looks like in it's new home.

Then I put a grow tube on the vine. I attached two 3/8" bamboo stakes to the trellis wires using my Prothec vine tying tool. One of the bamboo stakes is inside the grow tube, and one is on the outside. This allows me to tie the grow tube to the outside stake, and the inside stake helps to keep the grow tube from constricting. Then I make an ring of soil around the base of the vine to retain water. Notice that I bury the bottom of the grow tube to prevent a chimney affect, and allow the grow tube to create the greenhouse effect it is designed to do.

This is what it looks like from a ways off.

It was a lot of work, but I replaced all my undesirable vines with the vines that work very well in my cold climate. All three cultivars make an excellent varietal wine. I am really excited about the future of my vineyard... It will have only the three cultivars, which will make operations a lot easier, and the wines a lot better!

I planted 46 vines in the ground, and planted 4 spare vines in pots.

Ginger was a huge help... she is a great assistant.

The lilacs looked great and smelled terrific.

This is what one of the vines looked like two weeks after planting.

This is what another vine looked like, also two weeks after planting.

Don't be reluctant to plant a backyard vineyard... it's easy, lots of fun, and the wine tastes great too!