DIY grape stands: plans, photos

One of the most important techniques in grape cultivation is trellis tying. This technique is essential for shaping the vines and providing support. Heavy berry clusters, as well as to ensure uniform sunlight coverage of all vine branches. You can hire a team of builders to construct the trellis, or install it yourself. Let's figure out how to make grape supports yourself.

Why is support necessary?

Grapevines are naturally vines, and their branches cannot grow vertically without support. Branches lying on the ground rot from excess moisture, their leaves turn yellow from lack of sunlight, and the berries ripen small. Plants grown on a trellis receive more heat and light, thereby receiving more nutrients from the sun. Supporting grapevines advances fruiting and increases the sugar content of the berries.

Advantages of growing vines on supports:

• vertical cultivation of vines allows for dense plantings;
• Vertical cultivation ensures maximum light exposure to each leaf. This accelerates photosynthesis and increases yield;
• uniform illumination of berries increases their sweetness and sugar content;
• Branches raised vertically are well ventilated. Good ventilation protects plants from fungal diseases. This reduces the need for labor-intensive spraying of plants with chemical solutions.

Choosing a location for planting grapes

Grapes are very heat-loving, so choose a well-lit location for the vineyard. Avoid placing plants near structures that provide dense shade. Protect the plantings from northerly winds with a fence or stone wall. Grape roots extend several meters into the soil, so a high water table can kill the plants.

Materials for making trellises

Gardeners use any available materials for support. Suitable support posts include:

• metal and polypropylene pipes;
• corners, channels;
• wooden posts or beams.

To tie the vine to the trellis, use various types of wire, plastic-insulated electrical wire, fishing line, or nylon cord.

Necessary tools

To successfully complete a project, you need the right set of tools. The choice and quantity of tools depends entirely on the materials being used:

• To mark the material you will need a tape measure, a square, a level, a water level, a pencil, and a marker;
• for working with plastic pipes - a pipe welding machine, a hacksaw;
• for the production of metal structures – a welding machine, an angle grinder, a drill, drills, bolts and nuts;
• for working with wood - chainsaw, hammer, screwdriver, nails, self-tapping screws;
• for carrying out anti-corrosion and antiseptic work - brushes, roller;
• for carrying out earthworks and concrete works – a concrete mixer, measuring buckets, a shovel and a bayonet shovels, a concrete tray;
• for tying vines to a trellis - scissors, a knife, nippers.

Trellis options

Three main types of trellises are used in grape growing: single-plane, double-plane, and arched. Each is designed for a specific climate and growing technology.

Single-plane

The simplest solution is a single-plane structure. To construct it, dig a row of posts into the ground and stretch 3-4 rows of wire between them, to which the vine branches are then attached. The posts are 170-220 cm high, with a distance of 3-4 meters between them. For tensioning, use 3 mm diameter wire, which is attached to the posts every 40-50 cm.

Advantages of single-plane design:

• low cost of materials;
• quick construction of trellises;
• good ventilation and lighting of branches.

Disadvantages of single-plane design:

• low plant density;
• Garters on single-plane supports are absolutely not suitable for tall varieties with a large number of branches.

L-shaped or semi-arched support

A variation of the single-plane structure is the L-shaped or semi-arched support. It is used to create fences, screens, and small semi-awnings for creating recreation areas in small garden plots. This type of support is well suited for plants with active green growth. In northern regions, growing plants on L-shaped supports helps capture additional solar radiation through the leaves.

Two-plane T-shaped

Double-layer structures are essential for high-yielding grape varieties. Vine branches tied to such a structure are distributed in several tiers, thereby evenly distributing light to the foliage.

Advantages of a two-planevine garters:

• two-plane garter provides good lighting and ventilation of the bushes;
• the garter provides good access to flowers for pollinating insects;
• This method ensures high plant growth density;
• well-formed plants bear fruit abundantly;
• The powerful bushes provide abundant shade, so the soil beneath them always remains moist.

Double-plane supports are made in a Y- or T-shape. In the first case, the supporting strips are attached to the post at a 45-degree angle, while in the second, they are attached at a 90-degree angle. The posts are 160-200 cm high, with a horizontal strip span of up to 150 cm. The distance between posts in a row is 3 meters.

Two-plane V-shaped

A more complex design involves digging two posts into a single hole, installing them at an angle to form a V. To fix the angle of the posts, the holes are concreted. The distance between the posts at the bottom of the V is 40-50 cm, and at the top, 100-110 cm. The posts are 180-200 cm high. A distance of 5-7 meters is maintained between pairs of posts within a row. Wire with a diameter of 3 mm is stretched between the posts every 50 cm.

Arched structures

Arched vine supports are used to create arbors, alleys, screens, or garden rooms in gardens. Tall varieties, reaching 4-5 meters in height, are suitable for growing on these supports. To create a beautiful arch, long branches should be guided along the outer perimeter of the structure.

Arches are typically factory-made from bent metal sections. Openwork forged structures produced in blacksmith shops are particularly beautiful. Because semicircular arches are difficult to make at home, the cost of constructing structures from such supports is quite high. To save money on construction, home craftsmen purchase only the top of the arch from specialized stores and use ordinary metal pipes for the supporting pillars. The most cost-effective arch support option is a canopy made of straight U-shaped posts.

How to make a straight single-plane trellis yourself

Making a single-plane support yourself takes very little time. For fast and high-quality work, follow these steps:

1. At the location where the future fence will be installed, markings are made, the contours of the future support are outlined, and a cord is pulled.
2. A hole 40-50 cm deep is dug and a post is installed in it. The post can be a wooden beam or section of log, a metal or PVC pipe, a metal profile, or an angle iron. The post is 2.5 meters long. The post is leveled vertically, and the hole is filled with concrete.
3. After the concrete has set, mark the post for tensioning the cable. The first mark is made at a height of 50 cm, with subsequent marks at 40 cm intervals.
4. Self-tapping screws are screwed into wooden or PVC posts at the marked locations. In metal posts, holes with a diameter of 6-8 mm are drilled and bolts are inserted.
5. The next pillars are installed 3 meters away from the first one.
6. For horizontal shoring, use a metal cable coated in PVC. It is secured to the posts with bolts or screws.

Formation of grapes

Formation of grapes This is necessary to distribute the grapes evenly across the support and prevent the branches from becoming dense. The method of formation is chosen based on the regional climate, the grape variety, and the site's location. Over the long history of grape cultivation, several plant formation methods have been developed.

Sleeve formation

The advantage of this method is the dense planting on the support. A "branch" is a branch that the grower leaves for fruiting in the spring. The shaping process is carried out every spring. In the first year of life, several pairs of strong branches growing nearby are selected, and the rest are pruned. In each pair, three buds are left on the first branch, and nine on the second. The ends of the branches are pruned. The longer branch begins to bear fruit abundantly in the second year and is pruned in the fall. In the fall of the second year, the two strongest shoots are found on the shorter branch, and the rest are pruned. Next, shaping is carried out, leaving one shoot for fruiting and the other for replacement. A similar process is carried out every year.

Fan-shaped vine formation system

The fan-shaped vine training system differs from the sleeve system in the number of branches (sleeves) left for fruiting. With the correct system, 5-6 pairs of branches are left in the first year of growth, tying them to a fan-shaped support. The sleeves are then formed, leaving one branch for replacement and one for fruiting in each pair. This results in a vigorous plant with many fruiting branches, producing a large harvest.

Tying up the vine

Dry tying of branches

With "dry" tying, dry branches from last year's growth near the trellis are pulled and tied to the wire. By tying old branches to the support wire, the grower forms the "skeleton" of the tree.

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"Green" garter of young shoots

During "Green" tying, young branches 35-40 centimeters long are tied to the wire. Flexible branches can be tied at any angle, evenly filling the entire support area. Once the shoots reach the next wire level, the tying is repeated. The plant formed in this way receives the maximum amount of solar energy.

Reviews

Nikolay, 43 years old

We made a gazebo on our property - arched canopyA metal angle was dug into the ground, a frame was installed on top, and a square profile ceiling was laid on top of it. The entire structure was made from standard metal profiles, so the cost was very low.

Elena, 36 years old

Instead of a fence, we've installed single-plane trellises with grapevines around the entire perimeter of our garden. We train the vines along the wire in a fan-shaped formation. The result is a beautiful fence and a bountiful harvest every year.

Conclusion

Installing trellises and tying grapevines to them doesn't require much time or tools. Properly installed and treated with protective compounds, the supports will last for many years, and properly trained and tied plants will delight their owners with a bountiful harvest.