Muscadine orientation

Quick Question:

How do I orient my muscadine trellises. East /West or North/South ? Or does it matter? I will have two rows.

If it’s flat,the north-south direction will not block the sun, and the light resources will be used reasonably. If it is an east-west slope, it can be used in the east-west direction.

It is a bit of a north south slope. Southern expose. How far apart should I set the trellises? 10 feet?

It is suggested to choose the north-south direction. Interval needs to be answered by more experienced friends.

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I have also seen the recommendation to use the north-south direction. Because of space limitations I just had to fit my vines in wherever I could. If I had more space I would go with north-south.

I don’t know the answer to the directional question but a heavy shaded area from trees will significantly reduce vine growth and production.

I’ve had the best growth and fruiting from grapes that get a little afternoon shade. The ones in full sun appreciate some kaolin clay in the peak of summer, but we’re at 29° latitude. D

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Given the southern slope of your property, orienting north/south makes sense. Muscadines can be planted as close as 15’ X 15’ though I do not recommend this if you have enough room. The method of trellising also affects spacing. I use a T arrangement with 2 wires 3 feet apart down the length of the row. My vines are spaced 16 feet apart in the row by 15 feet between rows. If I had more room, I would have put them 20’ X 15’. For mechanically harvested commercial plantings, a single wire trellis is the best choice with vines 20 to 25 feet apart in the row.

Well I was going to try 100’ rows since that is the same length as my orchard rows. I have some rocky soil so I don’t want to set wood posts the digging is way too much work. I was thinking of driving T posts and bracing them. Wanting to get this set up before the season starts.