Hello, I’d like to embark on growing a few varieties of table grapes. I’d also like to learn (and see examples of) various options for home trellising, espalier systems and arbor designs.
I’ve only been growing fruit for a couple years and learned most of what I know from the book Holistic Orchard, and talking to farmer friends. I live in NY, zone 6b and am brand new grapes.
All recommendations appreciated!
I was just going through this website. There are a few designs including an arbor.
Check out this book from local library
by Cox, Jeff
Was just about to post something sumular.
How do I tension wire trellises?
I bought plenty of Mr. Garden @ Trellises But I am crap at getting the wire tought.
Using turn buckles. See this picture of a trellis I put together for a grape with 4x4 posts, 1/8th " steel wire rope and 7" turnbuckles (on the left).
I love my arbor. There was a lady on the thread that selected my arbor as one of the examples in some documentation that she was developing.
a cheap alternative is a cattle panel with t posts every 4ft. very sturdy and easy to set up. can put 2 vines on a 16fter. a lazy man’s trellis.
@DennisD do you think this book will still be helpful, even if I don’t intend on growing grapes for wine?
@Oregon_Fruit_Grow that was a fascinating cordon breakdown, super clear. And inspiring! Id like to learn about a few more decorative methods before commiting to a planting plan.
Clark has some nice pics somewhere of the grapes he grows on cattle panels… I think its all that a person needs for personal consumption myself.
Not a book but Tom Zabadal has a great and underutilized series of videos on grapes on YouTube. YT name is “Tom”.
When you think about the purpose of a grape trellis it’s basically twofold. To maximize sun exposure and to provide space between fruits to minimize mildew and other diseases. Since there are several methods of pruning that the trellis must be designed for to facilitate crop production the book reviews all of those details for various situations. It’s a very comprehensive guide for growing grapes probably more than you need if you are only concerned about aesthetics.
Dennis
Thanks so much for taking the time to send over this video series resource! It seems to be a pretty comprehensive introduction to grapes. I’d recommend it to anyone else who is a beginner.
Awesome. I went ahead and ordered it!
I’ve also seen someone lay a cattle panel horizontally on 6 7ft. 4 x 4’s. that would work well also.
I have that Jeff Cox book, and while the later part is about how to make wine, the front half is how to grow grapes in a variety of ways. It has some details about heat zones, its probably a little out of date zone wise, but in New York state you probably have more choices. A really great book about just growing grapes is “The grape grower” by Lon J. Rombough. it has some trellis details.
The Grape Grower, A Guide to Organic Grape Production, by Lon Rombaugh, is an excellent publication covering all aspects for growing grapes. It covers the fundamentals and should be in the library of anyone who wants to know how to grow grapes. An unusual source for learning about trellis systems and training systems is the Midwest Grape Production Guide from Ohio State University. It includes some excellent charts. The Wine Grape Production Guide For Eastern North America is excellent for anyone east of the Rocky Mountains. It covers every aspect of grape growing, and while focused on commercial growers, it is a great education for home grape growers as well.
