Larry and Pam Crawford want to join the growing number of Americans who participate in the hobby of winemaking. Their new home in the San Francisco Bay area provides the perfect opportunity to pursue their dream. The yard surrounding their home offers ample space, and the couple enlists the help of landscape architect Terry Camp to turn the bare earth into a productive and attractive vineyard. Camp suggests locating the vineyard on one side of the house, with the expanse extending toward the front; a winding gravel path through the property will tie the vineyard with the rest of the yard. He recommends planting a small rose garden along the path with a seating area from which both the blooms and the vineyard can be enjoyed. The Crawfords hope their vineyard provides not only great wine, but also juice for their children and a link with the community, where neighbors can help crush the grapes and enjoy the wine.
Camp estimates that a professional installation of a vineyard such as this--along with the rest of the project--will generally cost around $6,000. He explains the project is not technically difficult but is labor intensive, so homeowners could save money by doing the work themselves; in this scenario, the cost would be around $1,500. On a difficulty scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the hardest, Camp rates this project a "2".
Step One: Preparing the Ground
To get the project underway, landscape contractor Norman Marciel prepares the soil by rototilling the vineyard area; tillers can be rented from almost any tool-rental store. He rakes the soil completely and spreads pure horse manure over the entire planting area, explaining that it will thoroughly enrich the soil.
Next, Marciel turns the soil again with the rototiller to supply the vines with needed nutrients. Then, he adds a high-iron fertilizer with a spreader and outlines the rows for the trellis system, placing them five feet apart. He also marks the spots for the T-posts in the rows, which will be placed six feet apart.
Step Two: Setting the Posts
Marciel sets the eight-foot pine posts at the end of each row. He buries the posts three feet deep and pours angular gravel into the holes, filling them a little at a time and packing the gravel firmly as he proceeds. He fills the top third of the holes with soil, which he also packs firmly in place. This method of setting the posts anchors them as securely as if they were set in concrete.
Note: For any project that requires digging deep holes for posts or other structures, it's essential to contact the local utility company before getting started to make sure no telephone, electrical or other lines will be disturbed or damaged by the digging.
Between the posts, Marciel drives in medium-weight, seven-foot-long T-posts. He uses a post driver to force these into the ground.
Next, he installs the wire on which the vines will grow. As in most vineyards, heavy 12-1/2-guage galvanized wire is used here for its stiffness and durability, which will provide sufficient support for the vines as they grow along its length.
Marciel uses heavy construction staples to attach the wire to the pine posts at both ends of the row. Then, he secures the wire to the T-posts using the fence clips that are sold with the posts. Finally, he uses the U-shaped bolts that are sold with the crosspieces to attach them to the T-posts, and hooks the wires on the crosspieces to complete the trellis.
Step Three: Selecting and Planting the Vines and Roses
Viticulturist Daniel Robledo says grapes can be grown anywhere in the United States. He advises vineyard growers to contact a regional farm advisor or a local university to find out what grapes grow best in their specific area. According to Robledo, each vine generally yields three or four bottles of wine. The varieties he selects are chosen for both their large juice yield and great flavor.
Horticulturist Jackie Williams Courtright encourages grape growers to plant roses near their vineyards. She explains that both roses and grapes are subject to powdery mildew and pests, but notes that roses will show signs of the mildew first, indicating the right time to protect the grapevines.
Here, Courtright plants a rose bush on the end of each row. Not only do these make wonderful companion plants for the grapevines, they also add beautiful color and fragrance to the vineyard.
She also places a small arbor for climbing roses at one end of the vineyard, creating a small enclosed vantage point that provides a view of the growing grapes. She further embellishes the area with container roses, creating a romantic, old-European feel. Courtright recommends using both full-sized plants and miniature varieties that bear full-sized blooms; she also advises heavy mulching or the use of burlap for protecting roses in colder climates.
Featured plants include:
Rosa 'Cecile Brunner' Zones 5-9
Rosa 'Raspberry Punch' Zones 9-11
As Courtright finishes planting the roses, Marciel returns to plant the grapevines. He advises letting the bare root of a grapevine warm for three to seven days after it's taken out of cold storage. Once it has been allowed to warm, the vine is soaked in water and planted. Marciel says vines should be planted between March and the end of May; in just a few months, they will be covered with leaves.
To plant the vines, Marciel digs a hole about 18 inches deep and fills it with water. After allowing the water to drain, he plants the grapevines, positioning them next to each stake with the spurs facing it. Then, he fills the holes with soil, making sure the graft union stays four to six inches above the ground. Finally, he mounds the young vines with soil to protect them from the sun and pests, but buries them no more than two inches above the top shoots; in a few months, the vines will grow through the mounds. (Marciel emphasizes the importance of not packing the soil too firmly, which can prevent the vine from growing).
Marciel's son, Dan, also a landscape contractor, recommends placing plastic guards around the vines to protect them from deer and to encourage rapid growth. He shows how to place the plastic guards around the young vines, making sure to get all the leaves inside. He uses stretch tape to tie the guards together, then he ties them to the stakes to hold them in place and prevent them from being blown about in the wind. When the vines grow to the top of the guards, the guards will be removed; they should also be removed if the weather gets too warm; otherwise, the vines may be scorched. A full crop of grapes can be expected in about three years.
Step Four: The Finished Mini Vineyard
Before the project began, the Crawfords had only a large, empty yard without plants, structure or color. Now, neatly laid rows of trellises provide the support for a soon-to-be-thriving vineyard, while the beautiful rose garden adds romance and enchantment to the newly completed landscape.
)
)
