Resources for home grape growers

Whether you are growing 10 vines or 10,000 we think there's room for everyone to grow grapes. Grapevines are incredibly resilient and a great plant to experiment with. You can grow them for fruit, wine or ornamentation. And we want you to know what you're getting yourself into before you dig hundreds of holes!

Start by doing some research before you plant. Find a good growing site, figure out what varieties will do well there, and calculate the costs to plant and maintain your site. We cannot stress the importance of planning and understanding the hours and cost that can go into establishing and managing a vineyard. Which leads us to our first tip…

one year old grapevine — *Happy one-year-old vine at our home farm.*

START SMALL

First and foremost - start small! Like 10 - 50 vines small! If you're not planning on growing commercially or producing wine to sell, you do not need an acre of vines to make that home batch of wine, we promise! Starting small gives you a chance to learn the ropes without feeling overwhelmed and you can always add on.

PLANT VINES THAT WILL THRIVE ON YOUR SITE

Understanding your vineyard site can help you pick which varietals will grow well there and will help you create a roadmap for managing your vineyard.

Site selection plays a huge role in the success of a vineyard. Through site selection, what we’re really doing is aiding the vines in the process of ripening fruit by providing them with a balance of water, nutrients, and sunlight. We do that by focusing on slope, soil and sunlight.

Figure out what kind of soil you have. Start by heading to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Survey and finding your vineyard site. The soil survey will show you the combination of sand, silt and clay in your soil and even give it a fancy name. Certain kinds of soil drain water and retain nutrients better than others, which is important because vines don’t like wet feet.

We also recommend taking soil samples. Your local farmers cooperative or exchange will have bags used for collecting samples with detailed instructions. When you return your samples to the co-op, you will receive a report showing your soil’s acidity, organic matter and nutrient makeup. Most co-ops have an agronomist on staff who can help you understand this report and identify any amendments that might be needed (although we recommend doing your own research on these too!).

You also want to think about your climate. How cold does your area get during the winter? And how long is your growing season? Certain varieties are more cold hardy than others, while warmer climate varieties may not produce fruit or survive winter temperatures below 0°F or lower. And if you’re in an area like northern Michigan that has a short growing season, you may want to consider selecting varieties that are early or mid-season ripening.

All of that information can help you decide which varieties might do well on your site! Explore nursery websites to read about different grape varieties and the conditions they grow best in. For those growing in Michigan or the Midwest, look to Northeast based nurseries like Northeast Vine Supply, Double A and Amberg Grapevines.

For home grape growers, we recommend considering hybrid varieties that are more cold tolerant, disease resistant and more forgiving.

failing trellis post in vineyard — *You don’t want your trellis to look like this in August as the grapes are starting to ripen!*

UNDERSTAND YOUR INVESTMENT

Grape growing can be a capital-intensive pursuit. From vine material to trellis and the hours needed to maintain your vineyard, it can really add up. This is another great reason to start small!

We recommend designing your vineyard to match your goals. How closely you space your vines and rows will impact how much air and sunlight can enter your canopy, management style, yield and ability to mechanize. While a lot of decisions are varietal-specific, they can also impact your efficiency and management plan. Will you be spraying with a backpack sprayer or a tractor? Do you need to fit a push mower or brush hog down your rows? All of these are important considerations up front.

We strongly recommend investing in your trellis and training style! You want to select a trellising style that best supports your vines and your ability to care for them. This is where understanding your vineyard site and researching the varietals is really important. Your training style can help manage vigor, yield and disease pressure. Dr. Tom Zabadal has excellent trellising videos we find really helpful.

Finally, you want to make sure you have a plan for managing your vineyard, whether that’s doing it yourself or hiring help. We crunched the numbers last fall and we're putting in well over 100 hours per acre in one growing season. We're sharing this not to discourage you, but so you know what you're getting yourself into. After all, viticulture is farming!

women with brown hair in vineyard with blue sky — *Our preferred way to walk the vineyard in the evenings!*

BUILD A MANAGEMENT PLAN

At the start of every season, we write a plan for every vineyard site we manage. When writing your management plan, make sure to consider:

Maintaining healthy soil
Disease and pest management
Nutrition
Canopy management

Building a plan for the season provides a roadmap for when you’re in the thick of things but be prepared to change it depending on what you’re seeing in the vineyard. As the old saying goes, “the best fertilizer is the farmer’s footsteps.” Walking your vineyard and observing your vines regularly can help identify early signs of trouble.

These resources will answer some of your questions and help you develop your management plan:

Michigan Fruit Management Guide by Michigan State University Extension

Midwest Grape Production Guide Ohio State University Extension

Wine Grape Production Guide for Eastern North America by Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) Cooperative Extension

JOIN A GRAPE GROWERS’ ORGANIZATION

We are big believers in community and learn something new every time we visit a new vineyard or talk with a fellow grape grower. Grape growers’ organizations offer the opportunity to connect with your peers and will often host educational sessions and workshops. In Northern Michigan, there are two organizations:

Straits Area Grape Growers Association – located in the Tip of the Mitt AVA
P45 – serving the greater Traverse City area

ENJOY THE RIDE

Your home vineyard should not feel like a fulltime job. Ahem…. we repeat, start small and do your homework!

Spending time in the vineyard brings us a lot of joy and satisfaction to see the progress through the season and year over year, and we hope you feel that way too!

Keep an eye on our blog for more grape growing tips and resources.