An article on how to make yourself trellis for grapes. Types of trellises, from which they can be made and the method of their manufacture. Which wood is best suited for these purposes, and which is of little use. Grapes - a liana-like plant, does not have a definite shape, therefore, for normal growth and fruiting, it requires support.
The first years after planting, stakes are used for this purpose, for 2-3 years, trellises are installed. Supports should facilitate free and even placement of shoots, provide maximum lighting and ventilation of the bushes. They are installed so that the bushes of one row do not obscure the other, and there is space between the plantings. Grapes on reliable supports grow and bear fruit better, suffer less from diseases and are easy to care for.
The most optimal and widespread is a vertical trellis with 4-5 rows of wire stretched vertically. It is a simple and cheap design that can be used in covering and non-covering areas. To erect it, on the sides of each row, the extreme pillars with a diameter of 12-15 cm are buried to a depth of 60-65 cm, between them at a distance of 3-3.5 m from each other - intermediate ones with a diameter of 10-12 cm. The height of the trellises is 2-2, 5 m. This height is optimal for caring for the bush during the growing season. The tapestry row is placed from north to south.
For the manufacture of wooden posts, it is better to take hardwood - oak, acacia, chestnut, mulberry, ash. Unsuitable for this: alder, linden, birch, poplar, maple. Young and damp wood is especially fragile. Before installation, to increase the service life, the wood is cleaned of bark. You can tar the lower parts of the posts, wrap them with roofing felt or treat with used engine oil or diesel fuel.
Supports can also be made of reinforced concrete (10-12 cm in diameter). You can also install iron pipes 5-6 cm in section or more. They are fixed by concreting. Pillars are buried to a depth of 50-60 cm. Reinforced concrete and metal supports, although more expensive, are more durable and will serve for decades. First, the pillars are installed, then a wire with a diameter of 2.5-4 mm is attached to them. It is desirable that it be galvanized. You can also use synthetic rope (but not desirable). The bottom row is pulled at a distance of 40-45 cm from the soil surface, the subsequent ones are 45-50 cm higher than each previous one. In metal posts, holes with a diameter of 5-6 mm can be drilled through which the wire can be pulled. To wooden - the wire can be fastened with staples.
With wide aisles (2-2, 5 m) and for growing vigorous bushes, two-plane trellises are installed, in the inclined planes of which vines are tied up. The advantage of this design is that on vertical trellises, the sun's rays fall on the leaves at an acute angle, and the bushes are better illuminated at an angle. If the supports are properly installed, the grapes can make a wonderful hedge. They are often erected in the form of gazebos, arches or alleys, as well as in courtyards to provide shade.
Two-plane trellis are more expensive because they require metal pipes and fittings to be erected, they can often be seen in regions where viticulture is professionally engaged. On such supports, you can grow more powerful varieties than on simple trellises.
If the grapes are planted for landscaping the walls of houses, then the trellises are installed against the wall.
