How far apart should grapes be planted? ⋆ 👨‍🌾 Farmer-online ⋆

To obtain a high-quality grape harvest, certain conditions must be created for the fruit plant. Gardeners adhere to a pre-arranged irrigation schedule, temperature regime and other factors. It is also important to maintain the correct distance between the bushes. A suitable planting scheme will allow the plant to develop with comfort, and care will be as convenient as possible.

It is necessary to determine a suitable planting scheme before laying the vineyard, since replanting fruit plants will be problematic and undesirable. The choice of distance is influenced by many factors, given which regular fruiting can be achieved.

Influencing factors

Despite the fact that the grape is considered a viable and unpretentious crop, it needs optimal growing conditions.

When choosing a suitable growing scheme, gardeners take into account a number of criteria.

The type of growth of the variety and the structure of the plant. There are tall, medium and short varieties. The structure of the bush can be sprawling or compact.
Climate within the growing region.
The composition and structure of the soil.
pollination method indicated in the description for each variety. The vine can bear female, male, or self-fertile flowers. Leave more space between self-pollinating varieties than between cross-pollinated varieties.
Support option (using).
The number of seedlings.
Harvest maturity.

The distance between plants is due to the following factors:

the needs of a particular variety in light, nutrient volume and space;
the possibility of maximum thickening of planting without loss of yield.

Experienced summer residents consider the above characteristics to be mutually exclusive, and when drawing up a landing scheme, a compromise must be sought. The main thing is to take into account the basic requirements of the variety for cultivation conditions. The distance between shrubs affects the yield of fruit crops. Many inexperienced gardeners make the planting too dense, wanting to get the most berries from one square meter, but as a result, fruiting only worsened.

If the plants were planted too close to each other, you need to regularly thin out the vine to free up as much free space as possible. Too thick plant mass will prevent the sun’s rays from warming the berries, and oxygen exchange will be disturbed.

The traditional scheme

There is a standard landing option.

Landing hole diameter – 0,5 meters, the depth varies from 30 to 40 centimeters.
Each hole contains irrigation tube.
The thickness of the drainage layer is from 10 to 15 centimeters. You can use broken bricks, crushed stone or small stones.
A layer of fertile soil is poured over it, which was dug out of the landing pit. If the earth on the site is heavy, it is mixed with a small amount of sand. A peg is also driven in here.
Between the bushes leave a gap of 1,5-3 meters depending on the splendor of the shrub.
The planting hole is filled to the brim with the remaining soil. A young plant is watered with plenty of water. To preserve moisture and protect against weeds, a layer of mulch from organic raw materials (sawdust, needles, wood chips and other options) is laid on top.

Note: grapes are planted in autumn or spring, depending on the climate in the region.

Optimal options

It is necessary to plant grapes at such a distance from each other that each plant is comfortable throughout the entire growing season.

between the bushes

With the size of the free space between the shrubs, it is necessary to take into account the growth rate, the timing of the ripening of berries, the volume of vegetation and the splendor of the crown. Low-growing grapes are planted at a distance of 1,5-2 meters, for medium-sized varieties they leave a gap of 2-3 meters, and for sprawling varieties they leave three or more meters of space. Such a distance between the vines will not only ensure a stable yield, but also prevent fungal infections and other diseases. Often, fruit crops begin to hurt due to too thick planting.

Early varieties are pruned regularly to save space on the site. In such varieties, the shoots continue to grow even after the fruit has been harvested. This feature is absent in late grapes. Experienced gardeners recommend paying attention on the need of each variety for natural light.

For example, white grapes need a metered amount of light, and with an excess of it, the berries become sour. But red varieties love a lot of light. It is necessary for the ripening of a juicy and tasty crop.

between the rows

The choice of a suitable row spacing is influenced by the following:

the use of mechanization tools that will be used in the care of the grapes, for their passage it is necessary to leave enough space so as not to damage the vine;
spacing between plants in adjacent rows;
vineyard configuration;
illuminance.

The main criterion is the distance between plants. If in one row it has from 3 to 3,5 meters, then the breakdown in the aisle should be the same. Otherwise, too close arrangement in the transverse direction will remain between the shrubs. There is an opinion that the rows can be arranged more closely when installing a two-row trellis. In many cases, this planting pattern takes place and is suitable for most varieties of grapes.

The next important point is the direction of the rows for each variety. For white grapes, the perpendicular arrangement of the sun’s rays is ideal, but red grape bushes are planted parallel to the direction of the light. Thus, it will be possible to create optimal conditions for achieving high taste qualities and the development of clusters.

For wallpaper

Trellis is often used in the cultivation of most horticultural crops. With the help of supports, you can comfortably position a long vine. When calculating the distance between rows, the type of trellis is taken into account. When using a single-plane scheme, up to 2 meters of space is left, while the fruit crop is processed manually. Two-plane options are also widely used. The spacing between rows is calculated from the top edge of the support. When manually processing shrubs, the distance is left at 2 meters, and when using garden mechanized equipment – from 3 to 4 meters.

To achieve better illumination, gardeners make sure that the branches that are attached to the trellis are at a distance of 10-20 centimeters. You should also take into account the spreading and height of the crown. Grafted grapes need an increased amount of nutrients compared to native-rooted species. The structure of the root system is also not ignored. In some varieties, the roots are deep and go far into the ground, while in others they are located in the upper layers of the earth. The arrangement of the tapestries used affects the illumination. It can be adjusted by changing the distance between the bushes.

Tables were compiled that indicate the distance between plants, taking into account the root system of the plant and the type of trellis installed.

Single lane tapestries:

own-rooted grapes – distance from 2,5 to 3 meters;
the same types of shrubs, but with drip irrigation system – distance from 3 to 3,5 meters;
grafted grapes – the gap between the bushes is left the same (3-3,5 meters);
grafted plants with drip irrigation system – from 3,5 to 4 meters.

Scheme for two-plane tapestries;

shrubs with their own root system – from one and a half to 2 meters;
own root grapes, which is watered using a drip system – from 1,8 to 2,5 meters;
grafted fruit crops – from 1,8 to 2,5 meters;
grafted grapes with drip irrigation – from 2,5 to 3 meters.

When compiling this table, gardeners used the standard distance between the vine, which varies from 10-15 centimeters to 20-25 centimeters.

You can achieve maximum yield by calculating the optimal number of shoots. Shrubs should have enough strength to form not only green mass, but also large clusters.

For industrial varieties

When growing fruit crops on an industrial scale, large plantings should be arranged. To care for a large vineyard, special drip irrigation systems are installed. They will regularly moisten the shrubs and maintain the desired level of moisture in the soil. And also install single-plane trellises. When growing, it is not complete without the use of specialized fertilizers. The required amount of nutrients will ensure the formation of a juicy, tasty and fragrant crop.

To save space on the site, you can leave a gap of one and a half meters between the plants, and at least three meters should be left between the rows so that all agricultural machinery can pass freely.

Planting distance in the greenhouse

Within the boundaries of the northern regions, grapes are often planted in greenhouses, especially when growing heat-loving varieties. Some species do not tolerate low temperatures well and may even die. Greenhouses will help create comfortable conditions for shrubs and protect them from the vagaries of the weather. They can install additional light sources and heaters to maintain a comfortable temperature.

The dimensions of modern greenhouses do not always allow following the recommended planting patterns, but special greenhouse conditions make it possible to shorten the distance without harming the plants. Nutrition, lighting and watering are artificial and controlled, so a slight thickening is quite acceptable. Drip irrigation systems and ultraviolet illumination are most often used here. In greenhouse cultivation, up to 2 meters are left between rows, while shrubs are planted at a distance of one and a half meters. This planting pattern is chosen by many gardeners throughout Russia.