Planting Instructions

The best time for planting your grapevines is after March 15th to the end of May.

Orders placed now will ship at the beginning of February, unless notified otherwise.

Orders placed after February 1st will automatically ship within 1-2 weeks of placing your order unless notified otherwise.

Unscheduled orders are non-refundable and therefore cancelled.

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PRE-PLANT CHECKLIST:

  • Acclimate your vines – Your dormant vines have been stored in our warehouse at 35 degrees F so they will need to be acclimated prior to planting. When you receive your vines, open the box and open the bag inside. Keep them moist in the bag inside the box. Keep the box in a cool, shaded area like a garage or barn. Acclimate them for 5-7 days or until you see the buds start to swell or grow at the top of the vine.  If the buds have already started growing by the time you receive them, gradually expose your vines to some early morning sunlight for a few days until the white tissue has turned to green.
  • Pre-irrigate the vineyard – If the ground is dry, pre-irrigate the vineyard a few days prior to planting.
  • Rehydrate the vines – Put your vines in a five-gallon bucket with the roots at the bottom and fill it with enough water to cover the roots. Let them soak overnight before planting day.

PLANTING DAY:

  • Dig a hole with a shovel. Hole should be 12” to 18” deep and about 12” in diameter. Add some of the original soil back to the hole, form a slight mound at the bottom, and tamp it down gently. When planting is complete, the graft union should be about 4” above the original soil line. Once the proper depth is achieved, fan the roots out like spokes of a wheel at the bottom of the hole. Again, add some of the original soil into the hole and gently tamp down the soil. Repeat this step until the roots are covered. Then gently pull the vine upward a few inches so that the fanned-out roots are now pointed downward in the shape of a teepee, and the graft union is 4” above the original soil line. Continue to backfill the hole and tamp the soil until the hole is filled. Some granular fertilizers can actually burn the roots if added to the planting hole, so it is recommended to only top-dress granular fertilizers and irrigate well after planting is complete. 

IRRIGATION: 

  • Water the vines right after planting to settle the soil and remove any air pockets around the roots. 
  • Water the vines every week, keeping the roots of the vine moist but not saturated. As the vines grow, they will need more water, but less often. Anticipate extremely hot weather with irrigation prior to the event. Monitor the root zone moisture around the roots for young vines. The best way to do this is to get your shovel and dig a hole. The root zone should always be kept moist and should not dry out.