Trellis Notes
As a backyard grape-growing operation, our trellising needs are slightly different than that of a commercial operation. Our vineyard is relatively small - it is setup with 6 rows of vines, spaced 6 feet apart and plants in each row 6 feet from one another. Initially we have run wire at 30″ and 60″. In the future we may create a divided trellis for one or more varieties depending on their vigor.
With that in mind, we decided to document how we chose to trellis our vines. The first piece we are documenting is how we did our end post anchorage. In everything we have read, earth anchors seemed to be the way to go - the traditional, screw-in-the-ground earth anchors. One day, I ran across a fencing website that described using a block of decay-resistant wood with the guy wire wrapped around it dropped in a hole dug down a bit over a foot and indented below the surface on the side closest to the end post. It is very similar in concept to the way the end of a bicycle brake wire connects to the brake handle mechanism. The section below describes in more detail what we have done in words and pictures.
| This is a shot of one of the anchor holes after we completed digging it. For reference, the shovel is leaning up against the outside of the end post. It is difficult to see in this picture, but each hole has a slot cut into the side of it that angles up toward the top of the end post. This slot accomodates the guy wire. >> View larger image << |
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This picture shows a hole with a block set in it. Note the slot cut into the side of this hole - this is for the guy wire running up to the end post. >> View larger image << |
| Another shot of the block set in the hole. Note how the side of the hole closest to the end post is dug in toward the post. This creates a notch that the block sort of locks into - especially when pressure is applied. >> View larger image << |
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This picture shows how the wire is secured around the block and is beginning to be tightened. At this point, the guy wire is tightened as much as possible by hand. The line wire will finish the job once they are installed and tightened. >> View larger image << |
| In this shot, the anchor block has been set in the hole with the wire secured around it and run up tightly to the end post. Once anchors are in place at both ends of a row, then we will install wirevises and run the wire. >> View larger image << |
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This picture shows a closeup of how the guy wire is fastened to the end post. It is wrapped around twice and brought back to the outside of the post where it is wound around itself. Note that just below the loops of wire a hole has been drilled for the wirevise. On the inside side of the endpost we placed a galvanized nail to keep the wire from sliding down the post. >> View larger image << |
| A slightly awkward shot of the anchor hole once it has been filled in with dirt. In most cases, we placed a few fist-sized rocks on top of the block to create greater downward resistance, thereby locking the block in place. Note the guy wire coming out of the ground up toward the top of the end post. >> View larger image << |
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Grapelog » Vineyard Pictures Said,
September 15, 2006 @ 10:57 am
[…] Trellis design and installation Check out our new page documenting how we chose to layout, design and install our trellis system. Small-scale growers may be interested to check this out. […]
Blue Door Vineyard’s Grapelog :: Grape-growing, winemaking & wine » Welcome to Blue Door Vineyard’s Grapelog! Said,
October 25, 2006 @ 3:25 pm
[…] We have documented a lot of information about our vineyard including plant-specific statistics, vineyard layout, trellising, and notes. Share your experiences in our discussion forums. We periodically e-mail our newsletter out with informative articles and notes about our experiences growing grapes in this part of the world. Just complete the form on the right-hand side of this page to become a subscriber. We have also taken pictures of some of our activities in the vineyard. […]