Chapter 5

Vineyard Establishment

(book excerpts)

Vineyard establishment involves careful planning in site preparation and vineyard design. Wine grapes are a very capital-intensive crop, so a well planned, organized vineyard will prove to be more efficient, requiring less input and offering larger potential returns. Mistakes made in the establishment of a vineyard can be very costly and have long-standing consequences. Some cultural practices can be changed as a wine grape grower accumulates experience, but many pre-planting decisions are permanent, and so should be carefully considered when establishing a vineyard.

Click on the following topics for more information on vineyard establishment.

Topics Within This Chapter:

  • Preparing the Site
  • Land Clearing
  • Soil Analysis
  • Soil Sampling Method
  • Soil Physical Limitations and Modification
  • Stratified Soils
  • Claypan Soils
  • Hardpan Soils
  • Plowpan Soils
  • Clay-Rich Soils
  • Soil Preparation
  • Subsoiling
  • Primary Tillage
  • Secondary Tillage
  • Weed Control
  • Weed Management without Herbicides
  • Weed Management with Herbicides
  • Soil Drainage
  • Tile and Pipe Drainage
  • Mole Drains
  • Cover Crops
  • Wind Breaks
  • Designing the Vineyard
  • Headlands and Alleyways
  • Partitioning the Vineyard into Blocks
  • Setting the Baseline
  • Row Orientation
  • Row Spacing
  • Vine Spacing
  • Vine Density
  • Selected References