How to Build a Grape Arbor

My brother and his wife recently bought a home with an enormous back yard and the framework for what was probably a carport. The metal posts are about ten feet apart, three posts on each side with a support beam across the top. It was quite ugly! Being a creative fellow, my brother decided to turn the eyesore into a grape arbor, and it looks great! He is what he did :

Step 1

Buy fertilizer that works for grapes (as opposed to roses or tomatoes) Miracle Grow makes several specialized products. Set it aside for awhile.

Step 2

Order your grapes. Decide on how much space you have and how many plants will work in that much room. My brother bought 20 plants, ten for each side. You should have everything ready by the time the grapes arrive.

Step 3

Lattice ( either wood or plastic will do. Any color you like!) cut to the size of the length of the arbor. (If you put in the upright posts yourself, either wood or metal will work.) and attach the lattice to the outside of the frame with either nails (for wood) or wire (for metal). The shape of the lattice is entirely up to you. My brother used white lattice, cut straight across a little more than half way to the top of the frame.

Step 4

Once the lattice is in place, till the planting area with either a hoe or a small roto-tiller, digging the holes for the grapes at equal distances from the lattice and from each other. (I asked my brother why he dug and tilled after the lattice was in place, and he told me it was to make sure everything would fit... "sort of like building the frame before you paint the picture," he said.)

Step 5

Put some of the fertilizer in the holes before planting the grapes.

Step 6

When your grapes arrive, plant them in the holes and use more fertilizer as you do so. Pack the roots firmly but not tightly. Water immediately after planting.

Step 7

Wait a couple of weeks, watering daily, to be sure the grapes have all survived. (Replace any dead plants.) When you're sure the grapes will make it, you can add your own style of decoration. My brother used white decorative rock to create a wide path between the rows of grapes.

Step 8

As the grapes vines grow, tie the branches to the lattice, keeping it up from the ground (you probably wondered what it was for, didn't you?) Grapes can be very heavy when they start producing! Vineyards use wood and cord to keep the grapes supported, but for a small arbor, the lattice is more attractive and every bit as functional.

Step 9

Be patient. Grape vines can take several years to actually produce grapes. But until then, you'll have a nice addition to your yard.