DIY Network

Road Trip: Whippoorwill Farm Trellis-building instructions and planting tips from muscadine experts From "Fresh From the Orchard" episode DFFO-113

At Whippoorwill Farm, Kelly Givens receives advice from muscadine experts Andy and Hilda Byrd. She learns how to train a young muscadine vine to grow up a trellis and how to shape it into a T. She also gets a close-up look on how to tighten trellis wires that have sagged over the years under the weight of plentiful harvests.

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Note on the Cooperative Extension Services

You may have noticed that we often refer you to your local cooperative extension service for additional information. Why? Because extension service agents are local experts, the ones right in your own neighborhood. They understand your local climate and growing conditions better than anyone else.

If you don't know how to get in contact with your local extension service, here is a website that will help you easily locate the extension service nearest you: www. csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.

Trellises

Unless you want to plant muscadines to hide an ugly fence or to climb an arbor, you'll need to build a trellis. Since muscadine vines can live for many years and can grow very large, the trellis should be sturdy and heavy duty. The rule of thumb in a home orchard is to plant one muscadine vine per 20 feet of trellis. Each vine will typically yield 20 to 40 pounds of fruit.

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

When you're deciding where to place your trellis, look for a site that has a minimum of six to eight hours of sun a day. To maximize sun exposure, run the trellis from north to south. Also make sure the trellis is an area of well-drained soil and not in a low, soggy spot.

Most state cooperative extension services have detailed brochures on building trellises for muscadines, and you may want to look for these publications to get ideas on trellis-building.

One type of simple trellis that would suit the needs of most muscadine growers has a framework that consists of 4"- or 5"-diameter pressure-treated posts, each of which is 8' long. Set the posts 2' deep in the ground and anchor them in concrete. After the concrete cures overnight, add eyebolts at 3-1/2' and 5-1/2' off the ground. Next brace the posts by attaching a 6" turnbuckle to an eyebolt and running a length of 14-gauge wire from the post to rebar that has been pounded into the ground at an angle several feet from each end post (figure A). Next run wire between each end post and the middle post, using a turnbuckle or an electric fence tighetner on each length of wire (figure B); then repeat the process to create a lower trellis wire (figure C). To finish, tighten the wires with the turnbuckle or wire tightener.

A common older-style trellis is an overhead arbor. Next to old homes in the country, you often see this type of trellises. They typically consist of four posts positioned in a square, topped with several cross-rafters. A muscadine vine is planted in the center and trained to grow up and out.

Planting

Muscadines will grow in almost any soil as long as it has decent drainage. Muscadines are not picky plants and will produce some fruit no matter what you do. But if you want a bumper harvest, it's best to amend the soil and adjust its pH if needed (6.5 is the ideal pH level for muscadines). If you need to raise the soil's pH to that level, add dolomitic limestone (figure D). Dolomotic limestone has the advantage of containing magnesium, which is beneficial to muscadines.

Amend the soil by putting a layer of organic soil conditioner over the planting area and working everything in to a depth of about 10". Add slow-release 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer (figure E) and work it in to a depth of 10" also.

Figure D

Figure E

Bare-root muscadine vines are best planted in spring, but containerized plants can be set out any time of the year. To plant, dig a hole near a middle post and about 1' away: planting the muscadine next to a post helps give the vine extra support (figure F). If you are planting a bare-root muscadine, remove the vine from its wrapping and rinse off any extra packaging material clinging to the roots. Inspect the roots and prune off any bruised or damaged ones (figure G). If done correctly, root pruning is just like any other pruning: it stimulates growth and makes a plant healthier.

Figure F

Figure G

For bare-root plants, place the muscadine vine in the planting hole, spreading the roots out and down. The crown of the vine, where the stem flares out to the roots, should be about 1" below the surrounding soil. Container plants should be set out about 1" deeper than they grew in the pot. Backfill the hole three-quarters of the way with soil (figure H); then add water to settle the soil around the roots (figure I). When the water settles out, finish filling the hole with soil and water again.

Figure H

Figure I