- 1). Amend the soil in a sunny, level location with southern exposure. Grapes will not do well in areas where water collects. Use a tiller to incorporate 4 to 6 inches of compost. Dig a 6-inch trench, and fill it with water. Allow it to drain, and fill it again. Check the level in half an hour. If it is still full, work in 2 inches of sand to improve drainage.
- 2). Build a support structure for the vines. You may plant them near a fence or trellis and train them, or create a vineyard-style training system. Hammer the 6-foot stakes into the ground opposite each other. The distance will depend on the number of vines you are planting. Each vine needs 6 to 8 feet between plants.
- 3). Use the hammer to place nails in the stakes 36 inches from the ground and then 24 inches above that. Cut the appropriate length of wire, and wind it around the head of the nails, stretching it across to attach to the opposite post. You should now have two horizontal lines of wire to train the grapevine onto.
- 4). Dig a hole that is as big as the root ball of the vine. Plant the Himrod grape at the same level it was at in the nursery pot. For bare-root vines, build a small hill in the bottom of the hole to support the roots. Spread them out over the hill, and backfill with soil. Compress the soil, and water to settle it.
- 5). Prune the vines back to just one healthy, strong cane. This will be the primary cane that you will train over the trellis. Cut the primary cane back to two buds. The second year, you will allow the primary cane to grow two strong lateral canes to grow up to the first wire, and prune off all peripheral wood. The two canes are pruned back to two mature buds and allowed to grow onto the wire.
- 6). Fertilize two weeks after planting with a nitrogen fertilizer in the ratio 10-6-4 at the rate of 10 lbs. per 100 feet. Apply the same amount annually in very early spring. Scatter the amount needed under and around the root area of the vine, and work it into the top 3 inches of soil. Water well after fertilizing. Prevent weed growth around the base of the vines.
- 7). Provide 1 inch of water per week using a drip line that will slowly irrigate so the plant has time to absorb the moisture. This will also prevent fungal issues that can develop with overhead watering. Use approved biotic pesticides when needed, following the instructions on the product.
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