Osage Hills Vineyard

When we were planning Osage Hills Vineyard & Winery, two of the biggest questions we considered over and over again were:  Which grape varieties to grow and what type of trellis system would work best for the particular variety. 

We needed the trellis system to be study enough to support the weight of all those ripe grape clusters, while at the same time not breaking the bank.  After many hours of research on the internet and attending some courses at Oklahoma State University, we decided on the following:

1. End Posts:
   • 5"-6" X 8' treated end posts sit at about a 20 degree angle away from the vines.  A 12" auger for the back of the tractor did a nice job getting the holes dug to a depth of about 2'. 

1. Line Posts:
   • We opted for 8' T-posts every 16 feet apart.  We used the heavy duty type that would withstand a lot of weight.  Our vines are planted at 8 foot spacing between vines so every other vine is planted next to a T-post.
2. Post Anchors:
   • 36" earth auger type anchors were "drilled" into the ground about 5 feet from the end post on each end of the rows.  The anchor has an eyelet that ends up just above ground level to attach the anchor wire from the end post.  So far, these have held up very well with good holding strength.
3. Wire:
   • 12.5 gauge, high tensile strength wire did the trick.  This is pretty standard wire for this sort of application.  One thing I would suggest if you are going to be working with a lot of wire is invest in or rent a spinning jenny.  This is a rotating reel that will hold the large rolls of wire and allow you to pull out as much as you need with ease.  If you don't use one, get ready for a bunch of tangles and headaches!
4. Fasteners:
   • There are many different types of wire vise type fasteners to splice wire together as well as terminate the ends at posts.  Using these one way slip vise fasteners makes the installation go a lot faster and you can utilize them for tightening the wire as it stretches over the years.
5. Grape Stakes:
   • We decided to go with bamboo stakes at the vines between T-posts.  We used 6 ft long 1/2" diameter poles.  They have worked fairly well.  They don't seem to last more than a few years, but once you have a few seasons of growth and a nice thick trunk, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.
6. Style:
   • For our French-American Hybrid Chambourcin and our native variety Norton, we decided to go with a high wire double cordon system.  This seems to have been the right choice.  We have noticed that the vines do not have such a natural upward growth direction as do most vinifera varieties.  The canopy is not quite as dense as some varieties as well so the drooping canes and shoots are not a problem for air circulation and pesticide applications.
   • Traminette on the other hand is a variety that loves to grow up.  For this reason we have put it on a VSP system and this is working great.  There are many types of cross bars that can be attached to T-posts that manage the catch wires.  We installed two on each T-post.

All in all, I am pretty happy with the way things worked out.  Doing all the installation and layout work ourselves has taught us many things about trellis systems.  Depending on the size of the vineyard, I would encourage anyone to have a hand in installing their own.  There is a lot of satisfaction that comes as you see the results of your hard work!