Different Types Of Grape Trellis

The type of grape trellis that you choose will depend on the type of grapes you wish to grow, your climate and the area you wish to plant the grapes. A grape trellis is used to bring sunlight to the grapes so that they ripen. Normally grapes in the wild may grow up trees and the fruit will not reach maturity because it is shaded. In an industry where grape is a product it is crucial that the grapes become ripe.

The most widely used trellis system is VSP (vertical shoot position) and if a new vineyard is going in it will in all likelihood use a VSP trellis. The VSO has the grapes at the bottom of the canopy and then the shoots grow towards the sky, vertically. Shoots are held upright by using catch wires that keep the shoots close to the trellis system. VSP is an excellent choice for machine harvesting and can be kept tidy using hedging.

There are specific trellises that are used to control vigor. Excessive growth can be an issue with grapes, as very high crops do not produce quality grapes. Scott Henry trellis is used on very vigorous vines. Like VSP one half of the vine has shoots growing vertically. But the fruiting zone is split into two sections with another area of shoots growing towards the ground. It resembles a mirror image of VSP with shoots growing both up and down.

A lyre system has traditionally been used in the Mediterranean and was developed for very hot climates. The trellis is shaped just like a lyre with the fruit hanging underneath the canopy. This allows the fruit to be shaded as it will not have a problem ripening but you want to avoid sunburn and excess shrivel. Lyre systems are costly, as they require all work to be done manually.

Geneva double curtain is a trellis system popular for table and juice grapes. These types of grape species naturally like to have the fruiting zone high, near the sun, and then have the shoots hang over towards the ground. Geneva double curtain is a great example of a trellis system that copies how the grapes would grow in the wild to obtain the best crop.

There are many other types of trellis systems and types of trellis systems are currently being developed for specific purposes. When choosing a trellis system make sure your grapes will receive enough light and air. You also need to think about how you plan on harvesting the grapes, as certain trellises systems will not allow machine harvesting.

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