Need Some Trellis Advice

[Jim in Tennessee]

Hi All
This spring I installed my first vineyard. Following are some of the specifics.
It's just over 1/2 acre with about 260 vines.
Vines are 250 Enchantment (developed for high humidity weather in East TN) and a dozen table grape vines.
Vines are still in BlueX grow tubes
Rows are 100 feet long
15-16 vines per row
12.5 gage high tensile wire
Drip irrigation at every vine

I've installed the lower wire at 3 feet and an irrigation wire at 16 inches. I'm getting ready to install the high wire now as my vines are getting tall enough to start pruning and training.

I put ratchet tensioners on the 3ft wire, but have not needed to tighten them yet as I was able to get them fairly tight with a Gripple tool.

Is there a need to have a ratchet tensioner since the Gripple tool seems quite effective at tightening?
Do I need to plan to loosen the trellis during the winter?

I could put the ratchet tensioner on the anchor post wire instead of the actual trellis wire.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[wood1954]

Beautiful vineyard. On my vineyard I thought the wire was tensioned enough until my vines started producing more fruit. You shouldn’t have to worry too much until the vines start putting on some fruit.

 

[salcoco]

my thought also. as the vines mature and more fruit the wire will sag and some tighting will be required each season.

 

[Jim in Tennessee]

Thanks for your responses. I'm aware that I may need to tighten the wire throughout the season. My questions is - do I need to plan to loosen the wire for the winter? The wire vises don't allow return travel of the wire once I tighten using a Gripple tool. If I don't need to worry about loosening it, I won't need the ratchet tensioner.

Thanks again!

 

[ChuckD]

Beautiful vineyard!

I have no firsthand experience with these, but I have been told by others that those gripple-type wire vices can fail. When I put my wires up I’ll go around the post and use a ratchet strainer.

ETA… I know some folks do loosen the wires for winter. But your runs are very short, and the line posts provide support as well so you probably don’t need to.

 

[Jim in Tennessee]

Beautiful vineyard!

I have no firsthand experience with these, but I have been told by others that those gripple-type wire vices can fail. When I put my wires up I’ll go around the post and use a ratchet strainer.

ETA… I know some folks do loosen the wires for winter. But your runs are very short, and the line posts provide support as well so you probably don’t need to.

Thank you very much. That was my assumption as well.
Have a great day.

 

[ChuckD]

Thank you very much. That was my assumption as well.
Have a great day.

Just to be clear, as I understand it, on the shorter runs with adequate line posts for extra support you don’t tighten the wires really tight in the first place.

 

[Neb Farmer]

My 2 cents* I would think about putting a few posts every 15 feet or so to take some of the weight off the end posts. They don't have to be big posts, but just something to help out with the weight on the fruiting wire ( lower ) . I use steel t-posts, which work great for this.

Tensioners on the end posts will help for the sagging that WILL happen over time as the wires expand and contract on their own, from heat,etc. The top wire will become slack as the end posts 'move in '. If the top wire is slack, your vines will sway in the wind, or worst case just lay over a bit. So being able to snug it up can really help. It does not need to be fiddle-string tight, but snug and not floppy.

I also run some lighter wires ( two wires spaced apart only a few inches ) between the fruiting wire and the top wire to help contain the growth in the middle of the vine.

Good luck, and as always, have fun!

 

[Snafflebit]

Very nice looking trellis!. So to be extra clear... Do you have wire vises, or Gripples? They are different. Wire vises will lose tension, Gripples will also lose tension but much less over time. And you cannot loosen wire vises. I say you could choose between Gripples or ratchet tensioner, Gripples are easier to install for sure. I am surprised you can wind up high tensile wire on a tensioner

How cold does it get in eastern Tennessee? High tensile wire can build up a lot of force if it gets cold, but I am thinking Canada cold.

Page 25 of this pdf shows tension change due to temperature.
https://www.prairiefirewinery.com/C...ads/2016/12/Vineyard-Trellis-Construction.pdf