How to make a pergola for grapes with your own hands

In organizing a local area, a good solution would be a pergola entwined with grapes. It allows the vine to freely wander, and in addition, creates a shadow, serves as an excellent relaxation area and decorates the site. How to independently build a pergola from various materials will be discussed in this article.

What is pergola for grapes?

Pergola is a structure of small architectural form, created from several arches that are interconnected by a lattice ceiling. On the outside, the building is covered with thickets of climbing grapes, and it looks like a gazebo. To create "green roofs" grape bushes are ideal, because, as vines, they are not able to independently develop in the vertical direction.

Such designs have long been used in southern countries to protect against scorching sunlight. Arbor grapes were very fond of equipping in the 18th – 19th centuries. And in our time, pergola is again gaining popularity - it is decorated with private cottages, ennobled parks and squares, decorate the territory near the houses. The construction fits well into any landscape, where it not only serves as a support for the liana, but also creates partial shade and separates recreation areas.

Due to the vertical tying of the branches of grapes, the planting area of ​​the plot is saved. The plant receives uniform illumination, which positively affects fertility (increases the speed of maturation of the hands and their quality).

Read also how to care for grapes in summer and autumn.

Another plus is the provision of high-quality ventilation for the vineyard, and this significantly reduces the risk of damage to berries of various diseases. As a result, the need for the use of protective chemicals, often toxic to the plant, is reduced.

Types and design features

When selecting material for a grape arbor, take into account the varietal characteristics of the culture, the size of the plot and the characteristics of the soil. To build a pergola today, a variety of materials are used - wood, metal, plastic and stone.

Classic wooden

The wooden structure is the most popular type of pergola for grapes. The tree is easy to process, besides it is quite a budget option. Suitable wood pine, oak, aspen or spruce.

The wooden structure is perfectly combined with vegetation, and grape branches on it are safely formed. Such a gazebo has an attractive appearance and harmoniously fits into any environment.

Wooden pergolas can deteriorate due to regular watering of grapes. The process of rotting wood is hindered by such solutions as drying oil, kerosene, resin. A solution of copper sulfate also helps prevent damage to the wooden structure. Important! Regardless of the type of wood, lumber for the construction of pergolas must first be thoroughly dried and then thoroughly treated with a proven antiseptic. And to extend the life of the structure, such treatment should be resorted to annually. And the paintwork protects the tree from the harmful effects of rainfall, parasites and fungal diseases. Special varnish for outdoor buildings made of wood can last longer than varnish. Before processing the pergola, do not forget to add the pigment of the desired color to it.

From metal

Metal is the next most popular material for pergola. True, the cost of metal can be higher than that of wood, and besides, it is more difficult to mount it with your own hands - it will require the skills of a welder. But there are significant advantages: the metal is more durable, and it will be easier to take care of such a product.

There are even more metal construction options than wood. Simple metal pergolas in the form of arbors or canopies are quite realistic to erect on your own. Often, metal is used simply as part of a wooden structure.

Today, buildings for grapes from a profile pipe are popular. The metal can be bent to give the details of the structure the desired shape, and you can also make an original forged structure according to an individual project. Did you know? In the world there are about 10 thousand grape varieties. To prevent rust, all metal parts must first be primed and then coated with paint. Such processing will significantly increase the service life of the arch. As for the color, it is advisable to opt for shades of green - so the pergola will visually merge with the vegetation. White color will also look good - it will give lightness and sophistication to the whole structure.

Plastic

Plastic is the cheapest and least effective material. But due to its qualities (lightness, the ability to create a design of absolutely any shape) and accessibility, this material is most in demand today.

Ready-made plastic pergolas with the necessary parameters can be bought at specialized retail outlets. Despite the fact that a plastic pergola does not always fit well into the garden landscape, over time the foliage will completely hide the unsightly structure.

Made of stone

Stone is the most difficult material from the point of view of construction, but at the same time stone pergolas are the most durable - they will stand at your dacha for many decades. Such a long service life is undoubtedly worth the effort.

Separate columns of stone can serve as design elements and at the same time serve as a support for the vine. The stone structure will become a real work of art and will transform the infield.

How to make a pergola with your own hands?

An attractive building for grapes can be made in a couple of days. And with the construction of the simplest designs, you can cope with it all in a day. However, you can fully enjoy the elegance of this product only after a year, when the liana carefully twists the racks and roof of the gazebo.

Basic principles and sizing

The building for grapes should be a capital (permanent) building. In other words, the pergola can not be disassembled for the winter or transferred from place to place - all this is likely to cause injury to the vine. Therefore, it is important to finally determine the location of the structure even before the construction work begins.

The territory for the construction should be well-lit, to the vineyard should be provided free access to care for foliage and bunches. In addition, the pergola should look harmoniously in the overall landscape.

Care must be taken to ensure that the base of the arbor is flat. In this case, the material itself from which the base is made does not matter.

In accordance with the chosen type of pergola and its location, you need to take measurements, and then make a calculation of the amount of required materials. Keep in mind that a low and cramped canopy will look unattractive, and a building that is too large has little chance of completely overgrowing with vine branches. Important! When planning a pergola, keep in mind that the future grape arbor should not be overloaded with details. In addition, the construction must be made very durable: grapes are heavy, so a fragile pergola will be unsuitable for supporting the vines. The size of the plot also matters: a low arch is lost in a vast territory, and a large one will look bulky in a small area. Therefore, the optimal height of the building is 2.2–2.5 m above the ground, and the width between the trellises is 1–1.5 m. The length is selected at the request of the owner of the suburban area, it all depends on the design idea.

Manufacture

We offer several simple pergola designs for your vineyard. The material for the manufacture will be wood.

In the form of a simple gazebo

To build the simplest version of the gazebo you will need:

• 4 wooden racks of the desired height and thickness (when selecting the height of the racks, always take into account the part that will be in the ground);
• thinner bars for creating upper and side rails;
• a manual tool for digging holes under the posts;
• shovel;
• screwdriver;
• self-tapping screws;
• twine.

Sequencing:

1. Using a shovel and a hand tool for digging holes, make 4 indentations in the ground (approximately 0.5 m deep and 30 cm in diameter).
2. After this, proceed to fix the vertical racks at an equal distance from each other. To do this, pre-dial an additional amount of land in the garden. In turn, lower the racks into the prepared recesses. After fixing the supports vertically, fill the pits with earth, taken out when digging the pits and typed additionally, and carefully tamp with your feet.
3. Next, fix in the upper part on the screws 2 longitudinal horizontal crossbars. Tie down the fastening points with a strong twine.
4. The next step is to make a "roof" of several transverse crossbars, also attaching them with screws and a twine.
5. The final stage is the installation of side rails on which the vine will trail.

Video: Building a pergola in the form of a gazebo

In the form of an arch

The garden arch will be a little harder to build with your own hands. As a rule, the arch has a rounded shape, but it can also be with corners.

For its construction you will need:

• 4 or 6 bars approximately 2 m high;
• straight or curved bars for the upper part of the structure;
• softwood edged board 20 mm thick;
• any waterproofing material;
• crushed stone, bitumen;
• concrete mortar;
• shovel, screwdriver, drill, building level;
• fastening material (including anchor bolts).

1. Prepare 2 meter posts. To do this, treat their lower parts with bitumen, and then wrap in any waterproofing material.
2. Set the posts vertically in the dug troughs to a depth of 0.5–1 m. If the earth is loose, the depth can be increased to 1.5–2 m.
3. Pour some crushed stone into the recesses and fill the pillars with concrete mixture.
4. On the posts at the top, carefully fasten the longitudinal beams, then fix the transverse bars from the trim boards. Pergola arched type ready.

Video: DIY pergola made of wood in the form of an arch

How to continue at home

If the land area does not allow you to build a separate gazebo, it can be done in the form of an extension to the house.

Find out also

For such a pergola you will need:

• a wooden beam with a cross section of 15 × 5 cm (select the length in accordance with the dimensions of the future building and the selected distance between the supporting posts);
• timber with a cross section of 15 × 15 cm;
• beams for roof construction;
• anchor bolts;
• arcuate staples;
• concrete mix;
• shovel, screwdriver, drill, building level;
• fixing material.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Fix a wooden beam with a cross section of 15 × 5 cm on the wall of the main building with anchor bolts at intervals of every 0.5 m.
2. Install the pergola support posts in the trenches previously dug under them and fill with concrete mixture. For support racks, take a beam with a cross section of 15 × 15 cm.
3. To securely attach the pergola roof beams to the wall beam in several places, make rectangular cutouts. Instead of cutouts, the use of arched staples is allowed. Choose the approximate length of the roof beams so that they protrude 20-25 cm beyond the outer edges.

Additional stability of the building can be achieved with the help of transverse wooden struts fixed between the roof beams and supports.

Selection of varieties for planting

Not every grape variety is able to produce a good crop with vertical planting. Therefore, if you are hoping for good fruitfulness of the vine, much here depends on the right variety.

Today, the best varieties for forming a pergola are the table varieties Vostorg, Nadezhda AZOS, Pleven steady, Kesha, Biruinets, Krasa Nikopol, December, P-80 and others. Among the wine varieties, German Kokysh can be distinguished, as well as Armenian and Tajik hybrids.

Did you know? During archaeological excavations in Switzerland, traces of a domesticated vine of several thousand years old were found.

Always reckon with the survival of a particular grape variety in different places, since not every plant is able to withstand very low temperatures.

How to plant and shape grapes correctly

It is necessary to plant grapes with a large indent from the pergola. Seedlings grown from cuttings develop quite a long time, so plan their planting at a distance of about 80 cm from the structure, and the interval between the bushes should be 2-3 m.

Only under such conditions is it possible to form the liana correctly and direct it to the product itself. If you want vegetation to encircle the arbor in the first year, buy seedlings grown not from cuttings, but from dug up vines (cuttings).

The formation of grapes on a pergola differs significantly from tying the vines to other supports. This is due to the fact that the main function of the vine bushes in the case is to create shade, beauty and comfort. Fruiting is not excluded, but it is a secondary task. Although, as practice shows, many summer residents manage to get a crop of high-quality berries from a vine growing on a pergola.

Recommendations for the formation of grapes:

1. First of all, you need to understand that grapes are a live plastic shrub. Therefore, you should not literally adhere to the rules of formation - be creative in this process.
2. The method of formation depends on the conditions in which the grapes are cultivated. If the variety is frost-resistant and it is not planned to shelter the plant for the period of cold weather, make a choice in favor of a vertical cordon or a tall stem with naturally hanging stems.
3. If you are going to shelter a liana, then non-standard and standard long-sleeve fan formations are allowed.
4. If you have selected table grapes, the stem of the plant should be low, and the stems should be easy to lay on the ground. Therefore, bushes of table varieties (if not the most frost-resistant) are better formed by a fanless fanless method. In this case, a horizontal cordon is also suitable. And to boast a decent harvest of table varieties, form powerful bushes with developed perennial wood. If the shoots are strongly cut, the hands will form a little and foliage will grow mainly.
5. To achieve an abundant harvest of juicy berries, with any method of formation, standard pruning is required.

Did you know? The heaviest bunch in the world was grown in Chile in 1984. Her weight was almost 9.4 kg.

So, a practical building with an exquisite Italian name has not without reason gained mass popularity. Try it and you build a pergola for grapes in your area. Spent work will pay off with a beautiful and convenient design, which will be a great addition to your country house.