Pergola Grapevine Training

Grapevines are ideal for creating "green roofs." Their large leaves are especially effective for creating a canopy of foliage over a pergola or covered walkway! Carports, pergolas and arcades/arbours provide perfect trellis opportunites. Foliage density can be regulated by adjusting the rigour of your winter pruning.

Pergola table grapes in Bozen / South-Tirol / Italy

To create green roofs, only the main branches of the vine or the "old wood" (dark brown in the following diagrams) are tied to posts, battens, or wires of the pergola. The fruit-bearing new shoots first grow straight up, but will eventually bend under their own weight and will end up resting on the trellis and intertwining with each other to form a roof of dense foliage. 

 

*Scroll to the bottom to see three variations for training pergolas. Illustrations for: narrow (01), medium (02), and wide (03) pergolas.

Training Forms for Pergola-Grapevines