Writer: Wes Hagen

Summer in the vineyard means it is time to manage your vines’ canopy. Spraying, suckering, leaf removal, adjusting lateral shoots, and eventually fruit sampling and netting your vines all need to be done long before you start picking grapes. Keep up with your vineyard work throughout summer to make harvest easy.

After harvest is over may seem like a great time for the home viticulturist to sit back and take a deep breath. Just don’t take too long of a nap, because the work never ends when you’re growing grapes! Wes Hagen outlines what every grape grower should be doing during these cold months to prepare for the next successful growing season.

Fall is the most critical time in the vineyard. Preparing for and executing harvest are paramount. So is the cleanup and vineyard care afterwards. Wes Hagen lays out his advice for fall and winter care in a mature vineyard.

Wes Hagen lays out last-minute advice to maximize this make-or-break day as home viticulturists gear up for harvest.

The summer is a critical time in the home vineyard. Wes Hagen shares the physiological needs of mature vines in the summer and lays out a schedule for what growers should be doing in the warmest months.

When a harsh cold snap occurs in the middle of winter, there is little a grape grower can do in the moment . . . it’s all about being prepared ahead of time. Make sure you are making smart decisions before and after the chill.

Not all wine grape growers need to irrigate, but for those that do there are options available. Get a primer on what those strategies look like and some pointers to get going in the right direction.

Not every location needs to irrigate their vines every year, but for those that do, advanced planning is key. Here is a walk through the factors that need to be considered when establishing a vineyard and irrigation needs.

Live Chat with Wes Hagen that took place on April 26, 2023.

A trend has emerged from the world of craft beer as some notable brewers have begun releasing wines. What sets these wines apart is an unusual approach of adding adjuncts and other techniques that are common in the world of beer. Learn what they are doing and how you, too, can make wine like a brewer.

The 2023 growing season is just around the corner and it’s time to think about ways to improve your viticultural practices. Here are 10 tips every wine grape grower should be thinking about to get the best berries from their vines.

Once you have your site selected, soil figured out, as well as irrigation; it’s time to start planning things like row and vine spacing, what type of wine grapes you are going to grow, and then finally what trellis system will best support those vines.

For anyone who plans on creating a small-to-moderate-sized backyard vineyard, this column should be mandatory reading. Because the best advice one can receive is to spend a lot of extra time in the planning stage, which will save an exponential amount of time later.

Live chat with Wes Hagen, which took place April 25, 2022.

The reader letters have been piling up, so Wes decides it’s come that time again to pick up the pen and share some of the most useful questions (and his answers) that readers have sent to him over the past year regarding backyard viticulture.

Not every harvest is going to be perfect. When the grapes come in at less than ideal numbers or with other “flaws,” make sure you’re well positioned and able to make the best of an inferior harvest. Plus, learn how to identify what went wrong in the vineyard so the same mistakes aren’t repeated in future vintages.

Two attendees of the Backyard Grape Growing Online Boot Camp
had some follow-up questions; one on their spray protocol, the other about coming back from a devastating loss of vines. Wes dishes out some advice.

Video Live Chat with Wes Hagen, which took place on April 22, 2021.

Have you ever visited a vineyard and wondered, “How did they do that?!” You know the place, where all the vines seem to be in sync and healthy. Wes found such a hobby vineyard and decided to interview the green thumb.

When I was assigned the story detailing the decisions that come up during red wine fermentations, I began to block out the options and decision trees that occur before, during, and after

The final days leading up to your grape harvest can be anxiety-ridden for most hobbyists . . . and even for professionals. Get pointers on how to properly plan and execute a professional-style harvest.

Determining your soil type can tell anyone growing grapes a lot about the conditions under which your vine’s root system will develop and grow. It can tell you how much you should irrigate or about your potential fertilization schedule. Learn how to determine where your vineyard’s soil type lands on the USDA’s soil-type triangle.

Live Chat with Wes Hagen, which took place on April 15, 2020.

As we move into a new decade, Wes Hagen thought it prudent to lay out some of the latest and greatest gadgets and technology for viticulturists. He also answers some reader questions.

It’s been a few years since we’ve run a Backyard Vines Q&A. Wes Hagen answers several hobby vineyardists’ questions. Learn about tackling black rot, sunburnt grapes, and hedging vines.