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I purchased a grape vine plant from a nursery today, its called a vitis vinifera, or Flame Seedless. It seems fairly healthy and I would like to plant it now.

It is midsummer here in So. Cal and averages 80°F in the day. This plant was stored outdoors at the nursery (under shade-screen roof). Do I need to "harden" it before planting it in full sun, by bringing it in and out of the shade?

I am considering planting it up against that stone wall to the right of the raised bed planter, (see pics, full sun 8 hrs./day in summer, faces S.W.) and training it to trail along the fence; perhaps maybe a high trellis built out from the top of fence horizontally a couple feet. Does this seem to be a decent plan?

Rocky clay soil, I will mix in compost and a bit of sand when I plant.

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Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GL
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Jimmy Fix-it
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    Just a comment - for something like a grapevine or a tree, I'm prone to think that "adding stuff to make the planting hole nice" sounds good but is ultimately counterproductive - the vast majority of the roots are going to be out in that rocky clay. Rather than encourage them to hang out in the planting hole, I prefer planting them in what they'll have to grow in, and then work on topdressing the whole wide area where the roots are growing so that worms can work whatever benefits you will provide to make it better into a wider area - or "potholing" compost/worm food away from the planting hole – Ecnerwal Jul 31 '16 at 01:13
  • @Ecnerwal- Thanks, that makes sense to me. I was just concerned because I have never grown grapes before and I was worried about drainage. – Jimmy Fix-it Jul 31 '16 at 05:22
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    Table grapes should grow in shadow (the grape, not the plant), so you need to to form the plant in a manner that grapes are mostly in shadow. – Giacomo Catenazzi Jul 31 '16 at 17:59
  • @Giacomo Catenazzi, thank you. I have committed to installing a lath "roof" about 3' wide all along the top of that fence to provide shade. – Jimmy Fix-it Aug 02 '16 at 12:13

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