These need occasional shallow digging and hoeing to keep down the weeds. Let the weeds grow in the autumn and dig them out shallowly in the winter. They are now going to be your compost. As the vines are extremely deep-rooted they will not suffer from drought or damage by shallow digging after the second year.
These vines, however, are extremely susceptible to drought in the first spring after planting. They are going to need watering until they are established and growing fast. Cold winds in the spring may kill many vines in their first year if they are dry at the roots.
If the vines are in normal soil, they will grow at least one feet high in the second year, and in rich soil 5 feet in the first year. If they do not reach 5 feet in the second year, apply organic fertilizer. This rate of growth is the only criterion for adding more fertilizer.
Do not mulch or cultivate in early spring because if the soil is covered or is very loose your plants are more liable to damage from spring frost. That is because the soil is going to stay colder for a longer period of time.
Spring frost is the greatest danger to the young plants as the leaves and flowers are very suspect to the cold. But as wines come into leaf in the beginning of spring, they escape more frosts.