Grape vine advice pls.

I planted a South African table grape grapevine in my small but very sunny back yard about 4 years ago. It's in good rich, deep but stoney soil in a sunny spot. It has thrived and us now about 8ft square. I've bought vine eyes and galvanised wire. I'll put up 3, maybe 4, sturdy horizontal wires. When should I prune and tie in the vine? Any general advice grateful received. Do I need to feed it? How much water should it need? Without drowning it. Then, when and how should I prune? How do I get it to fruit and not just put on more and more leaves?? Tips for best fruit? Pests? Should I net the grapes? We gave very assertive native birds here. They will eat anything at any time. Also grey/gray sqirrels, which are worse than anything.

 

Its a south African vine, but are you in S.Africa??

 

No. But it was sold as suitable to be grown in the UK.

 

OK, just didn't want to get the seasons round the wrong way.
In four years you should have had at least some grapes by now.

You need to restrict the growth to get decent grapes, must admit I'm not an expert but have grown grapes, good and bad for quite a few years.

Winter pruning involves sorting out the main shape.
I tend to go for one main stem, which you cut back the laterals(side shoots) to each winter.

In summer you pinch back the side shoots two leaves after a bunch of flowers, you then pinch subsequent shoots back at one leaf.

Vines will get into a tangled mess if you dont train them in some way.
There are various methods, but left to their own devises they will just go wild.

 

It shouldn't need watering or feeding.
Netting keeps the pests off but the vine will grow into and through the net given half a chance.