After the initial deep tilling or spading a week or two before planting, stir up the top two to three inches of soil every few days, using an iron garden rake, hoe, cultivating tool or tiller. Every time you disrupt a soil section, you bring hundreds of tiny weed seeds out into the open where they die. The more you work the soil, the less weeding you'll have to do later. Work the soil one last time just before you plant, regardless of how often it's been worked previously. Your seeds need fresh oxygen and loose soil around them to properly germinate and grow.
Most vegetables grow best in slightly acid soil, and vine crops are no exception.
You can measure your soil's acidity or alkalinity by determining its pH with a soil test. Soil pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7 indicating neutral. Any reading above 7 is considered alkaline or sweet, anything below is acid. The further the reading is from neutral 7, the greater the degree of acidity or alkalinity. You should check your soil pH every two years.