New to grape growing!

Discussion in 'Grapes and Grape Vines' started by SONMAN4713, Apr 3, 2008.

  1. SONMAN4713

    SONMAN4713 Member

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    Location:
    Brimfield, Mass USA
    I am new to this web site and new to grape growing. If there is any help out there I am listening! I have a wild concord grapr vine growing in my yard. Last year I had plenty of grapes and made some good jelly, jam and juice. I would like to cultivate and prune the vine. Can anyone tell me where to start and is the beginning of april in western mass an ok time to start. I also have another vine 50 yards away which did not have any grapes. Iwas going to cut it to the ground and hope for the best, what do you suggest? Thank you.
     
  2. Ralph Walton

    Ralph Walton Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Denman Island,BC
    Right now would be a good time to prune. I suggest you google "concord grape pruning" and read as much of it as you have time for. Tend to believe the sites that end in .edu. Concords are different from the regular (vinifera) wine grapes, and your situation (a single vine) is also different from the usual vineyard practice, but the principles are similar. Grapes are pruned in a fashion that the uninitiated might call "brutal", but never carelessly. Keep enough buds to ensure enough shoots for fruiting, but not much more. A typical vineyard pruning can put over 95% of the vine on the ground, not including the main trunk. Sometimes the main trunk is cut down to retrain to a different trellis system and the vine will be back up to speed and in production in a couple of seasons. A serious cutback of an overgrown vine can result in a season of little or even no fruit, but the next year (with correct pruning) it will be off to the races.

    Cut the other one back to sound wood; leave a few shoots if you can. Google "pruning old grape vines".

    Ralph

    Ralph
     

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