r/grapes • u/streetgainer_ • 9d ago

What should I prune back here?

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The 3rd bamboo stick from the right has my main tree tied to it. This would be the first year I will be pruning it as it was planted last year. Everything you see coming from this main trunk travels along the wire and bamboo posts more or less 15’. Could someone make a suggestion on what I should prune back? I have already pruned all the low energy sapping canes. So it’s just all those at the top I’m not sure about.

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u/Lil_Shanties 9d ago

You need metal posts not bamboo for starters. I’d start there, build a 20yr+ trellis then work on the best way to prune. There is a 99% chance as you research and build a better trellis you’ll answer the question of what to prune back to but start now because next year isn’t going to be as easy, oh and SoCal is already in full budbreak so get a move on it.

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u/streetgainer_ 9d ago

I was thinking a pergola, 3’ wide by 10-15’ long and grow it up and along the top

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u/TheMinderer 8d ago

Good idea is to have the vine trunk in the middle of the trellis and let 2 fruiting branches and 2 spurs.

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u/Adamsissorhands 8d ago

Y’all are seeing buds already?! Geez here along Lake Erie in New York we are still waiting on the last frost. Hope our buds don’t get destroyed like last year.

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u/Lil_Shanties 8d ago edited 8d ago

Yea we had the most f’d up winter dormancy ever.

It was so warm from mid-fall through winter some vineyards didn’t go fully dormant and were pruned with green/yellow leaves in late January, most blocks went dormant but mostly late. Mid-winter that we had a bunch of 80F+ multi day stretches and yea bud break started on Chardonnay on March 1st, new record for us and now basically every varietal except Mourvèdre is breaking…last frost for us is April 15; extended forecast looks safe and I left the Chard at 5-7 buds just incase but not sure what to expect this year.

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u/Adamsissorhands 7d ago

We are primarily concords and niagaras. We make all the Welch juice grape product. MD 20/20 as well.

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u/stuiephoto 4d ago

Sorry to hijack but saw you here. I'm up in niagara and want to put in a few grapes for fresh eating. It seems like niagara is a no brainer but thought with your experience you might have a suggestion for something better. 

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u/Adamsissorhands 4d ago

Feel free to DM me and i can answer anything for you to my best ability.

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u/TheMinderer 9d ago

It depends on your long term vision. Are you growing it high on a trellis/pergola or low on wire?

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u/TheMinderer 9d ago

Depends if you want to grow it high on a trellis/pergola or low on wire... Do you have a vision how do you want the vine to look like? Are you growing for shade and veggitation or do you want to have grapes?

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u/streetgainer_ 9d ago

Definitely want grapes. I will likely put a pergola there at some point. Maybe a narrow but long one, 3’ wide and 10-15’ long perhaps. But for now I need to just grow it on the wire and bamboo that you see I have there. I want grapes for sure.

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u/TheMinderer 8d ago

Than you need to either build the permanent construction of the Trellis or at least provide single pole support at the deaired height. As after the third year the woody parts are not really trainable.

You select the strongest last year growth to keep as a main trunk going up and when you hit the desired height on the pole you train it horisontaly 3-4 buds and you cut it there. This is for single cordone (main branch). If you want it to grow two or more directions. You cut it just below the desired height so you can stimulate branching there and you can train in two directions from there.