Last year I planted (what were marketed) as two year old grape vines.
However I was clueless and the vines grew tremendously. They leafed
out beautifully but not flowers or grapes--i wasn't expecting any.

However I always hate pruning things back and I left the vines as they
grew. So I've got at two 10-12 foot runs, plus one or two 6-8 foot
runs on each plant. they are sending out vines at almost every
knot/junction and I'm seeing lots of little florets, which I'm
assuming are going to be grapes. While they are growing quickly and
vigorously (yeah!), I'm assuming that this is just too many--even for
a 3rd year plant. Any advice on how to get this more under control?

- Can I cut the (10-12') wood shorter now or will it shock the vine
too much? The vines are sending out laterals throughout the 12'
length--no dead wood.

- Will it help to pinch some of the florets? Or should I wait to see
which pollinate? (I'm assuming there is some type of
pollination--although I don't recall it ever mentioned)

- Should I allow so many lateral vines to form? Won't that take a lot
of energy from grape producing?

I'm reading more and more about the pruing methods, but I'm looking
for best action to take now to work towards having a decent year. If
this was a tomato plant I'd just pinch it down, but I've got no
experience yet with these things.



DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/

DigitalVinyl wrote:

- Can I cut the (10-12') wood shorter now or will it shock the vine
too much? The vines are sending out laterals throughout the 12'
length--no dead wood.

do your best to leave the vine alone now. They don't like any pruning
except
fall pruning. You can take out 60-70% of the branches in october, and
train it
as you please. Other plants mind less when you prune them, but not
grape.


- Will it help to pinch some of the florets? Or should I wait to see
which pollinate? (I'm assuming there is some type of
pollination--although I don't recall it ever mentioned)

Leave it alone. You could strip the plant of the smallest bunches, once
they are formed but not ripened. The birds will take the rest.


- Should I allow so many lateral vines to form? Won't that take a lot
of energy from grape producing?

No, you should not. But right now they are making food for the roots.
Next year, and the years after, you will have a strong vine.


I'm reading more and more about the pruing methods, but I'm looking
for best action to take now to work towards having a decent year. If
this was a tomato plant I'd just pinch it down, but I've got no
experience yet with these things.



DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/

DigitalVinyl wrote:

- Can I cut the (10-12') wood shorter now or will it shock the vine
too much? The vines are sending out laterals throughout the 12'
length--no dead wood.

do your best to leave the vine alone now. They don't like any pruning
except
fall pruning. You can take out 60-70% of the branches in october, and
train it
as you please. Other plants mind less when you prune them, but not
grape.


- Will it help to pinch some of the florets? Or should I wait to see
which pollinate? (I'm assuming there is some type of
pollination--although I don't recall it ever mentioned)

Leave it alone. You could strip the plant of the smallest bunches, once
they are formed but not ripened. The birds will take the rest.


- Should I allow so many lateral vines to form? Won't that take a lot
of energy from grape producing?

No, you should not. But right now they are making food for the roots.
Next year, and the years after, you will have a strong vine.


I'm reading more and more about the pruing methods, but I'm looking
for best action to take now to work towards having a decent year. If
this was a tomato plant I'd just pinch it down, but I've got no
experience yet with these things.



DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/

Thanks for the advice.

I wondered how healthy they were last year because I had so much
growth. I sometimes wonder if excessive growth with means a
weaker/overfertilized/unbalanced/spent plant that's more susceptible
to disease. I read books that talked about the stems not reaching
high/far enough in the first year and mine were way past expectations.

This year I'll get to see better what a years growth's is like on
older wood. I'm kind of wondering how full and leafy this is gonna
get.


"simy1" wrote:


DigitalVinyl wrote:

- Can I cut the (10-12') wood shorter now or will it shock the vine
too much? The vines are sending out laterals throughout the 12'
length--no dead wood.

do your best to leave the vine alone now. They don't like any pruning
except
fall pruning. You can take out 60-70% of the branches in october, and
train it
as you please. Other plants mind less when you prune them, but not
grape.


- Will it help to pinch some of the florets? Or should I wait to see
which pollinate? (I'm assuming there is some type of
pollination--although I don't recall it ever mentioned)

Leave it alone. You could strip the plant of the smallest bunches, once
they are formed but not ripened. The birds will take the rest.


- Should I allow so many lateral vines to form? Won't that take a lot
of energy from grape producing?

No, you should not. But right now they are making food for the roots.
Next year, and the years after, you will have a strong vine.


I'm reading more and more about the pruing methods, but I'm looking
for best action to take now to work towards having a decent year. If
this was a tomato plant I'd just pinch it down, but I've got no
experience yet with these things.



DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
2nd year gardener
http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalfrazier/