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How do I renovate very old vine?

Hello
We have recently moved house and have inherited a prolific grapevine in a greenhouse. We are advised it is at least 50 years old and produces lots of dessert grapes every year. It is planted just outside the greenhouse and then runs the full length of it and turns back on itself, so the main stem is probably 25' long.
It is sadly neglected and still has last year's crop on it, which has just withered away of course.
I've read lots of articles on how to renovate an old vine but not many of them seem to apply to the situation I have now.  I know that it should have been pruned in early winter, so I'm not sure what to do with it now.
My first thought is to remove all the old fruit, but have no real idea what to do beyond that.  All thoughts are welcome, thanks.
I have added some pics, with apologies that they seem to have come out in a different orientation to how they have been saved - not sure how to rotate them!


No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

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  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    It doesn't look too congested so you will be OK if you don't do much this year. Take off all the old fruit and leaves first. If it hasn't started to bud yet you may get away with pruning per your articles. People panic about vines bleeding to death if pruned at the wrong time but they get treated very harshly in vinyards without dying.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    No you can prune it back now. It isn't too late. As @steephill says get all the old fruit off and cut back sections that are crossing over. See what is left and maybe leave a great prune for later on this year. How wonderful to have such a vine with dessert grapes.
  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    Prune off all old wood and leave one new wood branch 5 eyes long.  Don't worry about being ruthless.  Attach the wood to the wire to train it.

    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • tui34tui34 Posts: 3,493
    My father-in-law (88) is the pruner.  These are my dessert (table) grapes.  He has pruned this one a little bit longer than the previous one.  6/7 eyes.


    A good hoeing is worth two waterings.

  • @tui34 so how much does the vine grow in a season? Presumably well enough to produce a reasonable crop.
    As this vine produces loads of grapes I'm really not sure about cutting off 25 feet of growth which seems to do what it should.
    I seem to recall seeing Monty pruning a similar but much smaller vine with only small snips here and there, leaving the main thick old stem intact. Doesn't mean he was doing it right of course! 😉
    No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    edited March 2023
    It doesn't look too bad. I wouldn't do a big prune now, that should be done in the winter. I would cut off the old fruit and the spindly bits. It isn't good for vines to bleed when you prune the fatter stems and disease can get in. 

    I agree with Monty, that long stem is the framework in the case of your vine, don't cut it off. Wine growing grapes are pruned differently, much harder. Yours has been trained along the conservatory and you need to keep it like that. @tui34's vines aren't grown the same way as yours.  Next winter just prune all the side stems to a couple of buds, bit like a hard prune to a climbing rose.

    In the summer prune new growths off to just a bit beyond where the bunches of buds for the new grapes form and prune off the skinny one that aren't bearing grapes.

    I live in Dordogne and I have a vine along the front of my house, like yours, but the summers are warm enough for it to be outside.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043



    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I'd start by cutting off the dead fruits as well and then see where you are. With ours we have the main stem and then in winter simply snip off anything that we don't want and any growth we do, down to 3-4 buds. It's these short budded stems that produce the fruit and like mentioned above in the summer you snip the extra growth beyond the grapes, letting light and air into them and stopping the extra growth stealing the nutrients.
    The problem with big prunes this time of year is worse in greenhouse vines as they are warmer and normally further along than outside vines.
  • DaveGreigDaveGreig Posts: 189
    edited March 2023
    It looks on the face of it like it’s been well pruned in the past. The periodic clumps along the stem is where the fruiting spurs will grow. Prune woody growth back to these clumps leaving 4 buds. When the soft growth starts, flowers will develop. Let these shoots make 4-6 leaves past the flowers then snip out the growing point. Later select one or two bunches to keep and snip out the rest to improve quality. (You can cut fresh green growth without risk of bleeding). Keep the green growth throughout the season snipped back to 4 leaves. If pruning woody growth you can try sealing the cut end with hot candle wax, using a lit candle. It’s awkward but has some effect. A small blowtorch lighter to sear the end can also be effective. My grape vines always bled as the spring sap rose, no matter when I pruned them so don’t panic. These are one of the toughest plants around.

    good luck, I’m envious because growing grapes was one of my favourite things. Not only do you get nice fruit but you’re growing your own greenhouse shading as well.
  • Thanks for all the replies here, most helpful. 
    @Busy-Lizzie, thanks for rotating the photos 😊
    @DaveGreig, great point about shading, never thought about that. 
    It's a  dull day here today so possibly a good day to go out with the snips.

    We moved down from Aberdeenshire to Co Durham and have now been in the house just short of two weeks. The tended part of the garden is much smaller than I had before, down from 3/4 acre to about a third, but includes the amazing greenhouse with its own water, gas and electricity supply! There is a further 2 acres of parkland which generally needs less work. The previous owners looked after the garden really well until ill health prevented much maintenance in the last two years.
    I therefore foresee lots more questions as the garden grows and the season progresses.
    I'm strictly no longer a newish gardener so will be looking at how to change my username to something more suitable, so watch this space!😊⚘🌲🌳🍁🌾🌼
    No longer newish but can't think of a new name so will remain forever newish.  B) 

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