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How to prune grape vine

ellken2229VrkZy3aellken2229VrkZy3a Posts: 3
in Fruit & veg
Hi everyone bought a grape plant this year online came in a tiny pot I've reported into a 30L fabric pot this is what it looked like after reporting 


It was just that main big stalk then throughout this years growing season I've had 2 long branches grow up

They had loads of leaves on but have lost them since its getting quite cold now.

Anyways the issue is the videos I've found online only show well established grape vines and there isn't as much information on newly planted ones. Do I have to tie these branches going away from eachother onto a horizontal support like this?

and at what point do you have to prune these branches back? 

Any advice be much appreciated

Posts

  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    edited November 2023
    These two should be of some help with when and how to prune.
    When in doubt, I always find that Gardeners World and the RHS have the answers tucked away somewhere.



  • diggersjodiggersjo Posts: 172

    Great links to use – RHS for me in the past. I had a vine for over 20 years in this country (under glass) and bleeding was the biggest worry In most of those years we had heavy prolonged frost so it was not too much of an issue. These days it would be more of a concern finding a suitable cold period for pruning. The pruning gets a little more difficult in some ways as the years go on, but easier with the experience. Don’t worry too much with the new growth each year as mine was always out of control at some point each year as keeping up with the vigorous growth is very time consuming.


    Yorkshire, ex Italy and North East coast. Growing too old for it!
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    It depends what shape you what your vine to be, short (Guyot system, like French wine growers), tall then horizontal such as over a doorway or inside a conservatory roof, or standard which is on one stem like a small tree.

    Keep 3 vines for the first year and don't prune. For the first 2 or 3 years remove any bunches of future grapes to help get it established.

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/grapes/pruning-training
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • ellken2229VrkZy3aellken2229VrkZy3a Posts: 3
    Hi everyone thanks for the useful links.
    So will those two branches that have grown this year be the cordon in which canes will grow off next year? Then eventually fruit off the canes?
  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Yes.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • WaterbutWaterbut Posts: 344
    The RHS site is great. It says in December, year one, cut back the main stem by two thirds and side branches to one strong bud. Worked for me.
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