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Planting New Grape Vines
Market Boy
Posts: 101
Hi. I am having my 3rd try at planting and growing 2 grape vines. I am planting them on a South facing wall. In well manured soil.
The 2 Vines I have purchased both have 2 good branches on them each and are approx. 2ft long each. I have seen several
sites that say on planting the vines I should prune any branches back to 2 or 3 buds.
Can anyone advise please as I want to succeed this time.
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Posts
Is the vine actively growing now ? it a bit late for prune vine now. What plans have you got for training the vine?
Thanks Philippa - I will take a look.
Hi Perki - I received the vines last October and have had them in pots in the greenhouse. I planted them out 2 weeks ago. Both vines have 2 good shoots on them approx. 1ft long with leaves.
My plan is to let them grow and choose the strongest as the season progresses. Then remove the weakest. the strongest will be left to grow 6ft this season. I would then prune back to 3 buds next year using 2 buds for my horizontals and one for the following seasons growth.
Blimey that sounds as though I know what I am talking about !!. But everything I read seems to say that after planting any growth should be pruned back to 2 strong buds.
What do you think ?? Any advice will be appreciated.
I wouldn't cut into any old wood at the moment ( brown wood ) I will bleed and severely weaken the vine , I would pick a leader now and pinch the other shoot back to 5 to 7 leaves and any sub lateral to one leaf.
It sounds like a Cordon system ? I have pruned my own grape vine into a spur & rod system which is still part of a cordon system, I take some pictures tomorrow if you want. I have a little grape vine handbook which helped me out enormously when I first started growing grapes ( RHS Wisley handbook grapes ) 2008 edition , its about £2.80 on amazon 2nd hand .
A Guyot system may be better for growing grapes against a wall, vine yard grow their grape this way. Unless I've miss read and you are training them is way.
I wouldn't prune now as its too late. Let them grow away - I think rubbing off unwanted buds is all you should do - but mine I let rampage off and pruned very hard back at the end of the year. They are all growing strongly now. Do remember Monty planting a vine last year - wonder if there is something on you tube - don't remember him cutting back.
Grape vines have to be constantly pruned, especially in a GH or your not going to get in there, any hard pruning should be done in winter. Simple pruning done throughout the growing season on a spur and rod system - one bunch of grape per lateral - pinch shoots to 2 shoots after flower / grapes - sub lateral pinch to one leaf - grapes need to be thinned
It says it's a strawberry grape vine ?
Thanks
katherine ?
Last edited: 07 October 2017 16:11:45