What are the effects of extensive pruning in August

Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum

Help Support Winemaking Talk - Winemaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Ricjhill

Junior
Joined
Jul 26, 2017
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
A mystery vistor has heavily pruned part of an overgrown vineyard I took over. There was about 15 years uncontrolled growth. I wanted to wait till spring but what is done is done. I know that pruning now is not recommended.

What are the possible ill effects?

What are the benefits of doing to now? Maybe it prevents disease, I do not know.
 
Last edited:
Thanks, i found a bottle of kitchen cleaner, anti mildew spray. I think that was used to seal the ends.
 
What are the possible ill effects? What are the benefits of doing to now? Maybe it prevents disease, I do not know.

It would depend on how much was cut and what was the size of the shoots/canes/cordons/trunks cut.

Cutting trunks or cordons can bleed out the vine now. It also opens a large entry point for disease (Eutypa for example). But Eutypa also can enter into cuts made in the winter, so larger cuts are better in the very early spring once some sap if flowing. A slightly weeping cut can actually be a bit more preventative for infection during ideal weather conditions.

Cutting shoots and canes has a similar issue, but less so. In fact trimming shoots is one common canopy management system during the growing season. But cutting these too much could prevent the vine from storing energy into it's roots for next year's growth (lacking the leaves it would normally use to do this). So weaker growth and reduced production next year may result.

Vines are pretty hardy. I would just let them be for now. But next year do not let them carry a full crop so they can recover from the cuts this summer.

And put up a "No Trespassing" sign now to prevent further intrusion.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top