grape vine upkeep

[dragonmaster42]

For you grape growing gurus out there - during the growing season how much do you trim back the vines?

My assumption is, as with pretty much all plants, you'd have to do some pruning back to keep the vines from becoming a tangled mess (as mine are starting to look like) and to get light into the entire plant and not just the outer layer of leaves. But, I didn't know if there was any specifics as to optimal vine length to leave, a magic number of leaves to have per vine, etc, etc.

Tony

 

[AlFulchino]

in my case w my vigorous conditions, i prune to 2 and three buds on spur, and after they fill out they will need three visits during the summer w the electric hedge trimmers and six hundred or so feet of cord to keep air flow and sunlight in, not to mention the need to get the tractor thru

from what i have read...it takes 7-15 leaves to ripen a cluster depending on variety.....but bear in mind that the leaves don't have to all be on the cane bearing the cluster....when i hedge my vines i often find myself being forced to leave only a few leaves on that cane and that cane is bearing 1 or 2 clusters....the rest of the vine takes care of the ripenning

 

[ibglowin]

He lives!

 

[AlFulchino]

apparently you do too, having escaped those fires!

 

[ibglowin]

But only by the hair of my chinny chin chin!

 

[Randoneur]

For you grape growing gurus out there - during the growing season how much do you trim back the vines?

My assumption is, as with pretty much all plants, you'd have to do some pruning back to keep the vines from becoming a tangled mess (as mine are starting to look like) and to get light into the entire plant and not just the outer layer of leaves. But, I didn't know if there was any specifics as to optimal vine length to leave, a magic number of leaves to have per vine, etc, etc.

Tony

I just cut off anything outside of the main growth both above and to the sides. After that you may need to pull leaves, instead of pruning, to get the spray to penetrate and to get air and light in to the clusters. Getting light in also may help next years buds form if you are using spur pruning.

 

[dragonmaster42]

Thanks guys. That's just what I wanted to know.