Young vine and spare buds

[tdah1986]

Hi all

I'm in my second year of vine growing in the UK (would you believe it) - they took very well last year. I cut them back to a few buds over winter so that this year I can focus on developing the trunks (going for a rod and spur system as they are against a wall).

Unfortunately it's a much smaller enterprise than most on here - just 3 vines of the Regent variety - a back garden job. If I can get a bottle out if them one day I'll be happy.

Anyway does anyone have any advice as to what to do with my spare "insurance" buds? Generally the top buds are growing much better and I'm hoping they will carry on with the trunk development over the course of spring and summer, however I don't want the buds further down the vine sapping energy from the top buds.

Should I simply slice them off?good to hear your views, thanks, Tom

 

[bchilders]

Hello Tom, three or more vines is a vineyard in my book. Once you have your main shoots established, i.e. two to three leaves, than I would remove any others that you do not want growing. You can prune them or rub them off if they have not sprouted yet. You might also, and maybe you are, consider removing any grape clusters as they appear as well.

 

[grapeman]

If you wait for the extra buds to get growing just a bit say an inch or two, you can take a leather glove and rub your closed hand up and down the trunk a few times. That removes the buds in just a few seconds and by waiting for them to come out a bit like that they are less likely for others in that socket growing back this year.

 

[tdah1986]

Great, thanks both - I'll let you know how I get on.

Thanks also grapeman for your thread on the vineyard. Even though I have three vines, thanks to that thread I have about 15 successful cuttings that I'm hoping to plant out/give away as presents this year!