New (old) home with vineyard owner

[SandiaSlice]

Thanks for all of your replies.

I made the new plantings this spring with blue protection tubes. Many of the New Vines are now growing out the tops of the tubes which are at about 36 in from the ground. When do I remove these tubes? My inclination is to leave them until the vine can be tied to my 40-in wire which is the lowest wire I have. Inadvertently, I lifted one of the tubes yesterday and couldn't get it back down because the foliage on the vine opened up. Also, most of these new vines have growth on three or four buds. For a new planting on grafted rootstock, my reading tells me that I want to select and keep just two shoots off of the Scion, removing the weaker looking shoots. In order to do this , I have to remove the tube . When do people typically do this in the first season? I don't want to remove the tubes too early, but I'm figuring that they need to be removed before it gets to the point that I can't remove them without cutting them off. Is this right?

Sean

 

[ChuckD]

The first year you typically let the vine grow however it wants. Ignore the form since you just want it to put down good roots. Next spring you can prune to the best vine and start forming a trunk.

You need to remove the tube in time to let the vine harden off before winter. So maybe a month before the leaves start to fall. Earlier won’t hurt anything. If you have the two-part tubes you typically cut the sleeve to remove them.

ETA. I have no experience with grafted vines so there may be some specific pruning needed for them… for instance, removing growth below the graft.

 

[Snafflebit]

@ChuckD Exactly. For the first year let the vines grow unpruned. Year 2 is when pruning happens.

 

[tjmeyer]

As mentioned, year one is just about roots. But you do want to keep an eye on the vitis riparia like shoots from the root stock. Their new flesh is reddish and the leaves are a jagged heart shape.

 

[Jusatele]

nice place, My take on the natural root vines. The reason for grafted stock is to give roots that resist a lot of root decease. seeing as they are doing fine, you have time to decide what to do with them.
Now about the not being trimmed back for a few years, even the worst mistake only sets you back a year. Prune them to how you want to be and if you take off to much, or do not end with buds on last years growth, next year you will know what is what.
In a way grape vines are like weeds, it takes a lot to kill them and the always seem to find a way to fruit.
I let the 1st and second year letting roots establish and training the vine to above the bottom wire. The next year is getting what I am using as cordons trained, I rub off any fruit. the 4th year the vines are healthy, have a great root stock and they do very well. that is about a year longer than a lot of guys but I like the roots well established before stressing them with fruiting.