# A few Pruning/Training Systems



## grapeman

I thought a few of you might like to see a few of my pruning/training systems. I am about done pruning finally since the snow all melted and I could walk in the vineyard without sinking to my ankles or deeper. The pictues aren't great. They would be better against a blue background, but just look at them closely and hopefully you can see the canes OK. 


First up is a Buffalo grape vine-very vigorous. I wanted a lot of nodes/high bud count left because they were so vigorous(about 5 pounds average pruned wood). I need to spread the canopy so I pruned to 4 canes with a high and low fruiting wire.


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The prunings from the Buffalo- a lot to clean up next.












Next is a double trunk- spur pruned Leon Millot








Closeup of some spurs- leaving a few buds














Then some Catawbas pruned and trained to anUmbrella Kniffen system








Notice how the canes are bent over the top wire and tied to the middle wire.




Then a Frontenac sprur pruned for Verticle Shoot Positioning- VSP.










Finally a St. Pepin vine pruned basically to a 4 arm Kniffen. I use this for the St. Pepin because it is a pistillate vine and needs a high bud count retained for adequate production.


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******* Well I tried to put in the St. Pepin a million times but get sql error messages******** SORRY





That's all for now. Any questions?



*Edited by: appleman *


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## Joanie

What are those little blue-green things you use to train the vines to the wires, where do you get them, and how do you put them on?

OK... that was three questions!


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## grapeman

Joan they are a vinyl tape about 3/8" wide and stapled with tiny staples. They last a couple years and come off pretty easily when you want them to. The problem with it is the application gun. It is a Tapener tool and isn't cheap at about $50.00 at Orchard Valley Supply. You might be able to find one local out there. I got it when I had a lot of apple trees to train and it works great for training grapes too.


http://www.orchardvalleysupply.com/ovsstore/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=48










Mine is an older model the Max Tapener.


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## Joanie

I bought one!


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## grapeman

Did you get it from Orchard Valley Supply or find one locally?


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## Joanie

I bought it from OVS...it was less expensive there than other places on the internet. It wasn't worth the gas to go hunting for it locally.


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## AlFulchino

question.!.....in the frontenac vsp picture..some of the spurs appear to be in positions other than upward facing.....i run into this as well because i could not get to lay the cane soon enough to lay it on the wire...will these side facing spurs be ok for the shoots that come out which i will train upward during the growing season?


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## grapeman

They work just fine Al. You can't get them all to point staight up. As you train the following year, the shoots develop and most will go upright, but some will want to sag. Make your wires for the VSP moveable. Set them low early and after you get enough growth, move them up to about 6-8 inches above the fruiting wire. That will bend them into position.


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## AlFulchino

thank you...so then your fruiting wire is essentially the only one w real tension on it then?


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## grapeman

That's right. The fruiting wire carries the bulk of the weight. Some folks use a lighter wire or even monofilament for the catchwires. I just use the same.


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