# Who has pruned their vines already?



## LoveTheWine (Mar 13, 2014)

I was able to get to mine about one week ago. Only the second yr of growth coming up so it was pretty easy.


----------



## harleydmn (Mar 13, 2014)

Did our 40 vines on Monday and tuesday. They are on there 3rd year, hoping for a crop this year


----------



## Runningwolf (Mar 13, 2014)

Around here 80% of the grapes are pruned shortly after harvest.if they didn't do that there is no way they could get them all done in the spring. The better vanifera they hold off on.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Wine Making mobile app


----------



## TomC (Mar 13, 2014)

I'm still dealing with downed trees! No time for the orchard/vineyard.


----------



## GreginND (Mar 13, 2014)

As the snow starts melting away, my thoughts are turning to my vines (hybrids). 

These are second year vines. It was a long cold winter with little snow cover so I suspect a lot of the first year's growth from last year is not viable. I plan to prune them all down to a couple of buds near the base and grow proper trunks this year.

As I understand it there is no advantage to trying to grow from buds higher up on last year's canes as the shoots will quickly surpass last year's growth.

I think end of March when everything gets melted well I'll begin pruning in earnest.


----------



## garymc (Mar 13, 2014)

I pruned most of my muscadine vines three or four days ago. I was concerned that they wouldn't live through the severe winter we had. I did find some dead wood and cut it back to where I saw green in the cutting and stump.


----------



## grapeman (Mar 13, 2014)

My lower fruiting wire is around 36 inches for varieties on VSP. The snow this AM is within 6 inches of the wire so I think it will be a while until I prune.


----------



## exarkun (Mar 14, 2014)

grapeman said:


> My lower fruiting wire is around 36 inches for varieties on VSP. The snow this AM is within 6 inches of the wire so I think it will be a while until I prune.



How low should the snow get before thinking about pruning?


----------



## grapeman (Mar 14, 2014)

That depends on where you are and what the temperatures are along with how long it will take to prune. I will be starting to prune in two to three weeks, I hope............


----------



## Poni (Mar 14, 2014)

I just pay attention to the weather. If i see itl be over 50° for the next two weeks or there about, i get my butt out and prune. Otherwise I try to delay due to late frosts. I strongly dislike this time of year!


----------



## Lavorgna (Mar 16, 2014)

Here is a question... What pruning method do you use and any suggestions for what I should do.. Spur pruning or cane pruning? I am growing Cayuga, Cab Franc and Lemburger, I planted one year plants in 2012 so this will be 3rd year.
Any suggestions? Methods used?


----------



## TicinoVintner (Mar 22, 2014)

I pruned last full moon in Feb.
Cane vs Spur, depends on where you live and the disease pressure. High pressure go cane, no pressure go spur cause its easier. No difference in quality.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## LoveTheWine (Mar 22, 2014)

TicinoVintner said:


> I pruned last full moon in Feb.
> Cane vs Spur, depends on where you live and the disease pressure. High pressure go cane, no pressure go spur cause its easier. No difference in quality.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making



You are Located in Switzerland??
What kind of grapes do you grow?


----------



## grapeman (Mar 22, 2014)

Lavorgna said:


> Here is a question... What pruning method do you use and any suggestions for what I should do.. Spur pruning or cane pruning? I am growing Cayuga, Cab Franc and Lemburger, I planted one year plants in 2012 so this will be 3rd year.
> Any suggestions? Methods used?


 
The Cayuga is a very vigorous grower. High Wire (Top Wire) might be appropriate for that one. It does grow upright for a while but will flop down after a bit. Probably cane pruned is more appropriate for it, but if it winters well each year you could go with spur pruned cordon.

Cab Frank and Lemberger will both work fine for Vertical Shoot Positioned systems.


----------



## tatd69 (Mar 24, 2014)

harleydmn said:


> Did our 40 vines on Monday and tuesday. They are on there 3rd year, hoping for a crop this year




How much time does 40 vines take out of your schedule? Would 100
Vines be hard to take care of. 


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## LoneStarLori (Mar 25, 2014)

I only have a few muscadines and the darn things already have buds and leaves coming out for about a week now. I didn't get a chance to prune them because I was waiting on the weather to warm up.
How horrible would it be to cut them back anyway?


----------



## grapeman (Mar 25, 2014)

Go ahead and carefully prune them. They will bleed some, but normally do some anyways.


----------



## LoneStarLori (Mar 25, 2014)

grapeman said:


> Go ahead and carefully prune them. They will bleed some, but normally do some anyways.



That's what I was thinking. The growth is still young enough. 
I'll buy some bandaids and get after them.
Ty for the fast advice.


----------



## LoneStarLori (Mar 25, 2014)

I think my ship sailed on pruning. I swear, these were nubs on Saturday. Now I have loads of baby muscats. (at least thats what i think they are). We bought this house a couple of years ago so I don't know for sure but they are all over peoples fences in the area. When they were ripe, they were about the size of a dime and in small clusters of no more than 10 or so. They were really tart and IMO didn't make much of a wine so I'm not going to stress over the plants.

I trimmed a little today, but they are so well under way and producing, I didn't want to chance stunting them. 

Taken today:


----------



## GreginND (Mar 25, 2014)

Since it was 6 degrees this morning, I'm still a bit away from pruning. 

BUT, since we're on the subject . . . Favorite pruners anyone?

I am going to buy some but am torn between the Felco #7 and #8.


----------



## grapeman (Mar 25, 2014)

I use the Number 8. I have tried both and I think the number 8 is more comfortable in my hands for me. The number 7 just seemed a bit weird to me, but the guy that owned them liked them.


----------



## grapeman (Mar 25, 2014)

LoneStarLori that vine certainly is very overgrown. I would be sure to prune it next year well before it buds out, otherwise it will soon stop bearing because of the shade it creates on itself.


----------



## exarkun (Mar 26, 2014)

I live in MN, 25 miles NW of Minneapolis. There is still ~1 foot of snow on the ground.

I have some Marquette vines and this year am planning to prune them to double trunks. 

Forecasts still show it getting down to the high teens and low 20's in evenings for the next week. How much longer should I wait to prune them?

Thanks


----------



## GreginND (Mar 26, 2014)

You have more snow than us! Did you have a lot of winter kill this year? I think I've heard the frost line here was up to 8 feet deep in places. We've had a lot of frozen sewer and water pipes this year.

Anyway, you still have plenty of time. I would probably wait at least a few more weeks.


----------



## nucjd (Mar 26, 2014)

I pruned about a week ago. Central Alabama. No snow and temperate climate.


----------



## peaches9324 (Mar 26, 2014)

I pruned some of my table grapes the other day and decided it was maybe better to wait a lil longer glad I did snow covered the ground again and the temps dipped below freezing but the forecast for next week is mostly rain but with higher temps but we always get an Easter snow it seems to melt fast though


----------



## winerocks69 (Mar 28, 2014)

We just pruned our small vineyard over the past week! In NW Oregon at about 550 ft elevation.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making


----------



## HillPeople (Mar 28, 2014)

33" of snow on the ground here. Won't be pruning anytime real soon.


----------



## grapeman (Mar 29, 2014)

GreginND said:


> Since it was 6 degrees this morning, I'm still a bit away from pruning.
> 
> BUT, since we're on the subject . . . Favorite pruners anyone?
> 
> I am going to buy some but am torn between the Felco #7 and #8.


 

Did you get your Felco #8 pruning shears yet Greg? If so how are they working out for you? I bougth a few pairs last year of a cheaper Japanese knockoff for about 2/3 the amount as the Felco #8 I have had for 8 years. The Felco's have some wear, but still work well. The knockoffs are already going bad and have chips all over in the blades. You get what you pay for. I just ordered 2 more pairs of the real Felco #8.


----------



## grapeman (Mar 29, 2014)

I went out this AM to check the bud damage from the cold winter. Any zone 5 vines are pretty bad with up to 90% of the buds dead. Zone 3 and 4 are looking in good shape. I want to start pruning soon as the snow is down to a bit over a foot deep. Only thing is now we are expecting another dump of snow tonight.


----------



## ibglowin (Mar 29, 2014)

No signs of pushing here, I should probably prune but want them to sleep as long as they can. We are still freezing (most days but not all) in the AM but warming up in the PM (50-60's)


----------



## GreginND (Mar 30, 2014)

Felco 8 on order but they haven't arrived yet. We're supposed to get 18 inches of snow tomorrow so it looks like I won't be needing them quite yet. 


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making


----------



## grapeman (Mar 30, 2014)

Yeah we woke up to about 7 iches of ver, very heavy wet snow. It packed as you try to push it. I just roughed it out so I can get through it alright and figure that the rest will melt this coming week as it will hit the upper 40's. We now have about 18 inches or so on the level again.


----------



## drumlinridgewinery (Mar 30, 2014)

Pruned mine today. Looks like I might have 1 that is dead. Will wait and see before I dig it out and replace.


----------



## topkeg (Apr 4, 2014)

Classic Texas Mustang grape fence line! Ours are well on there way here in the Houston area also. Can't eat them, pick with gloves - very acidic. Makes a nice wine! Most are never trimmed as they are wild.


----------



## LoneStarLori (Apr 4, 2014)

Yep, 
Topkeg. I learned real quick last year to use gloves. I made some wine that is still bulk resting. It was my first batch ever. Although I don't think it will ever be drinkable, at least I got introduced to the love of wine making. 


Sent from my iPhone


----------



## exarkun (Apr 5, 2014)

We had a foot of snow last night, but looks like I will finally prune them this weekend. Supposed to be in high 50's and maybe even 70 one day next week!


----------



## Larryh86GT (Apr 14, 2014)

I pruned my 2 Marquis grape vines today. I'll wait one more year before I start pruning the Reliance grape vines.


----------



## ibglowin (Apr 14, 2014)

I was going to prune this weekend and then we got a forecast for a blast of cold air to hit us this morning. Sure enough, we got down to around 28 this AM and we have had snow off and on all day. Its melting pretty fast. Will be interesting to see what tomorrows low is after everything clears out. Could be colder. I am just now starting to see some small signs of swelling on the buds yesterday. We had some nice warm temps (75 F degree highs) most all of last week.


----------



## grapeman (Apr 14, 2014)

I began to prune here last Friday and am about 15% done now. It will go faster when I get some help and am feeling better. I am a week and a half out of a chemo treatment and that always slows me down a bit for a couple weeks or so. It hit 80F today, a high of 63 tomorrow and then 38 for Wednesday. I feel like a YoYo.


----------



## GreginND (Apr 14, 2014)

After their first year my vines got pruned down to just a few buds on Saturday. Planning on growing some good straight trunks this year. I was very happy to see how nice and green they were. I was worried about our extended -20F weather. The buds looked pretty brown but the wood is fine. I'm glad this extreme winter was in their first year and not later when I am trying for a crop.


----------



## ibglowin (Apr 14, 2014)

Slow and steady wins the race Rich! 



grapeman said:


> I began to prune here last Friday and am about 15% done now. It will go faster when I get some help and am feeling better. I am a week and a half out of a chemo treatment and that always slows me down a bit for a couple weeks or so. It hit 80F today, a high of 63 tomorrow and then 38 for Wednesday. I feel like a YoYo.


----------



## HillPeople (Apr 15, 2014)

Just pruned my 1st year Louise down to 2 buds yesterday, Nice green wood despite the wicked winter. I have many vines to go though.


----------



## exarkun (Apr 18, 2014)

This is no good. I pruned mine on the 7th, as we were in the 70's and long term forecast was 50's and up. Now this week it got cold again and we had a foot of snow yesterday morning and this morning was a hard frost =(


----------



## LoveTheWine (Apr 30, 2014)

Bud break!


----------



## topkeg (May 1, 2014)

Here in southeast Texas we already have some significant vine growth, even clusters forming. But, here's a question I have as a newbie: some of the vines I planted (two months ago) didn't get properly watered. Being that I'm only at the farm every two weeks I didn't catch the problem right away. These vines have not shown any bud break compared to others with a foot of growth. So, prune those back heavily? How long before giving up on them? The vines are three year old plants with significant root structure. But a good chance tHe roots went dry for several weeks in the dirt.


Sent from my iPad using Wine Making


----------



## spaniel (May 3, 2014)

I did a rough pruning a couple weeks ago, but am now waiting a few more days to go in and do a final cut as I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what was alive and undamaged. My reds (Foch, Oberlin Noir, and Marquette) were mostly fine with some death on the smaller diameter wood.

My Cayuga, unfortunately, appear to be another story. We had three consecutive -15F days and then another couple later on. Everything under about 3/8" in diameter is definitely dead. What was green when I cut it is now browning with no sign of bud break, although there was some water weeping a week after I cut it. 

At this point I think the best I can hope for is that the 2 feet of snow on the ground protected the roots and I can bring up new trunks. Kind of depressing to put 6 years into the vines, get a couple good crops with close to 1gal/vine yield last year, and then lose them.


----------



## TicinoVintner (May 5, 2014)

spaniel said:


> I did a rough pruning a couple weeks ago, but am now waiting a few more days to go in and do a final cut as I wanted to make sure I knew exactly what was alive and undamaged. My reds (Foch, Oberlin Noir, and Marquette) were mostly fine with some death on the smaller diameter wood.
> 
> My Cayuga, unfortunately, appear to be another story. We had three consecutive -15F days and then another couple later on. Everything under about 3/8" in diameter is definitely dead. What was green when I cut it is now browning with no sign of bud break, although there was some water weeping a week after I cut it.
> 
> At this point I think the best I can hope for is that the 2 feet of snow on the ground protected the roots and I can bring up new trunks. Kind of depressing to put 6 years into the vines, get a couple good crops with close to 1gal/vine yield last year, and then lose them.


 
That really sucks, let's hope some suckers push through. Don't cont them as dead just yet. 



Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## LoveTheWine (May 5, 2014)

Speaking of sucking. I accidentally left my gate open on Sunday night and a deer came through wiping out almost all my new shoots
Some of the leafs hadn't opened so these were left alone

I'm hoping the vines will push new shoots out.

The only saving grace is that this is only yr. two so I wasn't leaving any clusters to grow... only green stuff.


----------



## spaniel (May 5, 2014)

TicinoVintner said:


> That really sucks, let's hope some suckers push through. Don't cont them as dead just yet.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making



So far, 1/2 to 2/3 of the vines have clear growth within 2" of the ground, ready to produce new trunks. Out of 20 vines, I can't say there are more than 2-3 that have ANY buds alive on the current canes.

I will give them a few weeks, hoping as many as possible come back from the root. I can live with losing 1-2 years getting back to production. Have to replant a significant number would be heartbreaking. I'm not sure what I would do then; do you abandon a variety because it gave up in a once-in-50-to-100-year winter? That seems a high bar.


----------



## garymc (May 5, 2014)

10 percent of my muscadine vines have not come out of dormancy. They happen to be the smallest/newest vines, so they could be late or dead from the severe winter. The bad thing is that if I give them more time before I give up on them, it's awfully late to dig up a vine and transplant it. The 90+ degree weather is just around the corner.


----------



## exarkun (May 11, 2014)

exarkun said:


> This is no good. I pruned mine on the 7th, as we were in the 70's and long term forecast was 50's and up. Now this week it got cold again and we had a foot of snow yesterday morning and this morning was a hard frost =(



Most of my Marquette vines had buds appear this weekend! Hopefully the rest start as well in the next couple days.


----------



## GreginND (May 11, 2014)

My vines are starting to show signs of bud swelling. YAY!


----------



## grapeman (May 11, 2014)

Things are coming to life slowly this year. Hang in there and before you know it, it will be harvest time.


----------



## TicinoVintner (May 12, 2014)

I'm already cluster thinning, controlling suckers and removing laterals. The new vines are looking good as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Wine Making


----------



## grapeman (May 12, 2014)

Wow, when I think of Switzerland I think mountainous and cold. It's hard to believe you are that far along already. Spring just got here!


----------



## Kraffty (May 12, 2014)

We're a bit ahead of schedule here on the west coast, this is one of my white vines this weekend. Probably 60-80 clusters this year.
Mike


----------



## Mark64 (May 13, 2014)

My Riesling vines look dead. Concord have buds.


----------



## spaniel (Jun 18, 2014)

spaniel said:


> So far, 1/2 to 2/3 of the vines have clear growth within 2" of the ground, ready to produce new trunks. Out of 20 vines, I can't say there are more than 2-3 that have ANY buds alive on the current canes.
> 
> I will give them a few weeks, hoping as many as possible come back from the root. I can live with losing 1-2 years getting back to production. Have to replant a significant number would be heartbreaking. I'm not sure what I would do then; do you abandon a variety because it gave up in a once-in-50-to-100-year winter? That seems a high bar.



So a couple weeks ago I took the chainsaw to the vineyard...it was a sad day. I cut all 20 Cayuga down to within 3-4 inches of the ground. So far all but one is putting out new sprouts, and all but 2 doing so very vigorously. The shoot attachment point on this variety is very fragile so I have to be careful bending them up to tie -- I've selected for the most vertical shoots and removed the rest -- but many are already back up to the top wire. This time, I'm changing to a two trunk TWC training system.

Lesson 1 I have learned from this is that if a vine looks marginal, just cut it off. A few of the Oberlin Noir had 50-75% but death, but I thought with a year off cropping they might come back OK so I left them. Well, that was a mistake as it appears that doing so discouraged new shoots from the root and the old growth has now completely died off -- I think those vines are now a total loss. I wish I would have taken the chainsaw to them to. So for many of the ones that had significant bud death (25-50%), even though I left them for now and they are cropping, I am allowing new trunks to grow up from the root, and will remove the old growth during the dormant season if the new is big enough to replace.

Lesson 2 I have learned is I need to put a spray sign up. My neighbor on the property line owns a lawncare business. I have made a point of having the discussion with him at least twice in the 7 years I have been here that grape vines are very, VERY sensitive to many sprays -- especially 2,4-D -- and that is why I put them far from my property line with him (where he mixes spray). Last week I saw him driving around the neighborhood with his self-propelled sprayer. Last weekend I notices that the broadleafs in the shallow ditch on the frontage of my property...not 10 yards from the outer row of vines...were curling like they'd been sprayed with 2,4-D and I could see tracks in the grass. I think he did me a "favor" and sprayed for me.  Leaves on the vines show obvious 2,4-D damage...mostly minor...but I can't help but think this is related to the subsequent rapid death of some of the weaker vines in the nearest row. 

I have a voicemail in to him tonight to tell him I appreciate the thought but not to do it again!


----------



## LoveTheWine (Feb 22, 2015)

Well it is that time of year again. It has been unseasonably warm around here and so I took the opportunity to prune my vines. 
These are Marechal Foch starting their 3rd year. I plan on doing a 1/2 crop this year (first time cropping).


----------



## grapeman (Feb 22, 2015)

Nice. Green grass in February. Send some of the warmth east please. Warmest day here all winter. It is expected to get to 31F here today and tomorrow a high of 3F and low of -12 again......................... Oh and it is snowing again.................


----------



## LoveTheWine (Feb 22, 2015)

grapeman said:


> Nice. Green grass in February. Send some of the warmth east please. Warmest day here all winter. It is expected to get to 31F here today and tomorrow a high of 3F and low of -12 again......................... Oh and it is snowing again.................



Ouch, you who are out east are really getting hit this year 
It has been above freezing here for most the winter and completely snow free.
Hopefully your weather starts to let up soon.


----------



## garymc (Mar 9, 2015)

Spaniel, did you ever get the neighbor's attention? Next time, pics of the tracks, the weeds, and the grape leaves would both convince him and put a fright into him when he thinks about his liability.


----------



## garymc (Mar 9, 2015)

I started pruning my muscadines yesterday. We still have snow here, but no freezing temperatures forecast.


----------



## LoveTheWine (May 26, 2016)

Vines are coming along nicely. Probably a foot of growth per shoot every few days right now!


----------



## hounddawg (May 26, 2016)

do you tend to treat Musca dines the same as grapes, I have lived on this property since 1981, I have tons of musca dine vines going to the tree tops, never not even one fruit, so 2 years go I cut a tree with vines on it, eased the vines out, an ran em on my chain link fence, last year I got 2 small bunches,(WERE ATE ON THE SPOT,) BUT THIS YEAR THEY ARE LOADED, NOW WITH THAT BEING SAID I TRAVELED THE U.S.A. AS A Construction superintendent so I was gone a whole lot, and cant swear they never bared before, I worked 84 hours a week, so when I came home on short stents I never looked around, I stayed out all summer till dear season came in and stayed till after new years, maybe I notice now being disabled, and with nothing elese to do started planting more fruit trees, more barriers, and so on, I know I took the long way round, but do I need to cut back yearly, and when FEB maybe, how much and it has 4 vines fron one root wad, that makes me think long before me someone else might of trimed them, 
I have no clue about vines
thank you
dawg


----------



## garymc (May 27, 2016)

I have been pruning mine very similar to grapes. Trying to keep spurs separate by the width of my hand, pruning back last year's shoot to 2 to 4 buds. I have a friend who started this year cutting away stuff that's crowded under and around the arms and leaving last years shoots 12 to 18 inches. He has a lot of vines with a cane from last year that he left at a foot or more in length with 6 or 8 or more shoots with clusters, often 2 clusters, on each shoot. We'll see what works. Both of us have a lot of clusters of blossoms or itty bitty muscadines. I can't tell if they've bloomed yet when they're smaller than a pinhead. It's also possible to let a vine try to put on so many grapes that they're unable to ripen. I have vines blooming in August when I know they'll never mature, so I snip those off. You can also get a vine to bear so heavily that a bad winter will do it more damage because it's all pooped out. You can cut a tremendous amount of wood off a muscadine. Below is a before and after pruning on one of my young muscadines on a Geneva double curtain trellis. I may have pruned more off after the after picture. I think I cut back that cane going up and to the left.


----------



## garymc (May 27, 2016)

All of my vines are named varieties except a couple that were purchased at a nursery and they were mislabeled. So I have no experience with wild muscadines. I have seen a lot of wild muscadine vines in Arkansas, but I have never seen a wild muscadine with a grape on it. They have to get spread by seeds, so some of them have to have grapes or they wouldn't exist. Some people tell me there are male muscadines in the wild which will never bear one grape. I've never read that from a researcher. So I don't know if it's just the lack of care and pruning, or if the nicely bearing vines you buy from nurseries have been bred and selected from thousands of vines to be good bearers, or what.


----------

