Should I trim?

[Larryh86GT]

Thanks for that link. I printed and will use it. Tomorrow morning I will release the tied side canes and arrange them in the fan shape. Just curious, what happens to a cane when it reaches the top wire? Gets cut off? or trained sidewards? Hopefully as I see the grapes grow and produce I will understand them more.

 

[grapeman]

The canes are pruned to length in the dormant season (winter/spring). Each node (bud) on them develops a new shoot next year and you get a cluster or two on each one. That's why you thin the canes to 3 - 5 per vine, so you end up with about 50 shoots next year. Each year you develop new canes, prune them and so on. It sounds complicated but it isn't really.

 

[Larryh86GT]

I have started the vines in a fan shape now. They are looking pretty good I think.

 

[grapeman]

Do you have any grape clusters or will you have to wait until next year again?

That structure will give you more canes yet allow for a semi open canopy for that seedless variety.

 

[Larryh86GT]

There are lots of grape clusters this year. I would guess 20+ on each vine.

 

[Larryh86GT]

These are my 2 vines now. They have done well this year. Each vine has about 6 canes about 6-8' in length. Thin each vine back to maybe the 5 strongest canes this winter? Leave the canes at the length they are at?

 

[grapeman]

They are looking pretty good now. Yes thin back to 4 or 5 canes at pruning and take them back some leaving maybe 4-5 feet each. Each node will grow a shoot the length of them next year and have about 2 clusters each, so I usually rub off the lower buds on each for probably the first two feet of length. That leaves about the right amount of shoots growing for a good crop.

 

[Wade E]

Looking good there larry and thanks Rich for all the help with the vineyard posts!

 

[Larryh86GT]

Yes, thank you Richard. I may finally have this figured out with all your help. It was one of those you have to see it to understand it.

 

[countrygirl]

looking good larry...hopefully i'll be asking the same questions in a year

 

[montveil]

If your vines are very vigorous like my Foch you may want to consider a high wire cordon, Single or double stem to the high wire and a cordon going our in each direction.
If a single stem is used divide into two cordons, If 2 stems are used train each to a single cordon
I found that if I used two wires ~3 & 6 feet the lower clusters were in the shade and leaf removal really tore up the plant. With the high wire single cordon the grapes are carried high and are exposed to drying breezes, leaf removal is easier and spray coverage is better.
Just some thoughts you may want to consider

 

[grapeman]

Normally for a high vigor vine that works great monveil, but he is working with Marquis which is a seedless variety and needs to be handled differntly.