Who has been pruning?

[grapeman]

I had to give in to temptation today and go out and do some pruning. I had planned on going to the World Snowshoeing Championship in Saranac Lake, NY. I got the permit to serve wine by the glass and sample and sell by the bottle. Unfortunately the weather has been crazy and the snow melted. They had to truck in 240 tandem loads of snow and get volunteers to spread it at the new venue up on one of the hills above town. Because of this they cancelled the Beer/Wine and Cider part of it so I stayed home. It warmed up to about 65 and it just started to downpour about 3:45 so I went out and began pruning. The snow was gone from vineyard 3 but still a foot or so at the home vineyard in the pine trees so I pruned in Marquette in Vineyard 3. A friend helped me prune until it poured so I have begun pruning.

What about others?

 

[Amanda660]

I did my pruning last weekend. Going to find out if grape plants are easy to propagate from cuttings - figure I'm not out anything.

 

[dwhill40]

Year five with my vinifera experiment in North Alabama. I brutalized them last weekend. I've learned to cut those vines like I mean it, much to the chagrin of my eighty year old father that just can't understand cutting off all that nice growth. The buds are starting to get fat. The vines were squirting sap. Early blooming trees are flowering and the grass is growing. Spring temps are about a month early. Who knows how this will turn out? Forecast is for 22 tonight. Mid-april is usually safe to plant annuals. Might get some frosted buds this year.

 

[Johny99]

I did my pruning last weekend. Going to find out if grape plants are easy to propagate from cuttings - figure I'm not out anything.

I haven't pruned yet, too much of a lightweight to do it in a foot of snow.

Grapes are really easy to propagate from cuttings, that is the standard method. I start with a pencil sized piece with about 6-8 buds. I simply poke them into sand so two buds are covered and keep them damp. I use one of those plastic concrete making tubs from Lowe's. Keep the sand damp and they just grow. I used root starter once and I suppose it helped, but not enough to make it worth it. I have heated floors in the basement and that warms the sand gently. I've heard of folks using a heating pad as well. I understand that root growth is started by soil temperature. Really seems to work for me. If I start in February in the house, I usually have to prune once before I plant in May-June.

 

[BOB21801]

I did my pruning last weekend. Going to find out if grape plants are easy to propagate from cuttings - figure I'm not out anything.

I've done lot of propagation. Grape vines are pretty easy, though I've not a lot of them - I enjoy berries and other perennial edibles more.

Use grape vines cuttings with 3 nodes, usually about a foot long, and about the diameter of a pencil. cut the top end on an angle, so it's easy to see which end goes in the soil - this is important. Cut about 1/2" from the top node, and just below the bottom node. When you're ready to put them in the soil, scrape the bark a bit on the bottom, down to the green part, dip them in a rooting compound and plant them in a sandy soil, in the shade. So you'll have one node in the soil, and 2 above ground. Don't let them dry out.

I still need to prune my grape vines, and many berry bushes/vines. I've done some fruit trees, but still have several more to do. Happily, I'm only working Monday this week, so I'll have several days to get some home projects done. Always more plans than available time.

Bob

 

[BOB21801]

I haven't pruned yet, too much of a lightweight to do it in a foot of snow.

Grapes are really easy to propagate from cuttings, that is the standard method. I start with a pencil sized piece with about 6-8 buds. I simply poke them into sand so two buds are covered and keep them damp. I use one of those plastic concrete making tubs from Lowe's. Keep the sand damp and they just grow. I used root starter once and I suppose it helped, but not enough to make it worth it. I have heated floors in the basement and that warms the sand gently. I've heard of folks using a heating pad as well. I understand that root growth is started by soil temperature. Really seems to work for me. If I start in February in the house, I usually have to prune once before I plant in May-June.

Just realized you replied to Amanda too. I think we're pretty much on the same page!

Bob

 

[Sage]

Finished the orchard yesterday and just got started on the grapes. Did about 30 plants. Woke up to 4" of fresh snow..... I'll wait another week or so to finish.

 

[shrewsbury]

all have been pruned.
only had one loss, though some others did not look great so I cut them all the way back.
now waiting to start my spray programs

 

[havlikn]

Getting it in between the cold windy days here in Wisconsin.

 

[mgmarty]

Winter came back here in Utah. It's been snowing all week, and highs are in the mid thirties. It going to be another month for me to start pruning.

 

[LittleBearGameFarm]

I was able to get all of the rough pruning done last weekend. Had to take advantage of the weather and got to work in a short sleeve shirt. As much as I liked the beautiful weather we had, I think it's best that we got this snow. I think it was May 7th last year when we had the last frost. I know a lot of farmers were a little concerned about their alfalfa not having any cover knowing that there are plenty of cold days ahead yet.

 

[Sweetiepie]

This is still what my garden looks like and my grapes are next to the garage. The red shed is my gardening shed and the fence posts are about 6 ft high. So I got a while yet before I can prune. But talking about it sure makes me wish spring was a little closer.

 

[grapeman]

It looked a lot like that here a week ago. We had gotten about 16 inches of snow during that week with a lot of blowing and drifting. Then it got very warm- up into the 70's on Saturday with 40-50 mph winds by late afternoon and more snow before dark. Today was very windy and around 35 so I didn't prune a lot.

 

[garymc]

I started pruning muscadines here in southeast Missouri today. They won't be leafing out for a while since we might have more cold weather and possible frost in the next 2 or three weeks. It has been a very mild winter so far.

I cut some elderberry limbs 3 weeks ago. I make a slice in the ground by sticking a shovel in straight up and down and then I shove the elderberry stems into the ground 8 inches or so with 2 or 3 buds sticking out. Those have started to leaf out. I did the same with some aronias today. I don't know if aronia will propagate that way, but I figured it's worth a try.

 

[Larryh86GT]

Mid fifties here today so I was able to prune my "vineyard" (OK my 5 backyard vines)
Larry

 

[CTDrew]

Got a start on pruning some of mine today here in CT. We've been going back and forth between the warm days in the 60s and the colder days in the 30s and 40s, the latter of which is more normal. Hopefully it will even out soon.

 

[CowboyRam]

We still have snow on the ground here in Riverton Wyoming

 

[garymc]

I pruned one vine yesterday and spent the day today working on my gas engine hedge trimmer. It's a Poulan. Be forewarned. Don't settle for anything less than a Stihl.

 

[Hokapsig]

Doug and I started on a vineyard that hasn't been trimmed in 7 years. We were able to whack a bunch of canes, but no where near what a good pruning would be. We did 3 rows of about 125 to 150 yards long. There was a survey mark in the vineyard, so we didn't want to trim more as there may be no vineyard by the time fall comes. It was fun but strenuous. I'm still picking the blistered dead skin from my hands and I can finally feel my forearms.....

 

[dwhill40]

Pruning can affect your love life.