| How you approach grape vine pruning depends | | | | not have appreciated the finer points of grape |
| upon the individual condition of the grape vine and | | | | vine pruning. Grape vine pruning is easy, but it is |
| what you want your grape vine to look like. | | | | also very specific and most backyard grape |
| There are different approaches for pruning of | | | | growers do not know the specifics. One of the |
| new vines, established vines and old, seriously | | | | reasons for this is that back yard growers tend |
| neglected and overgrown vines. It also depends | | | | to focus on annual crops like tomatoes, |
| on how you want the vine to look, and what | | | | cucumbers, and zucchini. These are annuals and |
| support system the vine has to grow upon. | | | | the produce happens on first year growth. There |
| It is horses for courses and a vineyard approach | | | | is no fruit on first year’s growth in a grape |
| used on a single vine in a small backyard would | | | | vine. So, very often the successful backyard |
| look as ridiculous as a well constructed but surreal | | | | vegetable gardener unwittingly applies annual |
| trellis halfway down a pristine vineyard line. Watch | | | | pruning techniques that actually inhibit the grape |
| this space though because someone will eventually | | | | harvest. The key is to understand that fruiting |
| send me an amazing picture of both. Creative | | | | only occurs on one-year-old canes. So if you |
| plant growth can be very forgiving and beauty | | | | prune out the one year old canes and go back to |
| doesn’t always adhere to the rules. | | | | old growth, you will get a very small grape |
| Using the gym analogy from the earlier article, | | | | harvest, if any. |
| while the underlying fitness principles are similar for | | | | Once a grape vine has taken root, so to speak, it |
| a swimmer and long distance runner, lots of | | | | can live, and grow for hundreds of years. If you |
| training, particular skills development, careful | | | | inherited a very old, overgrown and neglected |
| attention to nutrition, and controlled muscle | | | | grape vine then you pruning techniques will be |
| development, the particular regimes are, once | | | | different. First of all you will need to remove dead |
| again, horses for courses. The structural pruning | | | | growth so you can get some idea of the |
| for a trellis, espalier, and vineyard line will obviously | | | | underlying growth structure and the potential for |
| differ. Once the structural pruning has been | | | | beauty and function. I have seen a property |
| addresses however, the principles of pruning for | | | | where a magnificent and very old vine was ripped |
| fruit will be the same. | | | | out simply because the developers, builders and |
| When planting new grape vines, while the vast | | | | the owners did not have the foresight or |
| majority are planted in vineyards and trained | | | | motivation to creatively interpret and incorporate |
| accordingly, grape vines in a garden environment | | | | the existing vine into their development plans. The |
| can combine beauty with the fruiting function. | | | | sad irony was that the new owners ended up |
| With new vines in a yard setting you are limited | | | | planting a new grape vine in the almost the exact |
| only by your imagination – subject of course | | | | same spot. What a travesty and waste. |
| to meeting the basic soil, sunlight and nutrient | | | | Once the deadwood has been removed, and this |
| needs of the plant. There is no difference in a | | | | project should not be done in a single day, watch |
| vineyard vine and a trellis vine in terms of its | | | | the vine and let it communicate to you. Look for |
| potential to fruit. In general however, the trellis | | | | the form the supporting structure is trying to |
| and espalier vines do not get the same attention | | | | express and then do a structural prune. During |
| to fruiting given to vineyard lines. This comes | | | | this phase be careful to preserve first year |
| back more to the context of the garden than to | | | | growth canes because only these will fruit. |
| the productive capacity of the plant. | | | | The great gardeners became great because they |
| Vines can be trained around all sorts of structures | | | | are able to tune into the spirit the garden is trying |
| and objects. The backyard trellis for example, can | | | | to express. They walk around, muse and imagine |
| be designed, located, built and then implemented | | | | and let the ideas come from the garden itself. |
| as a grape vine support, to create a magnificent | | | | Gardens are living, organic processes, not rubber |
| visual display with a succulent and bountiful | | | | stamps. Let the life, the organics and the process |
| harvest. A sunny wall could house an espaliered | | | | unfold so that the old grapevine finds new life |
| grapevine that shades in summer and then allows | | | | within its old surroundings. During the final stage of |
| the winter heat. For more information please visit | | | | structural pruning pay attention to the careful |
| my site | | | | selection of the first year canes you want for |
| Patio Projects | | | | fruiting. Within the structural context, trim the |
| Established vines, for example, an existing vine in | | | | excess first year canes to reduce competition |
| a recently purchased property, were usually done | | | | and promote stronger fruit. |
| by the former property owner who may, or may | | | | |