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Grape Growing Newbie

Posted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 8:56 am
by SQWIB
Quick question for the experienced grape growers.
I started a grape vine in the early spring that is doing rather well, I have trimmed the lower laterals off during the growing season but leaving leaves intact to have one trunk.
It's already taller than where I want to start training it on lateral lines.


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This will be trellised on a wall but I plan on following the photo below (2 tier) "the four-arm Kniffen method"

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Do I need to wait till the fall?, Should I trim now? How do I get three shoots to train? One will go up to the 2nd tier and the other two will go vertically.

I'm afraid to cut it at the first wire and not have enough shoots.
Please forgive my verbiage, I have no idea what everything is called.

This is what I want ultimately.
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Re: Grape Growing Newbie

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 1:37 pm
by JONA
You have to keep up the training on your vine Sqwib through its early years. By constantly trimming back the side laterals that develope you encourage the main branch structures to keep growing. You have to force two higher branches for your top structure by leaving a centre shoot to grow up higher , then tip it at the finishing height to promote side shoots at that level. Once a vine has got its roots in its surprising how well they grow and the amount of pruning that has to be done.

Re: Grape Growing Newbie

Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 2:21 pm
by SQWIB
JONA wrote:You have to keep up the training on your vine Sqwib through its early years. By constantly trimming back the side laterals that develope you encourage the main branch structures to keep growing. You have to force two higher branches for your top structure by leaving a centre shoot to grow up higher , then tip it at the finishing height to promote side shoots at that level. Once a vine has got its roots in its surprising how well they grow and the amount of pruning that has to be done.

I just snipped at the first wire just above a couple of shoots, I'm hoping to get three shoots to train from the snip.