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Fruit & Orchards

Help with getting a sprawling second year Concord vine trained

9 years ago

I bought and planted this vine last spring and let it creep along the ground last year because I bit off more than I could chew with all the backyard projects I had going on and now im not sure how to train it to a trellis.

You cant see it in the picture but I have end posts at around 5' at each side of the vine and I will be using two strands of wire in between for it to grow onto. Last year one of the shoots got quite long before the season was over and somehow it got broken during the winter.

I will be running a string or a stake down next to the vine so it can climb onto the wires but I am not sure if I should prune it somehow and guide it or just left the vine climb by itself. Is there any way I can train it up a trellis this year and still salvage a cluster or grapes or two?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

{{gwi:86502}}

Comments (4)

benfisher
9 years ago
I'd pick two best branches and train them vertical .. Then trim them off when they get to the top wire. Let one go each way. The mid wire will be for trunck support only. I would not let it fruit until next year.
wilsocn
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks for the quick help, Ben. I understand what you said about picking the best two branches and training them vertically but what do I need to trim when they get to the top wire? Do you mean lets the shoots from those branches grow along the top wire while I trim off the tip of the original branches that I trained so it will stop its vertical growth?

Also, with two branches being trained upwards, will I still end up with one large 'trunk' that I normally see on grapevines?

Thanks again for the help.
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fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
9 years ago
You're late getting this off to the best start. But given where you're at train one shoot up the stake, probably that one by the stake. Cut off everything else. When the shoot approaches the top wire pinch out the tip. Pinching will cause at least two side buds to grow. Train one of those shoots each way on the wire. These two shoots will bear fruit next year.

The plant is too small to bear this year and that would require keeping all shoots present now. At most you'd get a couple clusters.
wilsocn
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks. That shoot already on the stake doesn't seem to want to grow much for whatever reason. Last year it put out around 2 - 3 feet of growth on the two longest branches (one broke over the winter) but that one that attached itself to the pole just sorta puts out a few leaves and then stalls out. Maybe it will take off this year.

Too bad about having to wait until next year but luckily a wild grapevine found its way onto the telephone pole in my yard and its loaded with clusters. Maybe The birds will save me some?

Thanks again.

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