I'm new to this forum, and I do want to thank Myardor, fruitnut, harleysilo, and others here for the info, pics, and suggestions. One reason I come to forums like this instead of trying Google first is that Google usually gives me tons of extraneous information and links to sites that aren't all that relevant and/or are mainly commercial advertising sites. Usually, if I can ask a question of someone who's knowledgeable in a field, it's a lot more efficient than just searching through the library's card catalogue or wading through all the stuff that Google yields. However, if I ask a question in a forum, I don't expect people to go out and do my library or google research FOR me if they don't already have the info. :) I just see forums as places for people to share info and opinions and experiences they already have - or to direct each other to good info sources. Speaking of "pruning," :O back in May I had a guy doing some yard work for me and he was totally incapable of following instructions or directions. Long story short, after we had carefully moved all the long offshoots from my 22-year-old purple Concord grapevine onto the trellis I wanted to train them to, he proceeded to take a chain saw to the 5-inch diameter main trunk of the vine, right near the ground! (No, I didn't kill him, but I wanted to!) The stump hemorrhaged sap for at least 2 to 3 weeks. I tried grafting some shoots from another (Champagne) grape onto the stump, but I don't think that "took" because it was too late in the season. Anway, new growth has been sprouting from the old stump ever since late June, and the leaves look very healthy. Does anyone how long I'm likely to have to wait for a decent crop of grapes from this severely "pruned" old grapevine?

I know very little about growing grapes, however I have1 on my deck and 1 out back in the yard. The are both doing fine, and have fruit each year, however we call them Cardinal grapes, why ? the cardinals eat them every year Both are growing up on an object, the deck I ran rope to the top trellis where they are now going across. The vine in the back is wrapping up an old clothes line. My thoughts are to have them supported

OK-although it says "Wine" the description did say "grape growing". 1. All my grapes are the American juice and jelly making types, though some can be used for wine making. 2, They were planted several years ago with the idea that the support system was imminent and,,,, it wasn't. So, they've been pretty much left to their own devices, rambling along the ground and neglected. 3. We finally got a sturdy support system built with 2 wires at 3 and 6 feet and I have lifted them off the ground and tied them vertically, but I am nervous about the how and when of pruning. One year, frosts killed successive leaf buds until I was certain the vines weren't going to make it. Internet searches mention March pruning but we won't have our last hard freeze until April in S.Central PA. 4. I have long skinny vines, some with all the vines coming from the base like fingers on a hand. What to do with these? Others have just 2 vines from the base with side shoots awkwardly spaced for training. Advice on how to really help this problem I've created? Sigh. Live and learn. Have your arbor FIRST!

Hi all, So I am going into my 2nd year and need help on pruning my grapes. They will be trained to a Geneva double curtain (2 trunks) while also growing out 2 renewal canes for possible future winter damage. I am predominantly getting my info from: http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/growing_table_grapes_ec1639_may_2011.pdf and http://migarden.msu.edu/uploads/files/e2774.pdf I know you should do dormant pruning but winter was so rough this year I wanted to wait to see what survived before cutting back. Pretty much all canes survived so now I have way to many buds sending out shoots and a veritable bush at the base. I have 2 main types right now depending on their vigor from last year. 1) Plants with 1-2 long trunks nearly reaching top wire that currently have 1-2 inch shoots from base to tip. What do I do? Do I leave all shoots for now, then at flowering remove all the shoots and leaves from lower on the trunk and only keep 1 shoot at the top of each to train up into a cordon along the top wire? Since it has not quite made it to the top wire should I cut it back to the bottom 3-4 shoots and start new this year? I will also leave 2 trunk renewal canes from the base. 2) Bushy plants with multiple short canes that have 5-7 buds/shoots on each. Should I cut back to 3 shoots on each short cane, wait a bit to see which grow the most and then remove everything except the 2 shoots that are growing fastest? Thanks.