Check out my grapevine. I've been growing this for about three years, and it started producing fruit for the first time this last season. The fruit is a deliciously sweet red grape that can be enjoyed fresh off the vine.
In this article, I am including evidence of the various stages of growth of my grapevine, as I share the major changes I am making to it. In winter, grapevine has to be pruned when it becomes dormant, so it does not become wild and out of control before new growth begins. Good pruning in winter also improves the health of the plant, and allows it to produce better tasting fruit.
In these photos, you can see that in the growing season the plant still has green leaves.
I do not defoliate the tree, ever. Young green branches can be pruned to promote growth of stronger branches, but that should be done sparingly. It needs leaves to build up energy to feed it through the winter, and to get ready for the next spring. Photosynthesis from the leaves also enables the tree to produce the juicy sweet sugars that fill the fruit for the next year.
These photos in autumn, show that the leaves and branches are changing from green to brown. Even though the young canes are turning brown,they are not ready to be pruned during this time of the year. The sap is still loose and watery. Grapevine branches are very different than tree branches, because they are tube-shaped like a straw or hose. This is why they are called canes. When we cut one of those canes, the sap will flow out like water, and drain the tree of all vital energy, leaving the inside a hollow shell. Insects and diseases will fill those hollow canes and introduce mold and eggs that will rot the plant from the inside out.
It is always better to wait for the coldest winter day of the year, usually in January, so that the sap is nearly frozen inside. Less harm will come to the plant when it is pruned this way. Another advantage is that there are no leaves on the grapevine in the winter, and this makes it easier to view the branches and where to cut.
Below, you can see my grapevine in winter. It is ready to be pruned. The leaves have fallen. We are not getting any snow or deep freezes this year, so I waited for the coldest day in January to prepare to work on it.
Traditionally there are two ways to prune a grapevine that professionals use. There is cane pruning and spur pruning. Both styles are usually done with a vine that grows on a cordon, or horizontal wire that trains the the branches to grow along it.
Cane pruning is reducing the length of the canes, and reducing the number of canes, leaving only the canes the have the thickest buds for producing fruit. Only the strongest canes are kept, and the ends are removed.
Spur pruning involves keeping only the main the lateral branches, and removing the young 1-year old canes each year. Thick buds that form along the main branches are usually identified as a spur, where fruit can grow from. A certain number of spurs/buds are allows to remain, spaced apart, to produce strong new fruit and canes that will receive lots of sunlight.
In a backyard garden like mine, I don't have the space and resources to have yards and yards of grapes growing, and I grow inside a container in case we have changes that might affect the vine. Container growing without a cordon allows me to pick it up and move it if necessary.
Our fence is very old and tippy, and it might fall over one day in a windy storm. Even deeply dug fence posts eventually fall over, because our ground is full of wet clay. One of my primary concerns is to prevent the vine from latching onto the fence, and forming a twisted branch that weaves in and out of the boards. The vine would destroy the integrity of the fence, and start growing wild into the neighbor's yard.
I also have a trellis for the vine to grow on. Similarly, I do not want old branches growing vertically along the trellis. Only young green growth will be allowed to grow up and along the trellis and fence. Never know if something may knock it over. The best scenario would be if it would hopefully snap off cleanly on a young shoot, instead of uprooting or tearing the tree in half because a thick branch was wrapped around the falling trellis.
Heavy pruning is usually recommended on grapevines. Experts say you can remove up to 90% of the branches every year. It is one of the few fruiting plants that can take that much heavy pruning, and you should, because it promotes more fruit growth.
Naturally, I also deviate from traditional practices, as I want this grapevine to grow in a tree-form, like bonsai. I don't want to grow a grapevine like everyone else does. I want it to look beautiful to me, forming a thick tapered twisted trunk, with side branches to hold the fruit and canes.
This low branch is the first one I examine to be pruned. I decided to keep the upper end of the branch suspended by the tie, because the low branch will droop down, touching the ground, if laden with heavy fruit.
Usually the end bud will form a new extension cane to continue the branch past the cut mark. I expect to have a new long branch forming leaves along the fence for the summer.
Next, the upper branch, I use a similar strategy. Mostly, I am choosing the branch shapes that are most appealing to me. I am also looking at how many buds are on the branches, favoring stronger branches with more developed buds.
I also use my bonsai concave pruners to remove the stumps off of the branch. The large cut mark I make in the middle allows the branch to possibly heal over, instead of leaving a rotted branch end to possibly infect the entire branch. Branches heal well along the sides of the branch, but not very well over cut ends. Leaving cut marks flush to the edge of the branch will allow it to swell the growing bark to form a nice healing knot.
On the left side, there is a lot of forked branches. One is heading the wrong way, jagging inward to the center of the tree.
I select the nicest branches, and remove all the ends that are clinging to the trellis.
Although I kept two branch ends here, I may eventually remove one of them. For now, I think the tie will help maintain the branch angle I want. My goal was to have a long enough branch to reach the trellis, but not be touching it.
Next year, if that lower branch angles downward from the weight of the new canes and fruit, I think that is the branch I will continue to maintain, and I will no longer need the tied upward branch.
Lastly, I selected this one single branch to remain in the center. Truly, this is the most pointless part of the vine to maintain. If I was a professional grower, my boss would fire me for pruning a tree like this!
Instead, I look at this as the future apex of a tree-form of grapevine. From there, a trunk will form a curving upright shape with sturdy elbows. Instead of a wire to support the branches, a fat trunk will eventually provide all the support the tree needs.
This little branch, I envision as the apex of the tree where the smallest cluster of branches and leaves would normally form on a tall tree.
What do you think? Can you see the beauty of the future tree in this design? Do you think it will provide lots of juicy fruit this year?
Grapes are a very fun plant to grow for people who enjoy doing some light garden work. Pruning hedges and small trees, for me isn't work. It is an artistic hobby.
Oh yes, and make sure you save all the cuttings, and try to get them to root. They could become great future bonsai trees, or be shared with other growers. Each one will produce the same delicious type of fruit as the mother tree they came from.
The best cuttings will have the length and girth of a pencil. Branches that are thinner can be composted.
#grape #cutting #cuttings #wood #canes #cordon #cuttings #fruit
Photos in this post are all #originalworks by 
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Bonsai!
Friday, January 11, 2019
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