North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Robert H." <lostman_amiga@yahoo.com>]

Thank you very much for your information.  This is a big help.
I think I have the basic idea of how to do this now.
these vines are quite young now, but growing VERY fast. I was just afraid to
wait in my pruning because of all the growth.

Someone need to make a video on this pruning technique.  Is this the same 
method used in grapes or muscidines?


--- In nafex@y..., claude sweet <sweetent@h...> wrote:
> I would suggest summer pruning male kiwi vines. The object is to have as
> much flowering wood on the male vines as possible to enhance
> pollination. Winter or dormant pruning would defeat that purpose.
> 
> Female vines can benefit from some summer pruning to reduce the tangling
> of long shoots, but this is best accomplished by tipping the ends of
> shoots prior to their growth getting out of control rather than removing
> excessive amounts of vegetative growth and potentially causing fruit
> exposure to the sun, resulting in the fruit being sunburned.
> 
> I assume that the plant has been properly pruned and trained to a 3 wire
> T-Bar trellis system. A process that can take 2 years after field
> planting a plant which has been grown for several years in a 3-5 gallon
> container or purchased as a LARGE dormant bareroot plant.
> 
> The trunk is tipped to allow two branches to develop about 18 inches
> below the height of the main wire. A shoot (main cordon) is allowed to
> develop in both directions along the main wire.
> 
> The female plants produce long shoots from the primary cordon attached
> to a main supporting wire of the trellis. These shoots are called
> secondary cordons and should be spaced about 1 foot apart, alternating
> on either side of the main cordon.
> 
> The secondary cordon growth can reach six feet or more in its first
> season. It should be cut back in its 1st winter to allow the cane to
> just drape over the outside supporting wire in a three wire T trellis
> system. I would use green plastic tie tape to secure the cordon to the
> outside wire.
> 
> The following spring, the secondary cordon will produce bud breaks along
> its entire length. If flowering occurs, it will be from the nodes
> closest to the main cordon. These shoots are called laterals. Develop a
> concept that produces a lattice of the lateral branches. 
> 
> I suggest spacing the lateral shoots about a half foot apart,
> alternating on either side of the secondary cordon branch. You might
> allow more shoots to initially develop near the main cordon to see if
> flowers might develop. Excess growth can be removed in early summer
> after sap pressure is reduced and the pruning wounds will no longer
> bleed. DOn't attempt to paint the pruning cuts. It is unnecessary and a
> waste of time and money.
> 
> The following winter the lateral flowering shoots are pruned back to
> keep about eighteen inches of new growth past the last
> flowering/fruiting node. The remaining nodes will produce new growth
> which will produce flowers. These lateral shoots will hang down towards
> the ground.
> 
> New secondary cordons should be trained each year to replace an equal
> amount of older secondary cordons and fruiting laterals that are
> removed. The object is to always have the fruit produced so it can be
> supported by the wire trellis and that a canopy of new shoots will shade
> the fruit and protect it from sunburn, wind, hail, and bird damage.
> 
> I hope my description can be understood without a diagram.
> 
> Claude Sweet
> San Diego, CA


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