North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Thomas Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>]

Hello,

Just harvested grapes from 3 of my vines (2 St. Croix, 1 Vanessa), Eona
vine looks like it will want another week or so before harvest.

I have a couple of questions for more experienced grape growers.

The vines are just 3 years old and on an arbor.  The cross members of the
arbor are at 8'.  In the northeast and southeast corners are St. Croix
vines.  At the southwest is a Vanessa, and a Eona in the northwest
corner.

1) I noticed the grape clusters on the southeast corner St Croix were
fuller, better formed than those of the St. Croix on the northeast corner.
Is this a matter of light, heat, pollinization or just variation between
vines?

2) This is only the 3rd year for the vines and the grapes bunches
primarily formed on the shoots off of the upright portion of the vines.
There was little to no grapes on the top of the arbor.  Is this just a
matter of vine maturity, and will I get bunches on the horizontal part of
the arbor next year (years to come)?  Is 8' too high for horizontals?

3) Should I be opening up the vines (leaf pruning) to allow more sunlight
on bunches on the north side of the arbor.  It is pretty much full shade
from all the vines that developed across the top of the arbor this year.
I thought I heard on the radio that vineyards prune for more sun on the
ripening grapes prior to harvest.

4) Once harvested, when should grapes vines be pruned for the next season
(fall, early winter, late winter, spring)?

5) I got about 11-12 lbs of grapes from 3 vines, 3 years old.  Will this
increase with time?

With all the growth on the top of the arbor, it will be quite a job to
figure out what shoots are staying and what will be pruned off.

Thanks for you help.

Later,
Tom
--
Southwest Ontario
Canada Hardiness Zone 6a
(similar to US zone 5)