North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Trey Lewis <mlewis@pelican.state.lib.la.us>]

Greetings,

No, there isn't lots of information on pruning muscadines.  Ison has a book
with that subject in it and some other pruning books mention pruning of
vines, but they normally deal with grapes.  

You must plan for the vineyard you have the size to accommodate, however, I
find that muscadines need to be at least 6' and I personally have my wire
at 7' off the ground.  Poles need to be close together you can probably get
by with 15'.  I never cease to be amazed at the weight of fruit muscadines
will produce and my main planting has already pulled poles cemented 4' into
the ground over and I have had to go in between and shore them up.  Nothing
is more problematic than having your vines sag to the ground in the middle
or the row....makes picking really back breaking.  I also use electrical
utility wire for my wire.....its heavier, but wont break or rust and the
stretch is minimal.

You may be a little optimistic on the growth you will get the first year on
your vines....normally I have a pest or two clip the top off a really
nicely growing runner. Your second and third year will yield the best
growth.  You need to plant your vine central to your wire.  Begin a vine by
running it up from the ground to the wire.   Try and train one central
runner and cut laterals off.  Promote this central runner up to the wire,
then you may allow it to split into two main runners one to the left and
right, or just run it in one direction.  Laterals will form off your vines.
 Allow those to grow your first year.  Prune all off in the fall/winter
promoting the main runner foward...do not cut the end off the runner...it
will die back several inches on its own.  When pruning laterals, the
shorter the better 1-2 buds...or 1-1.5" of growth....allowing 3-4 inches of
growth makes your vine fruiting lateral too "leggy" over time.  Try as you
prune the 2-3 year to keep your main runner going forward and side laterals
short, very short.  Don't be alarmed if they bleed after pruning...this is
common.  You will probably prune off about 90% of all side growth in any
given year.  If you think you have pruned too much...prune some more!

Try and keep any "dog legs" or bends from forming in your vine trunks.  I
had several vines which drooped and allowed the main trunk to bow.  This
"bow" in the trunk was very susceptible to sun/heat damage so keep your
trunks as straight as possible.

I find a single wire trellis is best as double wire trellis makes pruning
more difficult. They grow together in a massive tangle.  This is true on
side by side or top to bottom double trellis.  Keep you vines some distance
away from other fruit trees.  Its amazing how far they will reach out to a
pear tree or the like.

Make sure you have good pollination, and your vines should bring you many
years of great fruit.  I have vines I planted 25 years ago that are still
going strong despite devastating freezes and heatwaves.  Put them where
they will be happy for a long time.  Full sun is best.

Hope this helps.