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  • From: Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>
  • To: NAFEX <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] grape pruning/training question
  • Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 20:16:03 -0500

I have a canadice grape vine growing over a small ornamental archway - sort of a mini-arbor. It grows up one corner, and I have been training a main branch across the top, under the center bar (which is a lot higher than the rest). But I had trouble getting enough growth in one year, and the horizontal piece is about three year's of growth. I've been using the upright and the cross-branch as the structure, and cutting back most of the rest of the growth each spring.

Last summer, the grape finally took off, and one long cane went all the way across the arch. I would like to remove the horizontal structure that I had, and replace it with this stronger cane. But it grew over the center bar. (I think one reason it grew so well is that I didn't discourage its upward impulse.) This evening I disentangled the dry tendrils, and moved the branch under the center cross-bar. In doing so, I tried not to bend it too sharply, but a little of the bark "peeled", as it does on older canes.

So, my question is, how much did I damage the cane? Is it okay to cut back the older cross-piece, along with the other annual growth, and use this new cane going forward? Should I leave both and see which is stronger? Gamble and assume something else will grow to replace it if this doesn't thrive?

Thanks,
Ginda Fisher
eastern Mass., zone 6
where spring is coming soon




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