North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Hilborn.E@epamail.epa.gov]

I am growing muscadine grapes and kiwi fruit on an arbor trellis system for the first time this year. I have built a system using 2 horizontal wires, one at 4 feet, one at 6 feet.

 

I have read references that describe training grapes and kiwi up a temporary support to reach the bottom wire. They caution to avoid twisting of the vine around the support.  Makes sense, the trunks will grow large and will be weaken if spiraled and constrained.

 

However, I am having trouble finding information about training laterals.  I assumed that I should avoid spiraling, and have trained each lateral to rest on top of my wire.  I have them temporarily tied with green plastic plant tie material.

 

My husband viewed this year’s growth and expressed his skepticism that the laterals will be stable for the long term.  He asked why I did not let them spiral around the wire to support their own weight, to provide strength and resistance to the occasionally high winds we experience during the growing season (we may get tropical storm or hurricane-force winds here during the summer).

 

He has a point in that I have seen mature muscadine and kiwi vines; they are massive and have a lot of surface area.  I could imagine using enough steel wire to keep them up on the arbor, but then I must be vigilant to loosen the wire as the laterals expand.

 

I have let the muscadine tendrils wrap around the wire where they exclude encircling the lateral itself.

 

Should I let my laterals spiral?  If not, how do I keep them securely tied to the trellis wires as they mature?

 

Betsy Hilborn

7a NC