Personally, I avoid summer pruning. For one thing, when you cut a shoot, it
is stimulated to try to grow again, which may keep it growing later in the
season when it should be hardening off. For another, once growth matures,
it's all makiing food to help harden the shoots and ripen the fruit.
At risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll have all this in my book, due
out in Sept. If you can't wait, go to www.grapeseek.com and join some of
the lists there.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, more, plus word on my grape book at http://www.bunchgrapes.com
> Hello,
>
> I am relatively new to grapes and seek some advice.
>
> Last year was the second year for the grape arbor. It is 10'x10 square and
> 8'
> high.
>
> The 4 main vines now go up each of the corner posts and criss cross the
> timbers at the top. While it
> was dormant I pruned back to the mains, and I have new fruiting shoots
> coming
> in (I am sorry that I
> am using the wrong terminology).
>
> My question is; Is any pruning performed during the growing season?
>
> Shoots that are near cross members I train to the cross members with jute,
> but
> what about those
> shooting out into space, away from the arbor, are they removed now, or left
> till dormant pruning?
> Will a shoot hanging in open space stop growing for lack of support?
>
> Thanks for any help you can offer.
>
> Regards,
> Tom