When to prune grape vines in Georgia

The Flower Lady · 11-30-2006, 07:37 AM

When is the best time to prune grape vines in north Georgia? We have three two year old vines and have been told to prune them way back to the main vine for better grape production. Is now a good time or not? Thanks in advance for your help.

scottr · 11-30-2006, 07:58 AM

Are you talking about Muscadine vines ?

gumneck · 11-30-2006, 09:28 AM

Hey Scott.

FL. If you only have a couple of vines, just wait till about February 15th. No need to prune back now and have bud swell be induced during warm periods.

I'll be starting about that time and I have over 1600 vines.

scottr · 11-30-2006, 10:09 AM

Tom , that's pruning on a big scale . We only have 75 vines to prune . We try to prune in february . A neighbor pruned his muscadine vines like the flower lady is describing and it killed them . Her two year old vines are probably in the training stage and need a two arm , four arm , or overhead trellis training . Do you see any of the blue eastern concord grape vines in your area ?

gumneck · 11-30-2006, 12:31 PM

Scott

I have some concords. I have even had vinifera. Problem is birds will devour them if you dont put nets on them at the correct time. One day too late and you get nada.

In pruning muscadines, I have found it hard to kill them. IMO, something else killed them and not pruning. Keep in mind my wife says I've been wrong before.

I have cut muscadines back to the ground(more than 30 vines) and most have regrown to the wires and run out.

Without any more info from the F.L., I'll refrain from too much advice such as it is. I've found the worst thing for muscadines is too poor of a soil structure. Too wet = poor growth and plant is more susceptible to GRB infestations.

Anyway, I over propagated my Carlos vines and have placed an add in the NC wine pages. If you know of anyone looking for extra plants....

Another perfectly good thread derailed

scottr · 11-30-2006, 01:22 PM

Tom , I tip rooted a vine for my insurance agent and put it in a pot for a year . The next year I planted it in the ground and trained the main shoot up a cane to the 4' wire . Then trained two arms for runners . How long do you keep your vines potted ?

gumneck · 11-30-2006, 06:06 PM

I can propagate a vine (mistbed) at the beginning of summer and have it about 4-5 ft by Oct. Not all will grow so well, but a large majority will. This year I had some 18-24" vines that were 1 yr plants, I set them out in a nursery bed and grew them up 6 ft. I'll set them out in the vineyard this winter.

I have some in pots that I airlayered 2 yrs ago that should have been set out this past winter/spring. I dont like to keep them in pots but if they're in the shade and get water they'll last a long time. I have some grafted apple trees that have been in pots for over four years. When I finish getting the pines out of my backyard, they'll be set out and put on a cordon/espalier system.

gumneck · 11-30-2006, 06:11 PM

I guess I really didn't answer your question Scott.

With the mistbed plants, I dont see a need to pot them so I haven't. What I noticed from last year is that you can take these one year cuttings and put them straight out into the vineyard at the start of their second year. If I were potting them, I think the ideal time would be to keep and train them in a pot for no more than one year. Then at least, you can set them out and have them up to the wire straight away and deer should not bother the trunks.

scottr · 12-05-2006, 10:43 AM

A spring frost can zap the small grapes and it will limit the amount of grapes produced . Also improper pruning (too aggressive) will limit the grapes produced . Are you pruning your vines to 3 to 4 nodes ? Auburn University told my mom to plant the concord vines seperatly from the muscadines and scuppernongs but would not say why . I've noticed that a dry summer will limit the size of the grapes not the quanity . Somewhere I read that the muscadine / scuppernong vines are most productive around 8 years of age .

appalachianarbo · 12-05-2006, 06:52 PM

Check out http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/pdf/L225.pdf and http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8203.html for muscadines,

and http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8202.html for bunching grapes

Here in Western NC, we prune ours in February, after the majority of the cold has passed.

11-30-2006, 07:37 AM	#1
The Flower Lady Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: GA Posts: 17	When to prune grape vines in Georgia When is the best time to prune grape vines in north Georgia? We have three two year old vines and have been told to prune them way back to the main vine for better grape production. Is now a good time or not? Thanks in advance for your help.

11-30-2006, 07:58 AM	#2
scottr Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,635	Vine Are you talking about Muscadine vines ? __________________ Scott

11-30-2006, 10:09 AM	#4
scottr Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,635	1600 vines Tom , that's pruning on a big scale . We only have 75 vines to prune . We try to prune in february . A neighbor pruned his muscadine vines like the flower lady is describing and it killed them . Her two year old vines are probably in the training stage and need a two arm , four arm , or overhead trellis training . Do you see any of the blue eastern concord grape vines in your area ? __________________ Scott Last edited by scottr; 11-30-2006 at 10:59 AM.

11-30-2006, 01:22 PM	#6
scottr Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,635	Derailed ? Tom , I tip rooted a vine for my insurance agent and put it in a pot for a year . The next year I planted it in the ground and trained the main shoot up a cane to the 4' wire . Then trained two arms for runners . How long do you keep your vines potted ? __________________ Scott

12-05-2006, 10:43 AM	#9
scottr Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Alabama Posts: 1,635	Production A spring frost can zap the small grapes and it will limit the amount of grapes produced . Also improper pruning (too aggressive) will limit the grapes produced . Are you pruning your vines to 3 to 4 nodes ? Auburn University told my mom to plant the concord vines seperatly from the muscadines and scuppernongs but would not say why . I've noticed that a dry summer will limit the size of the grapes not the quanity . Somewhere I read that the muscadine / scuppernong vines are most productive around 8 years of age . __________________ Scott Last edited by scottr; 12-05-2006 at 11:00 AM.

11-30-2006, 09:28 AM	#3
gumneck Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: chesapeake,va Posts: 593	Hey Scott. FL. If you only have a couple of vines, just wait till about February 15th. No need to prune back now and have bud swell be induced during warm periods. I'll be starting about that time and I have over 1600 vines.

11-30-2006, 12:31 PM	#5
gumneck Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: chesapeake,va Posts: 593	Scott I have some concords. I have even had vinifera. Problem is birds will devour them if you dont put nets on them at the correct time. One day too late and you get nada. In pruning muscadines, I have found it hard to kill them. IMO, something else killed them and not pruning. Keep in mind my wife says I've been wrong before. I have cut muscadines back to the ground(more than 30 vines) and most have regrown to the wires and run out. Without any more info from the F.L., I'll refrain from too much advice such as it is. I've found the worst thing for muscadines is too poor of a soil structure. Too wet = poor growth and plant is more susceptible to GRB infestations. Anyway, I over propagated my Carlos vines and have placed an add in the NC wine pages. If you know of anyone looking for extra plants.... Another perfectly good thread derailed

11-30-2006, 06:06 PM	#7
gumneck Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: chesapeake,va Posts: 593	I can propagate a vine (mistbed) at the beginning of summer and have it about 4-5 ft by Oct. Not all will grow so well, but a large majority will. This year I had some 18-24" vines that were 1 yr plants, I set them out in a nursery bed and grew them up 6 ft. I'll set them out in the vineyard this winter. I have some in pots that I airlayered 2 yrs ago that should have been set out this past winter/spring. I dont like to keep them in pots but if they're in the shade and get water they'll last a long time. I have some grafted apple trees that have been in pots for over four years. When I finish getting the pines out of my backyard, they'll be set out and put on a cordon/espalier system.

11-30-2006, 06:11 PM	#8
gumneck Arboristsite MVP Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: chesapeake,va Posts: 593	I guess I really didn't answer your question Scott. With the mistbed plants, I dont see a need to pot them so I haven't. What I noticed from last year is that you can take these one year cuttings and put them straight out into the vineyard at the start of their second year. If I were potting them, I think the ideal time would be to keep and train them in a pot for no more than one year. Then at least, you can set them out and have them up to the wire straight away and deer should not bother the trunks.

12-05-2006, 06:52 PM	#10
appalachianarbo Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Asheville, NC Posts: 331	Check out http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/pdf/L225.pdf and http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8203.html for muscadines, and http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8202.html for bunching grapes Here in Western NC, we prune ours in February, after the majority of the cold has passed.

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