by Paul B. » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:59 am
Just wondering if any of our grape-growing WLDGers (either backyard vineyard or if you're commercially involved with a vineyard) have pruned their vines yet, assuming that you live in the Northern hemisphere.
I haven't gotten mine done yet, but will be watching the temperatures closely over the next couple of weeks. Last year I pruned toward the end of February - a bit early - but it all worked out fine. This year, because February was very cold and I want to leave more growth on the vines until the most bitter cold passes, I'll be waiting to mid-to-late-March to do it.
Last year we had a terribly cold and rainy autumn, which resulted in some poorly-hardened canes on my Concord - which also happened to put out a heavy crop last year. My Niagara hasn't fruited yet, so it was spared that stress and seems to have matured all its wood. I don't want to do it, but I may be forced to spur prune rather than cane prune my Concord.
http://hybridwines.blogspot.ca