The Growing Tip

[Garden_Chris]

Hi guys,

I went out yesterday to tie up the growth my grapevine has put on these past couple of weeks and I've noticed the main growing tip had vanished. No idea how it happened, but evidently, I've got a summers growth and I don't want to lose it to have to train another growing tip.

Is there any way I could kick start a new growing tip in it's place? I've thought about cutting back all the other stems so it's just the one I have now, but I'm afraid it'll remain the same and another vine will grow from the base of the plant.

Any advice welcome,

Thanks.

[rustylady]

How much of the stem have you actually lost? Pictures might help.

[Garden_Chris]

Hm.. it's literally the top centimetre or two.

<-----> about that much.

The end has browned off, but I cut it at a 45 degree angle (I read somewhere that promotes new growth?)

[Garden_Chris]

Hope that helps.

[rustylady]

It's looking very green for this time of the year. If I were you I would just make sure that the top of the stem is cut cleanly and leave it alone now for this year. It will probably be losing it's leaves soon, and when growth starts again next year you will get a shoot from the top bud which can be trained to continue the leader.

[Garden_Chris]

Ahh! Yes, of course, hopefully one of the top buds will rise to take its place. Is the fact that it's green this time of year a bad thing? You might not be able to tell from the picture, but it's in a bit of a sun trap where it gets the heat of the sun for about 6 hours a day, also, the excess heat from the fire gets vented out about 2ft. away from it, so it's rather warm there even in the depths of winter.

I've read as well, when the leaves drop off I am to prune it back to all but the main stem - would you say that's accurate advice?

[roitelet]

Yes, take of all the side shoots close to the main stem and leave the main stem (rod). Do it when the plant is dormant in about January and it will send out new shoots from the leaf axiles.