Temporary grape training

[chrisdb]

This winter I bought a bare root Boskoop Glory, but unfortunately the place where I intended to plant it isn't ready yet, and it might be a year or two until I get it in. Until they I've put it in a decent sized pot, but I'm left with the question of how to train it.

What I was considering doing was working towards what the RHS call a "standard" (basically a supported straight trunk with a cluster of laterals at the very top, making it look like a miniature tree). When I do eventually put it in its final spot, I think this form should be easy to convert into a "curtain" form, since all I then need to do is allow a couple of the laterals at the top to grow out along wires positioned approximately at the top of the "standard". Converting to other forms like a "Guyot" seems like it would be more work, and probably involving cutting the entire vine back to almost nothing and then doing years more of training.

I've never trained a grape vine before, so advice would be welcome. Does this approach make sense?

[Zenithtb]

From my experience - I have 20 vines (check my location ;-) - the speed at which grape vines grow means it won't matter. Let it do its thing until you're ready to move it, then during winter cut it right back to 1 or 2 buds from the base. Within the year it'll be over 20' long again. Plenty if time to train it in its permanent position...

[Kirk]

Would it be worthwhile getting a large pot for it - several places sell inexpensive ones - and growing it initially in a pot.

I only say this as one vine I had I went to move it and that was the end of the vine. If it were ij a large pot initially then moving it should not prove a problem later.

[chrisdb]

From my experience - I have 20 vines (check my location ;-) - the speed at which grape vines grow means it won't matter. Let it do its thing until you're ready to move it, then during winter cut it right back to 1 or 2 buds from the base. Within the year it'll be over 20' long again. Plenty if time to train it in its permanent position...

The reason I was thinking about losing time is that the pruning guide in my RHS books mentions pruning back hard the main shoot or trunk to ripened wood every winter for the first few years. If I cut the vine back to the ground and do that, am I going to lose any possibility of fruit for a few years?

[chrisdb]

Would it be worthwhile getting a large pot for it - several places sell inexpensive ones - and growing it initially in a pot.

I only say this as one vine I had I went to move it and that was the end of the vine. If it were ij a large pot initially then moving it should not prove a problem later.

I've got it in a large pot. The problem is the supporting structures / wires for most of the common ways to train a grape. That's why growing a "standard" and converting it seemed like a good idea / way to avoid losing a few years by having to cut it back to the ground again. That being said, I've never trained a grape before so I could be worrying about nothing.

[Zenithtb]

The reason I was thinking about losing time is that the pruning guide in my RHS books mentions pruning back hard the main shoot or trunk to ripened wood every winter for the first few years. If I cut the vine back to the ground and do that, am I going to lose any possibility of fruit for a few years?

Cut it back to where you want Honestly, consider a grape-vine like ivy - basically a weed and very hard to kill once it has roots. Not where you are, but over here they grow about 20 metres a year or so...

Bunches of grapes grow on new (this year's) growth, so really it does not matter how you prune it over winter. Just hit it about a bit as you like ;-)