Grapevine - perplexed;

[cheops]

I've just acquired a grapevine and am not at all sure how I should train it against the fence. It's leader has a long time ago been cut off and there are four side shoots at the top of the vine because of this. So it looks a bit like a standard rose. I always thought as the leader grew new side shoots should be trained out sideways and when the vine reached the maximum height desired then you cut the tip of the leader off.
I'm at a loss as what to do as I don't think this vine will grow upwards. Anyone help with knowledge and advice please.

[Bigmallly]

I'm no expert on growing grapes but I believe the 2/4 sideshoots will carry on growing.

[Guest]

Use a side shoot as a leader if you want to gain height. The side shoots will produce their own side shoots. Just keep or encourage what you want and over time prune out what you don't want.

[lottie dolly]

so thats how to do it thank you,looks like my 2 are having a chop come later in the year.

[roitelet]

Don't chop/prune it until it is really dormant or it will bleed maybe to death.

[Jay-ell]

Have a look on you tube for vine training styles - there's various ways of training and pruning and training them and you may need to decide before you put up your trellis. I'm going to train mine using Scott-Henry and Smart-Dyson trellis - despite their names neither system involves the use of a vacuum cleaner.

[Guest]

In regards to pruning - I think it is similar to other fruit in regards to winter prune for shape and improved growth, summer (only new growth, as already mentioned it will bleed) to remove unwanted shoots, tendrils, thinning of fruit and bunches, training the growth you want. I have read several theories/ techniques on pruning but I think it is a case of establishing first before removing too much.

[cheops]

Great stuff. Thanks everyone. I intend keeping it quite narrow so I wanted height ---thx Norfolkgrey ---I'll get the height from a strong side shoot trained upward. Thanks again everyone.

[Guest]

Not sure it really helps but I know we are a nosey bunch that like pics. When I moved where I am there was a mature vine just pretty much left to do its on thing. Above the window was some concrete reinforcing mesh nailed to some batons, screwed to the wall (just ) In 2014 it became too top heavy and with the wind it came down and split. Due to the weight I couldn't rescue it. I hacked it fearing the worst as I had a waterfall for a couple of days. This is how it looks now



It is now tied into wires on great fat screw eyes. The bottom is last years growth and pinched and thinned as and when. The top is the result of last weekend. The top growth last year wasn't fantastic. It does show that it is more how you train and trim though

I am still very much learning about the fruity side of things and info on domestic grape growing is a lil' scarce

[Bigmallly]

Does it come with a ladder?......................

[Guest]

^^^Yes and two small children. It was a family day out on that ladder on Sunday. My neighbour found it highly amusing. Oh and I was supervised by the dove on the sky dish

[cheops]

It looks great. If the grapes are sweet who cares about dizzy heights.

[Bigmallly]

Do you happen to know what variety it is NG?

[Guest]

No, but I suspect it is something like black hamburg. All the fruity things I gained were common varieties around 15-20 years ago. The grapes are nice (dessert) black seeded grapes and the vine (touch wood) has not shown any illness as such. It is on a South-ish facing wall. It gets no water or feed.

[Bigmallly]

Thanks, I have a 6ft Catarratto but it's a wine grape so not sure whether to bin it & buy a dessert variety.