Grapevine not flowered yet - might it still or too late for this year?

[Mrs M Blurton]

Hi, I think I have got it very wrong with my grapevine. First year planted in the greenhouse, although it was already a couple of years old I think. I was planning to heavily restrict the number of bunches. Anyway, it duly grew and I duly picked off the side shoots but I think I have picked off anything that could have produce flowers, silly me. So now have been allowing side shoot growth but no flowers so far. Should I give up for this year, stop it and wait for next year? Or is there still hope for a bunch of grapes? Thanks for your help and ideas.

[Thelma Sanders]

Mine didn't have any flowers the first year after planting, and following the rules I've cut off all but 2 bunches this year, after a good pruning last winter.
Perhaps you were expecting too much this year?
Give it some more pruning over winter and you can let it have a few bunches next year, but only a few!
It takes 3 or more years before the plant can support a full crop.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=286

[Mitzi]

Mine used to flower pretty much as soon as the leaves opened in spring so I would think it is too late for this year.

[Deltawhiskey]

One of the most important things to remember with grapevines is that they only produce grapes on last years growth. If you cut back the shoots that are growing this year to two or three buds in winter, the flowers will be carried on the new shoots that grow from those buds.

David

[devonuk]

Even if you got flowers now I think they would be too late to ripen. I have black Hamburg in a cold greenhouse. The fruits are currently a bit bigger then peppercorns, and don't ripen before late October. So I think you would have too much catching up to do.

[the big lebowski]

what delta said

[Jungle Jane]

My grapes grow on vines produced in the current year,not on previous years wood,I cut them right back every year,new vines grow in the spring & grapes appear on those.

[Jay-ell]

Anyway, it duly grew and I duly picked off the side shoots but I think I have picked off anything that could have produce flowers, silly me.

Mrs M - can you clarify what you mean by this - I have a scary picture in my mind that you've pulled off all this years growth and just left the old wood. I'm certain this isn't the case.

I nip out the tendrils that grow on my vines so that they don't waste energy (I tape it to the supports instead) - although as the tendrils grow on the same bits as flowers I wait until I know which is which.

Once the grapes have set and grown a little I'll thin them. Quite heavily this year to one or two per vine but hoping to get more each year.

The grapes all developed at the bottom part of this years new growth, quite close to the old wood. In winter on the vines with permanent cordons I'll prune off most of these except for the bottom new side shoots, taking them down lowest 2 buds.

As I'm still in the formative stages of the vines I won't be doing much summer pruning - tipping some of the larger shoots and the central leader

[Deltawhiskey]

My grapes grow on vines produced in the current year,not on previous years wood,I cut them right back every year,new vines grow in the spring & grapes appear on those.

Hi Jane,
You must have a very unique variety because usually if you cut off all of the last years growth you just get leaf and stem. I do get the odd tiny bunch of buds on the tips of the gripping tendrils but the main bunches come after the second or third leaf on last years wood.

David