Blackbird nesting in the greenhouse

[Principia]

Any advice on how long I have to wait before I can prune my already out of control grape vine?

I've been using the greenhouse to harden off some vegetable plants and today I was watering and doing a bit of vine snipping when I came face to face with a blackbird. I think the nest is in the process of being built because I saw a male blackbird collecting bits and heading for this corner of the garden (didn't realise it was actually in the greenhouse). However the nest looks good and she wasn't moving so it seems she's probably laid a clutch of eggs.

I need about another week of hardening off before I can leave the greenhouse to the birds and the vine but after this possible clutch fledges I'm afraid I'm going to have to evict her for the sake of my grapes.

Any advice welcome.

[Penellype]

If the eggs have only just been laid you are talking about 2 weeks before they hatch and another 2 weeks for them to leave the nest. There may be a further clutch of eggs or possibly even 2.

More info here https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wi...bird/breeding/

[Thelma Sanders]

It'll be about 2 weeks before the eggs hatch and another couple before the babies fledge, but they usually stay around for a week or so, before they're off and away.

Snap Penellype!

[Jimmy]

To ease your frustration, remember
https://youtu.be/9zbtAxQdZcU
Jimmy

[Snoop Puss]

Umm... isn't it too late to be pruning a vine already? Sorry if that comes across as a critical question, it's not meant to be. But might you not do more harm than good pruning it now and especially later?

[Paulie]

Any advice on how long I have to wait before I can prune my already out of control grape vine?

I've been using the greenhouse to harden off some vegetable plants and today I was watering and doing a bit of vine snipping when I came face to face with a blackbird. I think the nest is in the process of being built because I saw a male blackbird collecting bits and heading for this corner of the garden (didn't realise it was actually in the greenhouse). However the nest looks good and she wasn't moving so it seems she's probably laid a clutch of eggs.

I need about another week of hardening off before I can leave the greenhouse to the birds and the vine but after this possible clutch fledges I'm afraid I'm going to have to evict her for the sake of my grapes.

Any advice welcome.

Hi Principia. I would advise you not to prune it at this time of year - doing so will weaken it severely. This is because it would 'bleed' - that is, the sap would leak from the pruning cuts. It would be better to wait and do it between November and January when the vine is dormant. Hope this is helpful.

Paulie

[Thelma Sanders]

Yes hard pruning needs doing in winter but summer pruning doesn't make the vine bleed (that tends to happen in Spring when the sap is rising strongly)
Monty Don was doing some trimming on his vine a few weeks ago, removing some growth above each bunch of flower buds, to let more light and air through.

The RHS says
•Pinch out the growing tips of flowering side branches two leaves beyond the flower cluster, allowing only one flower cluster to develop per side branch for dessert grapes. More clusters can be allowed for wine grapes
•Pinch out non-flowering side branches to five leaves
•Pinch out any side shoots growing from the side branches to one leaf

[Principia]

Thanks all, when I say prune, I mean pinch out the growing tips above the immature fruit, I have to do this every year despite a hard prune in Feb and it's never bled before.

I'll leave the door and windows open and then start being noisier in there in 4 weeks time and see if I can put them off starting another clutch (if this one makes it).

Thanks again.

[Principia]

Just an update, fought my way into the greenhouse today as the some of the grapes are starting to look purply, checked the nest and it was empty, not even a few feathers left so took it out. Blackbirds surely build a sturdy nest though :-)

I shall be closing the door at night from now on in as I know that if I don't, the blackbirds will be picking off the grapes just before I want them :-) We lost a whole crop one year after failing to do this and going away for a few days.